As vacation season looms around the corner, I have had many travelers inquire about using Airbnb in lieu of pricey hotels with limited amenities and outrageous parking costs. For those of you unfamiliar with Airbnb , it is a site where property owners can post their lodgings for travelers around the world to rent. Airbnb definitely has its perks and is my preferred lodging type for international trips outside of the Caribbean, however, as with any service, travelers must be mindful of some nuances that could be the difference between a dream vacation and a trip from hell.
Here are some tips to help make your Airbnb experience a success. Scroll to the bottom of the post for my Houston Airbnb recommendations. If you are not familiar with the different neighborhoods in the city where you plan to vacay, please make sure to do your research. The last thing that you want is to be stuck in the suburbs, far outside of the center of the city and away from tourist attractions, or even worse, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood only fit for The First That, unfortunately, is a true story, and it happened to me.
Depending on where you live, there are some amenities that we take for granted, like central air. Some of the most popular amenities that you probably want to look for are:. While all properties may not have reviews, either due to being a recent listing or being the unlucky host of unreviewing guests, to be on the safe side, stick to properties that have multiple reviews.
And for my really skeptical travelers, you can even filter your rental property search results to only show rentals with a Superhost. What is a Superhost? Reviews are your friends, use them. Special Conditions. I kid you not, some hosts have strange requests that you would think would scare away any traveler from staying in their rental. For instance, in the rental where we stayed in Venice, the main bathroom had been remodeled using a specially treated bamboo, and the hosts left implicit instructions to be sure to not get the walls or floor wet when you showered.
And many of the reviewers complained about this being quite the feat, due to the small size of the tub. Do I recommend Airbnb? Yes, yes, and yes, but with all things, there can be some drawbacks. On my trip to Europe, we stayed in approximately Airbnb residences, and each residence was not only exactly as pictured and described, but each host was helpful when it came to knowing how and where to catch public transit and choosing local restaurants that fit our preferences.
