Why Airbnb? Five benefits of choosing an Airbnb over a traditional hotel for your next trip (and a couple drawbacks).

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Airbnb has quickly become a trend in the travel community. It allows hosts to show off their accommodation for rent and allows travelers to quickly and easily find a place to stay at their destination. When compared to traditional hotels Airbnb offers many perks.

1. We will start with the most basic: the cost. Often times, although not all, an Airbnb can be rented for a much lower price than a hotel room. Along with the lower costs, you often get more for the money. On several occasions I have rented entire homes for less than the cost of some hotel rooms. It is most private, comfortable, and homelike.

2. There is a great variety of options. You can find any type of accommodation on Airbnb, including entire homes, private bedrooms in a home, cabins, camping sites, apartments, condos, and houseboats. The opportunities are endless and offer unique experiences you otherwise would not have had.

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3. The location. Although you can get hotel rooms that are out of the way and not in the popular tourist areas, Airbnb offers many more options to get you as close to where you want to be as possible. If you would rather be out in the country-there is something for you. If you would rather be in the city-there is something for you. Airbnb makes it easier to get closer to your desired location.

4. Flexibility. Airbnb can offer more flexibility with check in and check out times. From my experience, 99% of the time check in will be through a lock box that you retrieve the keys from or a code. In general, you don’t have to be there by a certain or forfeit the room. Without having to worry about getting to the front desk before closing you are free to enjoy whatever adventures you may have planned for that day.

5. Space. Airbnb accommodations often offer more space than a traditional hotel room would. I once stayed in a very expensive, fancy home for less than the cost of a hotel room. The home had 7 rooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 floors, and plenty of room for privacy. Splitting the cost of the nightly rate with my travel party made for an inexpensive, amazing experience.

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There are, of course, some draw backs to using Airbnb as well. You are trusting that the host is being truthful about the accommodations and that on arrival you will get what was expected. However, on occasion, disappointment can happen and the accommodations are not as advertised. My advice would be to research before booking an accommodation. Review the host reviews. I tend to avoid accommodations if there are not adequate reviews and I do not feel confident with the booking.

Another draw back is the fees. This does not apply to every booking, but occurs often enough to make it worth mentioning.  Cleaning/service fees are left to the discretion of the host, and some hosts take this as an opportunity to up the price. Although the prices of the accommodations tend to run lower than a traditional hotel room, the extra fees are something to watch out for.

Published by Melissa

Hello! My name is Melissa (or Missy). I'm a nurse by day, but my true passion is travel. I'm a part time traveler, travel blogger, and photographer. Travel blogging allows me to share my experiences and knowledge with you as well as allows me to share in your experiences and learn from you. View all posts by Melissa