My First Time in an Airbnb

Airbnb-logoAs I mentioned yesterday, this past weekend in Austin provided a weekend of firsts for me, including my first-ever stay in an Airbnb.

For a long time I’ve confused Airbnb with couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is when you crash on someone’s couch or spare bed while they’re still in the house. I assume shenanigans are often involved.

Airbnb, however, is more like you’re renting someone’s home for a few days. It’s an alternative to a hotel (usually cheaper), and it offers things a hotel does not: full kitchen access, free wi-fi, and usually more space.

A few months ago I selected the Airbnb based on its proximity to the wedding location. A few friends and I decided to split the cost for a 3-night stay (they were there an extra night). Mark, the owner, sent us a ton of helpful communication in advance.

Overall, I had a really good experience. Even though we didn’t cook, it was awesome to have the feel of a home instead of a hotel. It just feels better.

The one downside is that hotels provide certain amenities that you can’t really expect an Airbnb owner to provide, like shampoo and soap. So make sure to bring your own. Otherwise the house had plenty of towels and bedding.

I kind of wish I had some crazy story about the Airbnb, but it was a simple, streamlined, pleasant experience. Perhaps you have a better story from when you’ve used it?

If you want to use Airbnb in the future, feel free to type in my referral code. I get $25 on my next stay, and you get a high five.

2 thoughts on “My First Time in an Airbnb”

  1. Airbnb is what I used when I traveled to Australia. We found places that were centrally located to everything we wanted to do and close to public transportation. It was really nice to have more room when traveling with 3 girls. Some places I’ve rented have had toiletries left over from previous guests but no guarantee, of course. In Melbourne I locked the keys in the apartment and the guy we rented from had a good plan in place for instances like that.

    Recently I rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains through HomeAway which was great. I’ve also used VRBO. I prefer to travel this way! 🙂

    Reply
    • Laura: That’s great! I’m glad you had a good experience with Airbnb. Ours didn’t need keys–it had a numerical lock. Homeaway sounds awesome too!

      Reply

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