Recently, when planning a trip I decided to venture off the beaten path. A friend and I decided to travel to the New England area. We wanted to visit Newport, RI, Providence, RI and Boston, MA. We got stuck when trying to find a hotel that would both fit in our budget and be close to all of these places. My friend suggested we look at airbnb.com. I had heard of it, not really sure what it was. To be frank, I thought it was a bed and breakfast that was on a plane because of the “air” in the title. That was not the case. Airbnb is a website where you can rent out to live in people's houses. The amenities are different depending on the person. Here is the statement from the website:
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone or tablet.
Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.
This seemed like an interesting way to travel, it also was cost-effective. After hearing it mentioned online and through other people – we decided that this was our best option. We went on the website and searched our location; we decided to put in Newport as our destination. However, we put the radius as 30 miles. With this, we got hits from Dartmouth, MA, places in CT, up to Providence and everywhere in between. Ultimately we picked a historical looking house located in Warwick, RI. Based on Google Maps, it was about 20-30 minutes from our other Rhode Island destinations and only an hour from Boston. There was also a beach in walking distance. We decided that this was the house for us. We booked a stay from Thursday to Sunday. Booking it was fairly easy.
First, we had to make an account on the airbnb website, which is pretty standard. Only one person has to book it, but the account that is booking the stay needs to scan their license or id. This seems to just be a safety protocol. If anything it made me actually feel safer. If we had to provide personal information like that, I can only imagine what the screening is to be allowed to provide your house to others. Next, you had to request the days you wanted to stay. Within a day, you receive an email from the website telling you whether you have been approved for your stay. This is all about their vacancy for the dates you are requesting. After you are approved, you get billed. We booked this about a week in advance.
When we arrived, it looked just like the pictures. Our host greeted us at the door and helped us bring our stuff in. She took us on a tour of the house, giving us historical facts about it. Amazingly, the house was built and renovated from the 1600’s! We were the only people staying there which made it a cozy and comfortable experience. Every morning of our stay she provided us with muffins, scones, fruit and hard boiled eggs. We were offered coffee and orange juice as well. This might not be the most extravagant breakfast, but compared to many of the listings we looked at that didn’t provide breakfast, this was definitely a luxury.
The host stayed out of our hair, although, we were out of the house for most of our stay. She was there if we needed help and directions. She even offered to drive us into Providence to catch the train to Boston, which was very kind of her. Overall, our stay was extremely pleasant.
I’m going to break it down a little further into simpler terms: The good, the bad, and my tips for you if you decide to use airbnb.
The Good:
Prices- There are several different price points on the website depending on what you are looking for. It can be anywhere from $50/night to upwards of $500/night. It is easy to find what you are looking for with the price tag you want.
Feels like home- You get to stay in a real house. This makes your trip so much more comfortable than having to schlep back to a hotel. You know that everything is well taken care of. In our room, we even had a bunch of brochures about things to do in the area like a hotel would.
Host- the host is clearly from the area that you are staying in. It is nice to know you have someone who really knows the area. They can suggest restaurants and places to go that many tourists might not know about. If you are looking to do tourist activities, they will know what is popular among other travelers they have seen as well.
The Bad:
Locations- Depending on where you are going, there may only be one or two places in the city you are looking to travel. Warwick is a suburban town in Rhode Island, however, it is right by an airport. The place we stayed at was the only place in Warwick that was offered. More popular cities like Los Angelos or New York City are bound to have plenty of options, however. The only problem with that is if you have never visited the city, you may not know what type of neighborhood you will be staying in.
Time- Due to the fact you have to be approved by the website and host, this is not a good option for a spur of the moment trip. Planning at least a few days in advance is key. Our host even reached out to us a few days before our stay to make sure we didn’t have any questions about anything. This wouldn’t be as easy if you book it only a day in advance or day of.
Tips:
- Pay attention to what amenities are provided. For example, the place I stayed did not have a tv available to our use. This was not the biggest deal, however, if I would have looked closer at the details, I could have prepared by bringing a book for my downtime.
- Make sure you research the area you are staying in. As stated before, if you have never been to the area, you could possibly be staying in a sketchy area otherwise.
- Make small talk with your host. They have a plethora of knowledge about their area, traditions, etc. It is really fun to learn about a new area.
- Find out if you are going to be given a key! We didn’t think about this before. Luckily, we were provided with one. Otherwise, we would have had to rely on the host to let us in at all hours, which cramps both peoples style.
- Bring extra blankets and pillows, if you desire. I personally love lots of blankets and pillows. At an airbnb, you are only able to use what is provided. Unlike a hotel, you can’t call and ask for more. If you are unsure of what the pillow/blanket situation is going to be, definitely bring extra.
Obviously, this is based on my one experience. However, I greatly enjoyed my stay. If you are looking to try something new, I highly recommend using airbnb. I will definitely be using it again in future travels.
