Do you need help getting started on how to book the right Airbnb? Here are five steps for booking the right Airbnb, plus some pro tips we’ve learned along the way.
When we tell people that all of our lodging during this trip has been done with Airbnb, we get a lot of questions about our experience with the platform. A lot of people are skeptical about using Airbnb for lodging, but we believe it is because they don’t know quite how to do it. For us, it’s been the best way to travel as a family because we can stay in a place with a kitchen and (usually) multiple rooms, which allows us to cook meals at home and keep something closer to a family routine than a hotel allows.
Let’s start by saying that we have been using Airbnb for about 10 years and have used it in nearly 30 different countries and in several cities across the United States. Fortunately, we’ve been pleased with our accommodation every time except for twice. One time we simply didn’t like the place, but it was for a 1-night stay, so it didn’t really matter. The other time, we arrived to an apartment that was a complete disaster. Because we arrived late, we spent the night there but we contacted Airbnb right away and their costumer service promptly reached out and reimbursed us the entire stay (including the night we had already spent there). After that issue, Airbnb agents reached out to me to apologize for the bad experience and, a bit later, sent me a care package filled with fun travel goodies!
To help people book an Airbnb place with confidence, we’ve written some recommendations for how to book a good apartment that will fit your needs:
- Star ratings and reviews: We always try to go with homes that have all (or close to all) 5-star reviews because it basically guarantees it will be a good place to stay. In addition, we always read through quite a bit of the reviews to see what people who stayed say (and we focus in particular on recent reviews). If you are looking for something specific, do a search of the keywords you need.
- Filters: Use filters to your advantage when searching. Make sure you narrow your search by the criteria that is important to you. We always look for an “entire place” with at least two beds. We also filter by price to stay on budget (then we don’t even see the really nice places and aren’t tempted to stray from our budget!). Using filters will help you save a lot of time and a lot of suffering when you find an apartment that is great but totally out of your price range.
- Amenities: Every trip is different so think about what you need to make your stay more pleasant and easier. For example, wifi is generally a must these days, but not every single place has it (don’t assume they will unless it is listed). If you are traveling with a car, you probably want to look for a place that includes parking. We do a lot of cooking at home, so we also look carefully at pictures of the kitchen to make sure it looks like a suitable place for cooking (e.g., like there is a stove). Also, traveling for a year and living out of a backpack means we don’t have a ton of clothes, so we have to do laundry at least once a week. I mean, we could hand wash our clothes but, really, who wants to do that? So we check to make sure we are staying in places that have a washing machine.
- Superhosts: Some hosts gain “superhost” status on Airbnb, which generally means they are responsive, their guests have had positive experiences, and they don’t cancel on you. We will still book with hosts who haven’t been awarded superhost status but, when given the choice, we’ll go with superhosts every single time.
- Other things to consider:
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- Save yourself time by including your trip dates on your search. That way you’ll only get results that will actually work with your dates.
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- If you have your trip dates, book as far in advance as possible to get the best place for the best price. Some places are labelled as “rare finds,” meaning they are usually booked. If you look well in advance, you are much more likely to be able to book a rare find, which will be a great place for a great price. Booking at the last second will greatly reduce the number of options you’ll find. Also, if you are hesitant about booking way in advance, check out the host’s cancellation policy to learn more about whether or not you’ll get a full refund in case you need to cancel your reservation.
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- If you need fast internet speed, make sure you double check with the host about that; we’ve encountered a wide range of internet capabilities over our travels.
Also, here are two pro tips for when you arrive to the Airbnb you’ve booked:
- Ask the right questions. Your host will show you into the place, usually give you a quick rundown (or at least the keys), and then ask if you have any questions. For example, we always ask for the wifi password and we also ask where to take garbage out when needed (we don’t like dirty diapers sitting around in trash cans inside the Airbnb, right?). Some other good ideas can be to ask about nearby grocery stores or restaurants or using public transit or other local “knowhow” you might want to get from your host.
- Do not be afraid of rearranging! Move furniture around to accommodate your family’s needs. We’ve completely rearranged living rooms (e.g., to get sharp table corners out of the way) and have put single beds together to make a bigger bed for our son to sleep in. We will also remove breakable knickknacks from table tops to avoid the possibility of our kids accidentally breaking something. Just make sure you put everything back the way it was before leaving.
Have a problem with your rental?
- Contact Airbnb right away and explain the problem. Airbnb encourages you to address issues directly with the hosts, so use common sense as to when you should bypass the host and contact Airbnb directly.
- Document whatever issues you have. In the example I mentioned before with the terrible apartment, we took photos of the condition of the place and of the issues. A photo speaks louder than words.
Hope you will find this helpful! If you do, feel free to share with others.
Happy travels!
Follow this link to get a $40 credit when booking your first trip with AirBnb
https://www.airbnb.com/c/pbrigneti?currency=USD
