I’m what technology watchers call a “late adopter,” meaning I often arrive late to the party when new technologies come out. This “watch and wait and see” behavior has also translated to jumping late onto the bandwagon of the so-called sharing economy: I have yet to summon an Uber when I need a ride and I waited until a few months ago to use lodging site Airbnb for the first time.
I was headed to St. Augustine, Florida, for a short winter getaway and needed a place to stay. All the available hotels and bed & breakfast establishments were either too far away from the center of town, not very nice, or too expensive for my budget. The same applied to rental properties on VRBO. So I decided to try out Airbnb. Here’s how it went.
How Airbnb Works
For those who aren’t familiar with it, here’s a quick overview of how Airbnb works.
Regular people with a spare room, guest house, or the like advertise their space on the Airbnb website, like an online dating profile for lodging. They post photos, note what is included, how many people the space can accommodate, list amenities, location, price per night, etc. Some spaces are just a bedroom in the host’s house while others are the entire apartment/house. Of the latter, it could be the host’s own house that they are simply vacating for a few days or a dedicated rental property that they do not live in.
Travelers search properties on the site and, when they find one they like, exchange messages with the host regarding availability and any questions or special requirements. (Some properties allow you to book them without this initial message exchange.) All booking, payment, and correspondence is handled through the website. Payment in full is collected at the time of booking, including any taxes and fees charged by Airbnb. Once a place is booked, the host and the traveler discuss when the traveler will arrive and/or how to get the key, etc.
After the stay is over, both parties write reviews of each other and the traveler reviews the property itself, all of which are posted publicly on the site. There’s also a chance to send private comments to the host or to Airbnb management. Being able to see reviews of properties, hosts, and travelers creates confidence for everyone when it’s time to book a property or accept a guest and it helps cut down on fraud and irresponsible use of the site too.
Using the Airbnb Website
I found the website to be very easy to use. Search results are shown in a list next to an interactive map—again, like online dating but with a map included. Most listings had decent photos, although a few had photos that made it hard to tell what was really being offered.
While most listings are quite comprehensive, none of them that I saw noted whether pets live or have lived in the home, something I would find helpful given my allergies. Of course I could ask the host about it before booking, but it would be nice to have it listed all the same.
I was able to browse potential lodgings without an account but had to create one in order to book anything. Part of creating an account involved creating a profile to use for future booking. I put a photo on my profile and told each potential host something about myself and my trip plans to give them confidence that I was a nice person who wouldn’t wreck their stuff.
After exchanging messages with a couple of potential hosts, I booked a bedroom with adjacent private bathroom in a two-bedroom condo south of downtown St. Augustine. It was farther out than I wanted to be but it was the best of the options available at that price point without being even farther away from the historic city center.
The whole booking process was smooth and user-friendly. I really appreciated being able to conduct all communication through the website so I didn’t have to give up my personal email info to a stranger. Since my credit card was charged the full amount when I booked, I didn’t have to worry about add-on charges or hidden fees later.
TIP: When perusing properties, pay close attention to the price—not just the price per night, but the total price for your stay. Some hosts charge a flat cleaning fee for each stay, in addition to the price per night, which can be quite steep, particularly if you’re only staying a night or two.
My Airbnb Hostess
My Airbnb hostess could not have been nicer. She was a divorced empty-nester who had a flexible work schedule and wasn’t home much, so I never felt like I was intruding on her activities. She toasted me a bagel for breakfast each morning—a nice bonus since breakfast wasn’t technically included with the room—and chatted with me while I ate. She was friendly without being nosy or intrusive. She gave me plenty of privacy while also offering helpful suggestions on what to see and where to park in the congested downtown area. One evening when I came home, she was in the living room on the sofa. Her polite question about how my day had gone turned into a two-hour conversation about travel, family, relationships, and life.
The Lodging
Everything was as depicted in the photos. The condo was in a quiet neighborhood bordering a nature preserve with plenty of parking, a pool, and walking trails. The bedroom and bathroom were both clean and tidy, as were the common areas of the small condo. The bedroom itself was medium-sized, with a double bed, two nightstands, a dresser, an armchair, and three tall bookcases filled with books. There was room for my clothes in the closet if needed, and fresh towels were provided too. The bed was comfortable and so were the pillows.
My hostess did not specifically offer to let me use the rest of the condo, e.g., to prepare meals for myself in the kitchen or watch TV in the living room. She probably would have agreed had I asked to use those areas but I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. After all, this was her home and I was a stranger, a paying guest, not a friend who’d come to visit her.
What it Was Like to Stay There
As you can see, the experience overall was very positive and I doubt it could have gone better. And yet, it was also weird. I couldn’t quite get past the fact that I was a guest in the home of someone I didn’t know. I was staying in someone else’s house, someone I’d never met and to whom I had no connection.
My hostess was not intrusive, my room was private, and the space was clean and comfortable. But it was still a stranger’s home. With her knickknacks on the bookshelves and her stuff in the bathroom cabinet. The set-up made me feel slightly inhibited about how I used the space. I interacted with it differently than I would have with a hotel room or a room in a bed and breakfast, because it felt more personal, less commercial. I was very conscious of the fact that it was someone else’s home and I needed to respect those boundaries.
For instance: One night I was tired from a non-stop day of sightseeing. I really just wanted to get some takeout and eat it in front of the TV in my pajamas. Although my hostess hadn’t specifically prohibited me from doing that, I didn’t feel comfortable showing up with takeout and expecting to be able to watch her TV, in her living room, potentially displacing her. I didn’t even know if she’d be home and didn’t want to intrude if she was. Instead, I ended up going to a low-key salad and pizza place and watching Netflix on my phone while I ate. It was a nice enough evening for sure, but it was also an indication of how keenly aware I was that I didn’t have the same claim on my lodging as I would have had in a hotel room.
I also wondered what level of interaction was appropriate according to rules of politeness. It was generous of my hostess to fix me that simple breakfast each morning and chat with me while I ate, but what if I hadn’t wanted that? Would it have been rude to go out for breakfast instead? Or to request to eat my breakfast without the conversation? Would I have felt the need to make up an excuse about wanting to photograph the beach at sunrise, just so she wouldn’t feel obligated to make the breakfast and talk to me? Outside of the breakfast, should I have been more forthcoming in seeking her company, in the interest of good manners, or was it okay to want to keep to myself?
Will I Use Airbnb Again?
In saying these things, I am not in any way complaining. It was a good experience with no mishaps or unfortunate events. These are simply observations and impressions. Airbnb was a good value for what I needed and had more options than traditional/conventional lodging too. My overall impression is that my Airbnb experience was good, but also weird.
Will I use Airbnb again? Maybe. Probably?
I’m very glad I tried it out, finally getting on the bandwagon. Knowing how much I appreciate having my own space–and how accustomed I am to that, having lived alone for a number of years–I would probably not rent a room in an occupied house again. Instead, I think the Airbnb experience that involves renting a whole apartment or a separate suite (for instance, a self-contained basement unit or a studio above the garage) is more my style and what I would go for if I use Airbnb in the future.
Should You Use Airbnb?
I recommend Airbnb if you are looking for good value in your lodging and don’t mind staying in someone else’s place, whether it’s a shared space or you have it all to yourself. I also recommend it if you enjoy meeting new people, don’t spend much time in your room when you travel, and don’t mind the fact that your host is a stranger.
The original Airbnb set-up is renting a bedroom in someone’s house with varying levels of access to the common areas. However, as more and more homeowners have joined the party, Airbnb’s inventory has grown to include all sorts of lodging options that go beyond that original set-up.
If the idea of staying in a grown-up youth hostel (less drinking, earlier nights) appeals to you, you’ll probably love the shared rooms on Airbnb. And if that doesn’t appeal, look for a place you can have all to yourself.
Have you used Airbnb? If so, what was your experience? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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