Get £50 off your first Airbnb booking over £100

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• James Ward says:

  16 Mar16 March 05:46

  I love airbnb and use it all the time on my business trips to the US and Australia as well as holidays with my partner. For me, on my business trips, I hate solitary stays in hotels rooms where you have no facility to prepare your own food and have no company. When you’re staying in someone’s home, you usually have full access to the kitchen and its equipment so you can make your own meals if you choose.

  Airbnb hosts are generally sociable and outgoing people. A couple of my recent trips have coincided with Thankgiving and I have been invited to take part in my host families’ celebrations. Other times I’ve been invited to parties and meals.

  Of course, this kind of familiarity wouldn’t suit everyone but if you want to rent an entire place to yourself, you can. The range of properties available covers every style, standard and budget.

  In my experience, hosts are honest in their descriptions and you can pick up a lot of info from the reviews (both parties review each other after the stay, which helps ensure everyone behaves well). So my advice is to ready the listings carefully and choose something that suits your expectations and personality.

  I’ve only had one bad experience where my partner and I decided to leave soon after we arrived. Airbnb don’t release your payment to the host until 24 hours after check-in, so we were able to get a full refund and airbnb helped us to find alternative accommodation.

  Overall, it’s a big thumbs up from me.

  • @mkcol says:

    16 Mar16 March 09:58

    +1
    Completely accurate review.

• Brian says:

  16 Mar16 March 06:35

  Agree with James – Airbnb (and similar companies) should DEFINITELY be on the radar of any frequent traveller. There is a tendency among our community to be overly focussed on earning points and miles and I think we sometimes forget that travel is predominantly (???) about the experience.
  There are places where it’s not worth using Airbnb because hotels are so cheap – Bratislava, Bangkok etc. Also, eating out in such places is not dear. But in places like Paris or Nice it’s a godsend. I only ever rent whole apartments – I’m not too keen on the idea of just living in a stranger’s spare bedroom. And I’ve had fantastic experiences in both of those cities – an apartment just behind Notre Dame, with views of the cathedral towers, almost close enough to touch, in a 17th century building with an ivy-clad courtyard and with enough space for 3 or 4 people – all for 150 Euros a night! There aren’t any hotels in that wonderful location and the closest ones are all upwards of 150 per night per room. So for 3 or 4 people, you’re looking at 300 Euros minimum per night. Plus you have the option of going to one of the markets and getting produce for a home-cooked meal, saving a fortune on catering costs.
  Same with Nice – Old Town hotels are expensive, generally have tiny rooms and you never quite know what you’re going to get. I’ve stayed in two different apartments, both wonderful, for less than € 100 per night.
  Or, take Venice – a decent hotel is going to be no less than 150 or 200 Euros per night per room. I got a 100 square metre apartment for 200 pounds with three bedrooms and a roof terrace just 10 minutes from St Mark’s Square!
  So yes, you definitely SHOULD try Airbnb or similar sites at least once – just make sure you choose the right place to do it. And don’t be too tempted to go for the very cheapest deal – feel free to go for the more sumptuous places – as long as you’re paying less than you would for a soulless chain hotel, you’re doing fine.

  • HayMow says:

    16 Mar16 March 13:34

    Could you post the details/link of the Paris apt pls Brian, if you can still access it? Always good to have a reliable recommendation. thx

• Brian says:

  16 Mar16 March 06:44

  Should just add that I only use Airbnb when travelling in a group or at least a couple – if I’m on my own, then hotels are generally just as good since the cost of eating out is less.

• Pol says:

  16 Mar16 March 06:58

  Huge fan of Airbnb. It is much better value when traveling with older children than having to book separate hotel rooms and much nicer to be able to have the extra space and be able to relax together. Saves a fortune being able to prepare some meals yourself too. I like the fact you pay Airbnb directly and not the host, cuts down on the likelihood of fraud. I’ve never had a problem but my mum once arrived to find a dirty apartment and they refunded her immediately. You can pay with amex and airbnb payments have always posted at 4x spend on my amex prg.

• susan says:

  16 Mar16 March 07:19

  I used to use airbnb a lot but stopped when they changed the registration requirements to require rather a lot of personal information and access to contacts lists.

• Lloyd says:

  16 Mar16 March 07:40

  Just to echo previous comments about Airbnb. Used it a few times, most recently last year in Zagreb but also in Hong Kong a while back. I’ve always preferred renting the whole apartment and is always somewhere I’ll use in my suite of tools to find somewhere suitable.

  Only had one bad experience – made an inquiry through Airbnb but the owner wanted me to book directly. Needless to say, I went elsewhere but it didnt stop the owner sending loads of emails over several months right up to the day of check in.

  • Andy says:

    16 Mar16 March 12:56

    In my experience if you report the person to Airbnb they will take action quickly, although I suppose if they got hold of your personal e-mail then they’d still be able to contact you.

• Lillian says:

  16 Mar16 March 07:58

  Another huge fan here. We have used it to get far more space than we would in a hotel, which is increasingly useful with a little person who is growing. Nobody chaps on the door saying “can I make your room up” and you can have breakfast when you want, still in your pyjamas!

  We have never had a problem with the site, all places have been as described, all of the owners have been straight down the line, and we have seen and done things we wouldn’t have otherwise. Particular highlights for me have been staying in the residential area of Venice, where the owner picked us up from the train station in his boat (ok that was pre-baby!), and a magnificent architect’s showflat/office in Bruges.

  You might think that its all about downmarket couchsurfing, but if you choose the “whole place” option, it can be really very nice indeed. We are going to a wedding next month in the English countryside, and had already chosen where we wanted to stay, so this code is incredibly helpful – thanks!

  • AndyGWP says:

    17 Mar17 March 23:10

    Is there an easy way to become a ‘new customer’ then?? 🙂

• lammy52 says:

  16 Mar16 March 07:59

  Again to echo previous comments, though we have not used Airbnb we have used similar several times (the condo’s we have booked ar on both), and have been delighted with the standard and facilities. We have booked fully furnished and equipped one bedroom apartments right on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico with awesome sea views on two occasions, for the same price as a 3* hotel. Great value.

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