The Pros and Cons of Airbnb Stays
A stay at an Airbnb can add to your overall travel experience. With so many unique options, we would choose an Airbnb over a hotel any day. However, before booking your next Airbnb stay, there are some pros and cons to be aware of.
Pros:
Unique Accommodations
There are so many unique Airbnbs from tiny cabins and farm stays to luxury treehouses. An Airbnb stay can make or break your travel experience. When searching for the perfect Airbnb, look at all photos as well as reviews. Look for the stays with a “Superhost”. These stays tend to have hosts who go above and beyond to ensure your stay is the best it can be.
Additional Amenities
Airbnbs can feel more like home than a typical hotel stay. Most rentals are well equipped with kitchen and toiletry items. We love having the ability to cook our meals while traveling versus eating out on every trip. Some even have a washer and dryer inside or somewhere on the property for guest access.
Easy Booking and Check-in Process
Once you create a profile on Airbnb, booking is quick and easy. Once you book a stay, you’ll receive a confirmation email. All details and instructions regarding your stay will come 1-2 weeks before the dates you selected. We have always found check-in to be pretty easy. It is normally a lockbox, keypad, or app entry such as August Home. Sometimes the host will greet you and offer an orientation for your stay.
Privacy
More often than not, an Airbnb stay is a stand alone property. This along with self check-in offers a level of privacy. You won’t have to worry about nearby guests or thin hotel room walls.
Ability to Accommodate a Large Number of Guests
If you’re looking to host a family trip or large get-together, there are several Airbnbs that can sleep 10+ guests. Most Airbnbs do have a guest limit, however, so make sure you carefully read the rental details beforehand.
Affordability
We have found that Airbnb stays, especially for more than one night, tend to be more affordable than hotel stays. Especially in well-traveled areas, an Airbnb is usually cheaper than a hotel.
Cons:
Service and Cleaning Fees
I know affordability was just listed as a pro, however, each stay has additional service and cleaning fees. These can considerably raise the overall price of your stay. When searching for an Airbnb, make sure you select the number of guests and desired dates to get accurate pricing. Each listing will have a nightly rate with the total listed underneath. This total will include the service and cleaning fees. If you do choose to stay at an Airbnb for more than one night, these fees are only charged once.
Age and Length of Stay Requirements
Listed in the rental details or rules, some Airbnbs have a minimum age requirement to book. Many larger properties that can accommodate 6-10 guests require renters to be at least 25 years of age for insurance purposes. In addition, some hosts require a minimum stay of 2-3 nights at their property.
Booked Far in Advance
Airbnb allows you to search stays and add them to a wishlist. Some stays are very popular and are completely booked for months in advance. If you have your eye on a particular stay, you might want to book it quickly. Airbnbs with Superhosts tend to book faster than others as well.
Refusal Based on Negative Reviews
When you first create an Airbnb profile, you will enter your information and picture of your ID. This allows Airbnb to do a limited background check. After each stay, you will complete a review of the property and host, and the host will complete a review of the guest. These reviews will be public. Hosts of future bookings have the ability to refuse a rental request based on a negative review. Be sure to follow all check-out instructions and communicate with hosts if anything goes wrong during your stay to ensure a positive review.
We feel that the pros of Airbnb stays far outweigh the cons. We have loved every Airbnb we have stayed in. We hope this list was helpful!
