Where to Stay for Your Vacay: Best Practices for Reserving an Airbnb
When planning a trip, there are so many details that lead to the trip’s ultimate success and the attendees satisfaction. From experience, reserving an amazing Airbnb is just as important as choosing your destination and flight. Fortunately, I’ve had great luck so far with my stays in Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, and Toronto and can share several best practices when searching and reserving the best Airbnb stay for your vacay.
First things first. Choose your destination, duration of your stay, and solidify the number of guests that the Airbnb listing should accommodate. Once that information is entered, you will have a baseline of all of the available stays at the time of your vacation. This list tends to be really long and I do not recommend viewing all 300+ stays to find the diamond in the rough.
It is best to have an idea of what it is that you are looking for in the housing accommodation and select the related filters to narrow your search to stays that are more appropriate for your needs. The 4 filters that I select every time I browse on Airbnb are:
Entire Place 2. Air Conditioning 3. Heating 4. Wi-fi
Any place that does not have these 4 things is not for me. There are so many other filters too, which includes parking on premises, a pool, gym, TV, iron, kitchen, number of beds/bedrooms, Superhost, accessibility and etc. Do not assume that all of the listings will include everything you want, unless specified. Price range is also a key factor to consider. Some stays are dirt cheap and others are luxurious and expensive. As a student on a student’s budget, my price range tends to go from the lower end to the average price and I have still managed to find some incredible gems.
The filters have been selected and it is finally time to start viewing the listings. You may still have tons of listings and that is okay. At least they meet your minimum requirements. Airbnb’s site lets you quickly make a yes or no decision and save your favorite stays by simply scrolling through the pictures of each stay, looking at the rating/number of reviews, and clicking the save button without leaving the original list page. A personal preference of mine when creating my initial list of favorite places is decór! The appearance of the home and the interior decór says a lot about the host and the potential for the stay to be a superb experience.
Next, I am looking for the number of reviews and the rating. A 4+ star rating and great reviews for the home and host are a great sign that you are going to get what you paid for. I tend to remove homes from my list of favorites if there are unsatisfactory reviews, no reviews on the home or host, and/or multiple reservation cancellations. The home may look very promising, but playing it safe by reserving a home that has a great reputation is much more appealing when planning a vacay. If there is one thing you can take away from IV the Leaux, it should be that you must ALWAYS look at the reviews.
Your save list has grown and your next round of selecting the top contenders begins. At this point, I open multiple tabs to view each stay separately and read the info that the host has provided in the “Overview” section. This section often includes information regarding check-in and check-out times, house rules, additional amenities, house layout, proximity to restaurants, tourist attractions and public transportation. The “Location” section is also a great source of information as it includes an area map and facts about the neighborhood. The area map has a tremendous impact on whether or not I keep a home on my saved list because it is a great reference point for an estimation on how far you will be from the major attractions that you hope to visit while vacationing. There have been times where a lovely Airbnb has been almost 30 minutes to an hour away from the places on my itinerary and it was immediately no longer an option to consider. If convenience has a large impact on your travel experiences, then you should definitely pay attention to location details. My favorite Airbnbs were the ones located in the heart of the attractions that I wanted to visit.
House Rules! Whether you are staying in an Airbnb home, hostel, or hotel, there will be house rules that you are required to follow as a guest. It is imperative that you respect others space, so being aware of all of the rules that you are agreeing to when booking a stay is a necessity and will prevent avoidable misunderstandings. The house rules are usually found in the “Overview” section and may state specifics about the allowing of parties, loud music, additional guests, pets, and etc. If you want to have a party, pick a place that allows parties and if you read the description and are still unsure if the host allows parties, contact the host. I have always gotten a response to my questions.
Your list of top contenders has gotten smaller and smaller and you are much more prepared to pick your amazing Airbnb stay. The next tip is for the group vacay. Share your top contenders with the other guests. Airbnb provides the option for them to thumbs up or thumbs down each listing and it makes choosing everyone’s favorite stay so much easier.
Booking an Airbnb has been a vital part of my trip experience and I look forward to my future stays. Check out some of the pics I have taken while staying at these beautiful Airbnbs. For a discount on your first Airbnb stay, click here!
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Happy Traveling!
- T
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