If you’ve travelled anywhere lately then the chances are you’ve heard about Airbnb. It’s become one of the most popular and easy-to-book lodging options, and it’s growing every day.
But does this mean that Airbnb is set to be the future of travel? Is your experience staying at an Airbnb location that much better than staying at a hotel? And does the daily growth in Airbnb’s popularity mean that Airbnb – and other services like it – are going to push the chain hotels and family owned bed and breakfasts out of business?
Let’s see.
What is Airbnb?
Before we can examine the pros and cons of this new way of traveling, let’s get a little more familiar with it. Airbnb is an online hospitality company founded nearly ten years ago that provides short term rental options for travelers. The company prides itself on its often unbeatable prices, and homely accommodation options.
Rental options vary from houses and apartments to villas, and even castles! You can choose between having the whole place to yourself, having your own room in someone else’s home, or sharing a room with a stranger.
How quickly is Airbnb growing?
Though they started out as a small business in San Francisco, they now advertise and take bookings for nearly 3 million properties in 191 different countries!
Why is Airbnb so Popular?
Airbnb’s popularity has hit the roof lately, so why is it that people love it so much? Here are some of the reasons why Airbnb might just be the future of travel.
Travel like a local
Airbnb tell their customers that by booking with them they can “belong anywhere”, promoting the idea of becoming part of the local community while traveling.
Airbnb fans love being able to stay with a local who knows the area. They also love how this arrangement allows them to meet new people and experience their travel destination through an insider’s perspective.
It’s a more homely stay
Airbnb homes are exactly that, homes. So travelers can enjoy the personal touch of a local home. There’s no standard-hotel room, no perfectly designed lobby that makes you feel like a tourist. Whether you have the entire place to yourself, or if you’re staying with a host, Airbnb locations are meant to feel like home.
You can make use of the kitchen
One of the major disadvantages of staying in hotels is that it means you have to eat out all the time. With Airbnb, you’re staying in actual home with a kitchen that you can make use of whenever you fancy a bite to eat.
Cooking at your temporary home is obviously much cheaper than buying out all the time, and it means you can explore the local supermarket and eat like a local.
Airbnb is usually cheaper than hotels
Regardless of whether you choose to stay in a room in your host’s home, or book an entire place to yourself, Airbnb is usually much cheaper than hotels or even bed and breakfasts.
Hosts set their own rates per night, but for the average stay, several weeks in an Airbnb might cost the same as only a couple of nights in a hotel. And of course, the self-catered element of Airbnb stays makes the cost of your entire trip cheaper.
Travelers have also found that when traveling in groups, Airbnb stays can even be cheaper, and much more luxurious than hostels.
You’re not paying a big corporation
Whilst Airbnb of course takes a percentage of what you spend on your booking, most of what you pay will go to the local host. Why does it matter where your money’s going? It’s just much nicer to know that your money is going to a local family – it’s as though you’re doing your bit to give back to the local community.
There’s a home for everyone on Airbnb
Whether your budget is $10 or $1000 a night, Airbnb has a whole range of accommodation types. So whether you’re looking for budget accommodation, or luxury lodgings, you’re bound to find somewhere that’s perfect.
Are there any disadvantages to using Airbnb?
Nothing is perfect so of course, with Airbnb’s growing popularity, there has been the odd bad review, and the occasional flaw pointed out. Here are some of the disadvantages of using Airbnb (notice how there’s not nearly as many disadvantages as there advantages though!).
You don’t feel as pampered as you might in a hotel
If you love the feel of staying in a hotel, with staff ready to see to your every need, a maid to make your bed each morning, and maybe even sports or swimming facilities, then obviously Airbnb can’t offer you that.
Airbnb causes some problems for locals
Airbnb has also encountered a lot of criticism as its popularity continues to grow. There are areas where locals have complained that landlords using their properties for short term rental have contributed to the rise of long term rental rates, creating a shortage of affordable homes.
There are also those who claim that as of recently more Airbnb locations are showing up in “trendy” neighborhoods, meaning that locals are pushed out and their community changed. This causes problems not just for the locals, but also for travellers who were expecting to stay some place where they could interact with locals. Instead they find themselves surrounded by other Airbnb guests.
The quality of your stay depends on your host
Airbnb doesn’t actually own any of the properties advertised on its site, so any issues you have will be down to your host. There will of course be hosts that you don’t get on with, perhaps they’re rude, or their property isn’t up to scratch, or maybe they have some pretty backwards views (there have been reports of hosts being uncomfortable with homosexual couples).
To be honest though, that’s unfortunately something you could get anywhere, in hotels, hostels, you name it. Often, it’s just luck of the draw, and remember you can always read reviews before booking anywhere on Airbnb, so you can do your best to make sure you don’t end up with a nightmare host!
Is Airbnb the future of travel?
There’s no denying that Airbnb is continuously on the rise. People are loving the homely and affordable accommodation option, and with cheaper accommodation available, more people are able to travel all over the world.
The cheap price of Airbnb stays definitely contribute to its popularity, and could mean that Airbnb is set to overtake hostels as the typical budget accommodation type.
And on the other end of the scale, travelers have the chance to stay in their dream home, and explore the more luxurious listings on Airbnb.
So Airbnb is definitely set to play a huge role in people’s travel experiences over the years to come, and despite it having a few flaws, Airbnb is here to stay, and might even change the way of travel.
I live in the UK, in the country’s most uneventful city, where the most interesting story in the local paper is about banning dressing gowns in supermarkets.
I travel and I write, because surely there are more interesting stories than that to write about and share.
