I love to travel! And most likely you landed here on my site because you do as well.
We have stayed in so many amazing hotels over the years. And we have enjoyed a few VRBOs (Vacation Rental By Owner) in Panama City Beach, Florida (VRBO and Airbnb have a lot in common.)
We have stayed in some hotels that we have loved and intend to visit again.
But I want to share with you our experience with Airbnb.
We stayed in an Airbnb when we went to Sydney, Australia. It was our first Airbnb stay. We stayed in another Airbnb in Memphis, Tennessee and had another great experience.
I loved our stay there for so many reasons, but I want to share 6 reasons we love Airbnb over staying in a hotel.
We Are Staying With The Owner
In our Sydney Airbnb we were staying in a small cottage in the backyard of a local family. Staying with the owner was awesome and it felt great knowing that this stay at home mom was continuing to earn an income in between the many demands of motherhood.
In our Memphis Airbnb we were staying in a duplex in walking distance to the incredible Midtown area of Memphis! We were in a fun area that has NO hotels, so without Airbnb we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be in this fun area.
We Are Getting A Better Feel Of Life There
Our host family was courteous and allowed us to use their washing machine. Notice I didn’t say dryer… they don’t own one. Everyone there hangs their clothes to dry. I do this occasionally at home, but it really had me thinking I should do it more. This family wasn’t going it as a way to save money, I am under the impression this was because it is better for the environment. I wouldn’t have found this little piece of knowledge in a hotel room.
The Midtown area of Memphis has NO hotels. It is a very charming area with amazing restaurants and nightlife, plenty to do… but not hotels. Even if we had been looking for a hotel to stay in we wouldn’t have found one in such close proximity to Midtown. In the Airbnb we were in, we could walk to dinner.
Hotels All Start To Look The Same After Awhile
When we were in Sydney we were staying inside a subdivision. Seeing a residential area and knowing that everyone just parks on the street here instead of having driveways was baffling to us. Staying at a hotel would have meant being in a commercial area without the local feel that we had at our Airbnb.
In our Midtown rental there were neighbors out walking their dogs, and sitting on their porch taking the day in. Staying in a residential area is so much more calming and serene.
We Are Saving Money
When we stay in hotels we are also having to pay to maintain the large building with common areas. If we aren’t planning to use the pool, hot tub, or hotel gym why do we want to pay a premium for those things. We love saving money on trips so that we can take MORE trips. Also, the “free” breakfast only makes up for the extra price if it is actually a breakfast your family will eat.
We Are Ready For Something Different
My husband stays in hotels 3 nights a week for work, so he loves Airbnb for the change of scenery. Hotels are mostly the same once you get inside. The decor, the bed, the bathroom… its all the same. With an Airbnb (or even a VRBO) you are getting a change of scenery. The decor isn’t the same in 300 other rooms… it is uniquely decorated by the owner.
We Get More Bang For Our Buck
My kids are outside kids. They would rather be running around outside playing than inside most days. In Sydney we had a yard to play in and our host had her daughter leave out some of her balls to kick around. Hotels don’t usually have a front porch for the parents with a yard for the kids. The opportunity to see the bunny rabbit every morning during our trip gave us all giggles and was such a happy way to start the day.
We will continue staying in hotels on occasion, but we will be staying in more Airbnbs as our travels allow! If you haven’t stayed in an Airbnb yet, I urge you to give it a try. (As of July 25, 2018 you can get a $40 credit if you sign up using a link from someone currently using Airbnb! They get a bonus too, so ask around… post on Facebook and save you both some money! )
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