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Get £50 off your first Airbnb booking over £100

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I have never covered Airbnb on Head for Points.  Whilst a lot of people are finding it an attractive alternative to hotels, our focus is primarily on the large chains and their loyalty schemes.

If you have wondered what all the fuss was about and are tempted to give it a go, this is a good opportunity.

Reader Jamie sent me this generous Airbnb deal from the Barclaycard ‘Bespoke Offers’ portal although you don’t need a Barclaycard to use it.

airbnb

Via this link, you can generate a code worth £50 off a £100+ Airbnb booking if you are a new customer.  You must book by 31st March for a stay by 31st May.

It isn’t going to tempt me, but I am interested in your experiences with Airbnb.  If you’ve ever used it, please let me know via the comments below how you found it.

If you are looking for a refer-a-friend link for Airbnb, which will get you £25 off your first booking, Anika’s link is here.


Hotel offers update – April 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

  • Hilton Honors is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 14th May 2024. Click here.

Comments (37)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Anders says:

    I’ve only booked with Airbnb once when I was visiting Copenhagen with a friend. It worked out cheaper to stay in a top floor flat in Vesterbro than booking the cheapest hotel, and the host was very friendly. We had the whole flat to ourselves. My friend left a t-shirt behind by accident and the host shipped it to her in the US without asking for postage. All in all only have good things to say.

    Obviously when you are staying in a private home owned by a stranger, it might be worth Googling the person beforehand.

    • Relaxo says:

      It might not be possible to google the host as you are not provided the host’s name (apart from what is on their Airbnb profile) – and this is a good thing. I find their review system adequately reflects the experience you might have.

  • takke says:

    I used airbnb once in Paris and I found it brilliant – lovely apartment on the Île St Louis overlooking the river. Worked out a lot cheaper than a hotel, and more spacious. I ate out in the evenings as there wasn’t a great deal of space to eat/cook (and I was on holiday!) but it was great to have breakfast there. The whole airbnb experience made it very easy and I was a lot more comfortable than I would have been with dealing direct with a stranger.

  • Nathan says:

    My cousin is an airbnb host in Sydney and she loves it!

  • Calchas says:

    I use Air BnB a lot in France. I use it there because hotels are often overpriced (in Paris) or not conveniently located (Bordeaux). Also I am confident I could deal with any problems I encountered in France. I would be less sure of using it somewhere like rural Turkey, where a couple of my friends did have some bad luck.

    I always rent a whole apartment. If you are only staying for a week or so and therefore don’t need to change your bedding it’s perfect. You get a nice big flat you can bring guests back to, you can cook a simple meal if you wish in the kitchen, the places are usually very conveniently located in the centre of town, and they are cheap.

  • Rob says:

    Just tried to use the code for my first booking, but it’s saying you’re not eligible to use this coupon. Has anyone had any luck with it?

  • James Ward says:

    It used to be the case that the reviews were published immediately which gave the first reviewer an incentive to write nice things in order to receive a positive review in return. However, airbnb changed that recently and now neither review is published until both have been submitted – or the time limit for submission has expired.

    The original system was definitely flawed and certainly lead to artificially positive feedback. Even under the new system, I recommend you try to read between the lines. Friendships are often formed during these stays (more so if you’re actually staying with the host) which can mean that minor issues are forgiven and not mentioned.

  • Nick Burch says:

    I’ve had mixed experiences. Every booking I’ve had confirmed has been great – friendly people, decent prices, lovely location. My problem is that I’ve made large numbers of requests which either timed our or were declined. Being peer-to-peer (with commission), that is somewhat to be expected, but I’ve had to fall back on hotels on a number of occassions when I haven’t been able to get anyone to accept a booking.

    It can be good, but be aware it isn’t like a normal hotel booking!

  • IslandDweller says:

    I have mixed feelings. I have stayed at an airbnb apartment (booked by a friend) and it was really convenient.
    But I am skeptical of their vetting process. It appears to be self verification by the owner. I experienced some unpleasantness last year when a neighbour started listing a property – despite said property having a restrictive covenant preventing sub letting. In the circumstances, as the lets were in breach of legally documented covenants, I have to wonder whether insurance would have paid out if something catastrophic happened (fire for example). At least with a hotel in most places you can have some faith in fire certificates and insurance.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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