Just over a decade ago, the idea of paying a stranger so you could stay in their house or apartment during your vacation sounded crazy. These days, an average of two million people are staying in a stranger's spaces every night.
There are now over 6 million Airbnb listings worldwide, in over 100,000 cities. This peer-to-peer accommodation phenomenon has completely transformed the way we travel and it’s growing more and more every year.
So, what makes Airbnb so much better than staying in a hotel?
Here are a few of the main advantages of this type of stay.
Better Value for Money
According to these stats, the average rate for an entire home on Airbnb is the same or lower than the cost of a single hotel room in a similar location. In the top 25 markets in the USA, Airbnb is anywhere from 6% to 17% cheaper than a regional hotel’s average daily rate.
If you are traveling on a budget, you’ll find that you get much more bang for your buck with an Airbnb. Better yet, if you are traveling with a group you’ll often be able to split the cost of the rental and enjoy an even more affordable trip.
Plenty of Space
Compared to a hotel room of similar price, an Airbnb almost always offers you more space. You’ll have a separate bedroom and living room, so you can watch TV or chat without waking up your travel companion. Early to bed or late to rise, it doesn’t matter if you have different sleep schedules.
Many Airbnbs will have a laptop-friendly workspace, so that if you need to get some work done during your trip you don’t have to sit on the bed or an uncomfortably low table. Depending on your apartment or house rental, you might even have space to host a dinner, or have a dance party!
Self Catering
Speaking of hosting a dinner, one of the huge advantages to staying in an Airbnb is having your own kitchen. When you’re traveling it can get pretty expensive to eat out in a restaurant every night. Cooking your own food with affordable ingredients from the grocery store can save you a lot of money on your trip.
Plus, eating out every night can get tiresome as well. Sometimes after a long day of sightseeing, all you want to do is change into your pajamas and cook a simple dinner to eat in front of the TV. Staying in an Airbnb gives you the freedom to do this.
More Privacy
When you stay in a hotel room, you will be sharing a (usually pretty thin) wall with the next guest. Oftentimes, you can hear noises in the hallway and next door, and you have to stay quiet so that you don’t disturb other guests.
When you have your own Airbnb, this is not the case. Usually, you’ll be further away from your neighbors and won’t have to worry as much about disturbing them - or being disturbed
by them. In some cases, you can rent your own house and have plenty of space to yourself.
Unique Space
Unless you are staying in a small, funky boutique inn, hotel rooms are largely the same all over the world. They have very similar, bland cookie cutter furnishings and not much personality. After all, they are designed to be as inoffensive as possible.
In contrast, Airbnb spaces are often as unique and full of personality as their owners. They are more likely to be decorated in interesting ways and have their own vibe. For example, you might find an Airbnb with a cozy reading nook, or an outdoor hot tub, or a hammock on the balcony, or lots of stylish art on the walls.
A More Personal Experience
When you stay in an Airbnb, you are often renting the room from an individual rather than a large hotel chain. This offers a much more personal travel experience. For example, my Airbnb host in Zagreb, Croatia took my boyfriend and I out for a drink at a great local bar and gave us tips on all the best attractions in the city.
Another Airbnb host in Cairns, Australia helped us to arrange a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. He booked it through a friend’s travel company, so we could get a discounted rate.
If someone is choosing to be an Airbnb host, they usually love their location and are eager to share it with their guests. They often love being around people and want to make sure you have the best time possible during your stay. Sometimes they might even write up a guide to the city to share with you!
How about owning your own Airbnb? (yes, you!)
There are just a few of the many advantages that this type of accommodation has to offer. It’s easy to see why Airbnbs are growing in popularity.
If you love the flexibility, space and privacy of staying in an Airbnb, have you ever thought of owning one yourself? You can take advantage of the growing popularity for this type of accommodation by investing with Partbnb.
Each property is divided into 10,000 parts, starting from $34 each. You can invest as much or as little as you choose. The properties are highly desirable vacation rentals in beautiful Caribbean locations.
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