The first time I used Airbnb was when I went on a road trip with my friend to Rochester, NY then to Niagara Falls and then to Toronto, Canada. I’ve been hearing about Airbnb for so long now especially from my sister who is a pioneer in using it. I refused to pay for $100+ per night to stay at a place while visiting the freezing Canada so this was the perfect opportunity to look right into Airbnb during the trip. That’s when I tried Airbnb twice during that trip: one in a bed and breakfast and the other in someone’s home.
What is Airbnb?
So what exactly is Airbnb, if you aren’t familiar? It’s an online marketplace where you can find temporary rentals of other people’s homes, hostels, bed and breakfasts and even hotel rooms. While I am not adamant about always staying in a hotel when I travel, I believe renting someone’s home for a lot cheaper is what I would prefer because I travel for the experiences of what that place I have traveled to has to offer, not where I am sleeping. Over the years, I have grown to love nature more and to be grateful for what I have instead of wanting what I don’t have and wanting luxury.
Airbnb is great because there’s so much places you can find that suits your comfort level of how you would like to live. They also have rentals that offer luxurious accommodations like a balcony view, pool and sometimes pretty rooms that you can lounge around in.
Airbnbs vs. hotels
You see, I am not picky when it comes to living somewhere for a few short days and long before Airbnb even existed, many people including my parents only knew of hotels. What I want to mention here is that hotels do not have to be your only option and looking into places that can be significantly cheaper to stay in like Airbnb would be a great option.
I personally am content with just a clean room and bed and if free Wi-Fi is there, hell, that makes it even better. Sometimes shifting your mindset to think how you don’t need a lot to do your trip justice can give you relief, not just with the fact you can relax now but also financial clarification.
It’ll help you save more because you have the ability to cook your own food if you choose to rent someone else’s home instead of finding what to eat for dinner outside at a city. Although, hotels are great for offering free breakfast and other meals, but bed and breakfasts do the same thing too.
There’s going to be so much you can choose from wherever you travel and it can match up to how much space you want, the location, the check-in and check-out flexibility and the amenities. You may find yourself opting for a whole apartment to yourself for the same price as a room in a hotel, crazy right? You also do not need to get fooled with the pictures you see on hotel sites; Airbnb’s photos will look remarkably like the photos you’ll view on there. While hotels are great too, you don’t need to limit yourself as a traveler!
When you have a place to yourself that isn’t a hotel, but an actual home, you’ll get to have the full experience of what it’s actually almost like to live in the destination you’ve traveled to. You get more than a room and your views are far from the parking lot or the beach through your window, where you’re more likely to be a few floors up from it.
Now, doesn’t it seem nice to be able to walk outside and know you’re one of the only ones in that building? Airbnbs can be so suitable for those who cherish their privacy.
Here’s a lovely Airbnb I stayed at in Puerto Penasco, Mexico:
