As I may have mentioned just a few times before, I have a love of Airbnb just a little bit. So it was suggested to me by my contact at STA for me to write a comparison piece, and while STA are getting something else, I thought it was a good idea anyway.
So, enough rambling!
Airbnb:
Let’s start with Airbnb, a phenomenon that took off about 10 years ago now, Airbnb works on the premise of a kind of house sharing community vibe. You can rent whole apartments to yourself or just a room in someone’s house – and there are options to stay on boats, in castles, in yurts, up treehouses, etc. wherever you could sleep, Airbnb has it in some shape or form. They have also recently launched into providing Airbnb experiences in which local people or freelancers can advertise their services. While I haven’t yet tried the experiences side yet, I have used Airbnb for the last 2 years, staying in many different properties, from riads to city apartments to holiday villas, and I have never had a bad experience. Personally, I think Airbnbs are great because they give you the flexibility of cooking for yourself and most come with a kitchen or at least kitchen access, although I have only ever rented the whole apartment.
The down side to Airbnb, like a hotel, is that sometimes you can end up with some dodgy places that actually aren’t anything like the photos, so make sure you read the reviews and trawl through the options before you settle on your dream holiday accommodation. Another negative is that Airbnb is running the more independent hotels and B&Bs out of business which I don’t appreciate, although I see I am part of the problem and don’t profess to have the answer to this quite yet. Also, many places, like Barcelona, are imposing fines on Airbnb for setting up in their area.
As I’ve mentioned before Airbnb did save my ass in Calais once when I was left without accommodation so I would definitely rate it on that alone, within an hour of booking it we were in the apartment, couldn’t ask for any more than that!
Say what you will about Airbnb but it is defiantly changing the face of the way we travel.
Don't forget to sign up to Airbnb through my link here and save yourself some dolla on your first trip!
Don't forget to sign up to Airbnb through my link here and save yourself some dolla on your first trip!
Hotels:
As much as I love Airbnb, I do love a good hotel. For me, this is the difference between a holiday (where I might go for a hotel) and travelling (more likely to use an Airbnb or hostel – apart from city breaks).
If I’m going to book a hotel it means one of two things for me – either I have cash to burn and want to be pampered in a luxurious hotel, or I’m going for the all-inclusive beach type holiday. I love that I can have dinner from my bed, that there’s a pool, a bar, a terrace, etc. all the things in life you would want to relax – this is my idea of a hotel and a holiday.
Hotels are brilliant, all service venues, but I would say that their downside is the lack of ability to cook for yourself – but then if I am picking a hotel, I would know I would be eating out every day and account for that. Also, generally they are more expensive than Airbnbs, although obviously you usually get more provided for this. And finally, I wouldn’t book a hotel if I was going away as part of a big group due to the lack of private communal areas.
Verdict: As always, depends on your budget, for me, I truly can’t decide unhelpfully! Let me know what you prefer!!
Have a good week my loves,
Lots of Love, Kate xxx