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A lot of travelers- especially families with small kids- have turned to Airbnb instead of hotels. But should you? Let’s break it down.
Reasons To Book an AirB&B
Cost savings. This is probably the biggest reason families opt for an AirB&B. Hotels can be the biggest cost of a vacation, so getting an AirB&B is a very easy way to make family travel more affordable.
More Space. Hotels don’t always offer the most space. A small family might want extra room for a crib. Or you might be a large family that needs multiple rooms to sleep everyone. Traveling with a group of families or with grandparents? AirB&B might be for you. Renting an entire home through AirB&B gives groups and large or small families the space they could be looking for.
Local Culture Immersion. Looking for a totally local experience as if you actually live in the little nooks and crannies of the city or town you are visiting? Big hotel chains or even small boutique hotels have a hard time offering this type of local immersion.
More Options. Sure a city may have only a couple big hotels that you would be interested in staying in, but AirB&B offers you additional options in case nothing is tickling your fancy.
Reasons NOT to Book an AirB&B
Safety. Here is where the worse case scenarioscome in. You don’t know the neighbors. You don’t have hotel security or cameras monitoring who comes in and out. There are also standard safety regulations that hotels offer- remember the entire family who died in Mexico last year due to carbon monoxide? You never know who comes in and quality checks these properties, adding to a lot of uncertainty, regardless of their rating.
Possibility of Cancellation. I’ve read of some families renting an AirB&B only to have the host cancel their reservation and then offer it up again but for much more money. My town actually just passed a law that makes short-term rentals illegal and I saw the AirBnB host across the street violate that without telling the guests- boy were they surprised when they, too, got fined by our city. Plus, all of the future stays got cancelled just in time for summer vacation. If that were to happen to you, how would you feel about getting hit with a fine or having your reservation cancelled on short-notice?
Total Relaxation. When I’m on vacation, I like to feel like I’m on vacation. Especially now that I have a kid, I like to make my travel life as easy as possible. Drop my car off at the valet and bring it when I need it? Check. Help with suggesting and booking dinner and activity reservations? Check. Someone bring me a drink and my daughter a juice poolside? Check. Fresh, clean sheets at night? Check, check, and check. You can’t get this help and convenience at an AirBnB.
To Some It’s Just a Little Weird. Many AirB&Bs are full time residents traveling for days or weeks out of the year and offer their home up for extra cash. Some (including myself) just can’t get comfortable surrounded by other people’s personal belongings.
It’s totally up to you whether you book an AirB&B or not. For some, it can make life easier, for others, not so much. Weigh the pros and cons and decide for yourself!
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