Hello everyone! In this post, we are going to share how to use the website for renting accommodation abroad. And also about some interesting nuances that we recently encountered.
Surely many of you know about this resource, and perhaps have already discovered it for a long time and travel in this way. Nikita and I first used airbnb in the summer of 2014, after which we were absolutely delighted and since then we prefer to look for accommodation for travel only there.
So let's start in order. What is airbnb?
Airbnb stands for Air Bed and Breakfast. This name came about after two guys from San Francisco received guests at their home, because they themselves needed money to pay for housing. They had three air mattresses at home, which they offered to temporary residents. Every morning the guys prepared breakfast for the guests. After a while, these guys saw a great business idea in their actions and founded the Airbnb website.
The portal itself says the following about itself:
Airbnb began operating in August 2008 in San Francisco, California. Airbnb is a safe and secure place to list, find and book unique accommodations anywhere in the world, directly on the website or using your mobile device.
Whether it's a one-night stand, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb gives people a unique travel experience, at any price, in over 34,000 cities and 190 countries. Combine that with a global support team and a rapidly growing travel community. Airbnb is the easiest way for people to make money by renting space and offering it to millions of people.
In other words, on Airbnb you can find exactly the kind of accommodation that suits you in terms of comfort level and cost. The cheapest option is common room... You rent a bed or sofa in someone else's room. In this case, you naturally use the shower, kitchen, Internet and all the benefits of civilization that are present in the apartment.
The next option is separate room... An apartment may have several rooms, you rent one of them, but other travelers or apartment owners may live in adjacent rooms. This option is very good for those who have a little money, but want to be isolated. The advantages of the first and second options are also that you can always talk with the landlord, and he, as a local person, will tell you how best to get somewhere, where to go, etc.
And the last option for renting apartments on Airbnb is whole housing... It can be a separate apartment or even a house - it depends on your goals and financial capabilities.
Today, more than 25 million people worldwide use Airbnb and more than one million apartments are rented out. The choice is very large for any budget and for any expectation.
Is it safe to travel with Airbnb?
The answer is yes. The service pays great attention to security. If you are afraid to go to unknown people in an unknown apartment, then think about the fact that the owner lets in his apartment, full of his things, people unknown to him. In theory, both are at risk, but in practice we have never heard or read about security problems.
The Airbnb community is built on trust. A verified profile is one of the essential elements that allows guests and hosts to decide who they want to host and who to stay with.
Airbnb has provided multiple levels of verification and identity verification. When registering, the owner of the apartment encloses a scan of his documents, links accounts on social networks, and guests do the same.
There are two main rules to help you stay safe:
- Review carefully landlord profile... If your profile is missing some information or photos, write to the owner to update his profile. We always pay attention to the comments left by previous tenants... If there are a lot of comments and they are positive, then the landlord is an active Airbnb member and can be trusted.
- Pay for your reservation only through site payment system... Do not agree to transfer money to the owner's personal account, because in this case, Airbnb cannot help you if you run into problems.
Why is Airbnb good?
Let's take a look at the undeniable advantages of renting a home through this site:
1. Cost. For those who travel alone, the cheapest accommodation option is either a hostel where you can rent a bed, or even free Couchsurfing. Both options are not very comfortable, noisy and not always pleasant. Especially if you are on a long journey and need to work.
For those who travel together, like us, the hostel is not suitable at all. Because renting the two cheapest beds in a room with 16 beds is more expensive than renting one separate room in an apartment. This is true. Tested in all countries and cities we have visited. Especially noticeable in Scandinavia. But there is an exception - Riga, there are really very cheap hostels!
Moreover, if you are traveling with a group of 15 people, I don't even know what can save you besides some camping and Airbnb.
2. Feeling at home. The idea behind the Aibnb community is the slogan "Welcome home". This is indeed the case. A hotel room is, of course, convenient and comfortable, but real accommodation, a blanket like at home, mugs with funny inscriptions, a guitar in the corner and morning coffee in the kitchen are completely different. Walking around the city, you don't feel like a tourist, but a local, because after a walk you will not go to the maid's tidied room, but home.
3. Immersion in culture. Neither the longest excursion, nor the most ancient monument, nor even the most important national museum, will help you so keenly and deeply understand the mentality of the country in which you find yourself, as unexpected everyday trifles that you find at home. You will see the city and country as the locals see it. Because you will have the opportunity to become this local.
With Airbnb, you can stay in the unique homes of real people - they can be ordinary houses and apartments, or even tree houses and igloos.
4. Comfort and coziness. The good thing about Airbnb is that it makes you feel free. You paid the money for housing, they gave you the keys - that's it. You don’t have to hang out with the landlord, as it is pleasant at Couchsurfing, you don’t have to endure the snoring of your roommates in the hostel, your things are safe, you don’t need to leave them in the safe every time. You have full rights to the apartment for the period of the lease - do what you want. Accommodation is usually very cozy, comfortable and pleasant. Everyone, of course, has different concepts about the comfortable and the pleasant, more on that later. But when traveling in Europe, you can be sure of the cleanliness and beauty of the rented apartment.
But a medal always has two sides, and a stick has two ends. During all our travels, we have repeatedly encountered various situations during the rental process through Airbnb, which it is better to know about in advance.
What to look for when renting a home on Airbnb?
1. The service takes a commission in the amount of six to 12% of the booking amount. The larger the booking amount, the less Airbnb service fee... Calling it a minus does not turn your tongue, because it is clear that the company's employees should receive a salary and have the means to develop this wonderful resource.
At the end of the booking, you will immediately see the full amount, which includes all fees and commission of the portal itself. See example below.
2. Some landlords, in addition to the price for renting housing, set additional charges... Cleaning fees and damage deposits are common. The deposit for damage to property will be removed from your card when you pay for the rent and will be returned to it 48 hours after the check-out. In the event that you damage the property, the deposit will not be returned.
As a rule, a deposit is set for those apartments that are quite expensive and have expensive furniture. If you are renting cheap housing, most likely there will be no such collateral.
3. By default for people from Russia prices on the site are indicated in rubles... If desired, you can select a different currency in the settings. Taking into account the unstable exchange rate of the ruble in recent years, the rental process sometimes turns into an attraction. Because the price for your chosen apartment can change in a few hours. Don't be surprised at this. It’s not the landlord who’s playing pranks.
4. The cost of the same apartment may vary depending on the lease term. Often rent for a month - cheaper than to shoot for two weeks, and then another two weeks. Because hosts are offering discounts on long bookings. Therefore, if you want to spend 25 days in some city, think, it might be worth staying for 30 days and thus save several thousand rubles.
5. The owner of the apartment is not always a virtuoso Internet user, so his profile may contain very serious mistakes... One of the situations that we encountered recently would have been completely unfunny if the owner hadn't come to meet us in the end.
The situation is as follows: the landlord indicated the price per day for one person. At the same time, he did not enter information into the system that the same amount must be paid for each additional guest. Airbnb is a very well thought out system that automatically calculates the total amount paid based on the number of people, the number of days, etc. But, of course, if the owner did not specify any data, then this system does not work. For our part, we indicated that there would be two guests and paid the full rental amount from the card.
When we checked into the apartment, the owner asked us to pay in cash for the “second part of the rent,” which we did not know about. He explained this by the fact that we paid from the card only for one tenant, and there were two of us. After a long investigation, we explained to him his mistake, but it turned out that all the tenants had previously agreed to his conditions and paid for the accommodation of the second tenant on the spot in cash. Wow! Either he really wanted to break us, or really, not very smart.
The moral is: Airbnb charges you full payment! You don’t have to pay anything to anyone! To avoid misunderstandings, before paying, talk to the owner of the apartment in the correspondence on the site, discuss the total amount and say again how many people there will be. Discuss all the terms with him and make sure you understand each other.
6. Although the name Airbnb suggests that you are entitled to not only a bed, but also breakfast, you can only count on breakfast if it is indicated in the description of the accommodation. Read the description very carefully! Not everyone has the Internet and a washing machine. To avoid disappointment with an apartment, just consider your options carefully and do not be afraid to enter into correspondence with the owner.
7. Correspondence with the owner it's better to post only on Airbnb. Because in case of any claims from one of the parties, it can be used as evidence.
8. When you move into an apartment, together with the owner, look at everything carefully and point to broken things, if any. Perhaps one of the previous tenants messed up something, but the landlord did not notice and will blame you in the future. We also had such a situation. It is almost impossible to prove that you did not break anything.
9. All apartments and all owners are completely different. It is almost impossible to add a full picture of housing based on the profile on the site. For example, two times we unexpectedly found ourselves in the slums, although, of course, there was no mention of this in the profile.
Sometimes housing is very expensive, but on the spot you find a lot of dirt, dust, lack of towels and necessary utensils. The owner gives you the keys, and you don't see him again until you leave, although according to Airbnb rules, he must help you in every possible way if something breaks, etc.
And sometimes, you find the cheapest accommodation in the whole city, while the owner goes to meet you at the airport, prepared toiletries for you, fresh bathrobes, filled the refrigerator with food and comes to cook dinners! All in all, price is not always an indicator of the quality of housing.
We have received a pleasant surprise three times already. We usually book a separate room because this option suits us best for the price. But three times in a row, having paid the cost of only a room, we received whole apartments at our disposal, because either the owner of the apartment was away, or constantly spent the night with his girlfriend, or decided to stay with his parents. Airbnb always has a little bit of obscurity. 🙂
10. Airbnb is a large and busy resource. Not surprisingly, glitches and errors sometimes happen. Once my card was charged twice for a month. After contacting the support service, the money was returned to me and, as a gift, I was given a coupon for further bookings in the amount of four thousand rubles, valid for a year. For active travelers, this is a very useful and pleasant bonus.
So if something goes wrong during the booking process, don't worry! The support service will definitely solve your problem.
11. It is better to register your Airbnb account at mail that you are actively using... You will not receive unnecessary mailings, but you will not miss an important letter from the service. For example, if you contact the support service, all answers will be sent to the mail, you will not see them in your personal account on the site.
Another nice functionality of the site is SMS sending... Your phone will receive replies from hosts, even if you do not have access to the Internet. This is very convenient, so we recommend that you also indicate your real phone number.
12. Please note that some hosts set minimum booking period for example three days. Also, keep in mind that Airbnb has an opt-out option, but it's flexible, moderate, or strict with each renter. cancellation conditions.
13.This has not happened to us, but nevertheless, sometimes it happens - the owner himself can cancel booking... The site provides for penalties for the hosts, but force majeure happens not only to guests, so it is worth treating such situations with understanding. As a rule, in the host's profile there will be a note stating that he once canceled a paid reservation for someone.
14. Lastly, remember that Airbnb rentals are it is not the same as booking a room in a hotel or hostel... Some landlords do not answer right away, the free dates may be incorrectly indicated in the profile, and in addition, you may be refused a lease if the owner did not like your profile, and this is his full right.
Therefore, it is better to look for housing on Airbnb in advance, to have your profile correctly filled out, and also to expect that in the “hot” seasons it can be very difficult to find an apartment. For example, during the carnival in Rio, inexpensive housing on Airbnb was dismantled in another two months.
25$
Friends, we hope this post was helpful to you! We talked about all the nuances that we considered important and worth your attention. If you don't have an Airbnb account yet, we suggest you follow this link: www.airbnb.ru/c/ndatsko1?s=8 and register (copy and paste the link into the address bar). You will immediately receive $ 25 which you can use for any booking. Well, we also get $ 25. :)If you have experience using Airbnb or prefer a different way of finding accommodation while traveling, write in the comments, we are interested to know how our friends and acquaintances travel. Also, if you have any questions about renting a home, we will be happy to answer them, write!
22.03.2020 Maria Glazunova
Cons of Airbnb
Of course, we cannot say that everything is perfect at Airbnb, there are also disadvantages that appear due to the human factor. Since most of the owners are not engaged in the apartment business, their approach, in some matters, may not be professional.
- Conditions. The concept of comfort and cleanliness is different for everyone and your requirements may not always coincide with the capabilities of the apartment owners - some little things that are invisible to the owner can become an annoying misunderstanding for you.
- Speed. Unlike hotel booking sites, where you can choose the room you want and immediately go to check-in, you should prepare for a trip using Airbnb in advance - online information is not always 100% up-to-date on the availability of accommodation for the dates you need. In any case, you will need to wait for the owner's confirmation.
- Less privacy. Firstly, in order to book accommodation, you need to fill out your profile, indicate your contact information and, preferably, write a little about yourself (or record a video presentation). You also need to provide your documents for identification (they will only be available to Airbnb, the landlord will not see them). Secondly, if you plan to rent a separate room rather than an entire apartment, then, perhaps, other guests or owners will live in the apartment with you.
- You may be refused a booking if the owner does not like you or your profile in some way - after all, he rents out his apartment and has the right to choose who to settle in his apartment.
In order not to encounter a misunderstanding, carefully study the owner's profile, the description of the accommodation on airbnb, and the reviews of previous guests especially carefully. Also, keep in mind that most of these drawbacks are offset by Airbnb's Guest Compensation Rules (see below).
What Airbnb is to us
For us, Airbnb is a great option for staying between hotels and. It combines freedom and independence on the one hand and the opportunity to get more comfort and home coziness, as well as to join the country's culture on the other.
Instructions for use
In order to register, you need to go to the Airbnb website. If you sign up using this link, you will receive a $ 32 bonus that you can use when booking accommodation 
After a simple registration on airbnb, you will be taken to the home page of the site. Enter the name of the city where you plan to travel, as well as the dates of your stay
As a result of the search, you will see the options found, as well as a city map with marked points
The system has quite a few filters by which you can choose the appropriate options
Having found a suitable accommodation, you can study the details, see photos, read reviews of previous guests about a particular apartment on airbnb. The right side of the page shows the cost of living for one night and for the selected number of days, as well as the cost of Airbnb services
After that, you can send a booking request 
After the host confirms the specified dates, you can pay for the reservation using a bank card or PayPal.
What to look for when choosing a home
Verified profile- in order to verify his identity, the landlord can provide Airbnb with his documents, after which an icon will appear on his profile indicating that he has passed online and / or offline verification.
Verified photos- if in the upper right corner of the photo, in addition to the usual logo, there is an inscription verified photo so they are taken by a professional Airbnb photographer and are accurate.
Response rate- if the frequency of 10% is indicated in the profile, then you can not waste time on such housing, most likely no one will answer you, and the frequency of 90-100%, on the contrary, indicates that you will definitely receive an answer.
Response time- this is an important indicator if there is not very much time left before the estimated date of booking. Choose, in this case, those who respond as quickly as possible.
Updating the calendar- if the calendar is updated regularly, it will be easier to find accommodation for the required dates, otherwise you will have to correspond with the owner every time.
Cancellation conditions- if you have a chance that the trip may not take place, choose more flexible conditions (see below).
One of the most important parameters in airbnb is accommodation and host reviews
Reviews on airbnb- this is probably one of the most important criteria. An apartment description on airbnb can say anything, but if the vast majority of guests praise this place, then most likely it is really good there. Read carefully and treat reviews critically - not everyone can directly write about some disadvantages. Sometimes the statement is veiled, for example something like "living in such a small apartment - it was an interesting experiment."
Cancel Reservation
Airbnb has a variety of cancellation options to help you find accommodations based on your confidence in your upcoming trip. It should be borne in mind that the Airbnb fee is not refundable, except in serious circumstances (of course, if the cancellation was initiated by you):
- flexible,
- moderate,
- strict,
- super-strict
- long-term
You can read more about the types and conditions of cancellation here.
Why Airbnb is Safe
Airbnb has “ Guest compensation rules", Which allow you to get a refund of the money paid, in the event that there is some misunderstanding, for example:
- the owner canceled the reservation or did not provide access to the accommodation;
- in reality, housing differs significantly from the description on the site;
- you find that the house is dirty or unsafe
And although this does not happen often, but if something does not suit you in the booked accommodation, contact Airbnb within 24 hours of your arrival. Read more here.
Confirmation of booking for a visa
We ourselves have never provided a service receipt to the consulate yet, but according to the support service, and also, judging by the numerous reports of airbnb users, the reviews on this topic are quite positive - such a booking is accepted without any problems at consulates and visa centers.
Rent out your apartment via airbnb
As you might guess, in addition to renting accommodation while traveling, you can also rent out your apartment / room / house using Airbnb /inflatable mattress... If you have a spare room, or you are leaving for a summer residence for a few months, or you just want to earn a little extra money in the summer, living in the office, this is a great opportunity, simple and convenient.
For hosts, Airbnb offers as much guarantees as for guests, so it's safe too. Moreover, it is free, since Airbnb adds its additional fee to the cost (about 10%), i.e. you will receive exactly as much as you indicate in the ad. By the way, a professional photographer will take photos of an apartment for Airbnb for you too for free.
In order to rent out an apartment in airbnb, you need to go to the "Your ads" section in the "Control Panel".
Conclusion
As with anything new, at first glance, Airbnb can seem a little strange and complicated. But in reality - sevris is very convenient, thoughtful and safe, so I recommend at least trying to use it in order to have another travel tool in stock. I hope Airbnb can be a good alternative for you to hotels, hostels and guesthouses 🙂
To make this service even more enjoyable, let me remind you that you can get a bonus on your first Airbnb booking. To do this, just register using this link. I wish you great travel and a pleasant stay!
You can read about our experience of renting an apartment through Airbnb in Phuket.
Still have questions about using the service? Ask them in the comments.
If you liked the idea of finding accommodation through the airbnb service, share this article with your friends (repost on social networks).
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My review of the website Airbnb.ru, where I often rent apartments when traveling. Learn about booking accommodation, getting discounts and precautions.
I travel 10-15 times a year and often book accommodation on Airbnb.ru. I love this service. In this review, I will tell you how to use it safely and profitably. And using the link below, any new user can get a discount on their first booking.
What is Airbnb
Airbnb is the world's largest private travel rental service. Service statistics: 800,000 housing options, 190 countries of the world, 34,000 cities, over 17,000,000 guests who have booked accommodation in this service.
The service works in many countries, there is a version in Russian: Airbnb.ru.
Through Airbnb, you can rent apartments, houses, villas, rooms, guest house rooms, residential boats and bungalows, castles, tree houses, camper vans.
Our apartment in an old half-timbered house in Rouen, France. It cost all 28 € per day. My Airbnb review: pros and cons
I have been using this service for the seventh year now and have rented dozens of different properties around the world. In my piggy bank: houses in the Azores, apartments in Prague, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, The Hague, Paris, Rouen, Cana, rooms and rooms in guesthouses in Barcelona, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Why I like Airbnb:
- Interesting... Huge selection of accommodation, more interesting than simple hotels. I try to book authentic apartments with cool designs and preferably in houses with history.
- Inexpensive... Renting an apartment on Airbnb.ru is often cheaper than renting a hotel room. For example, in France we saved a lot by living in apartments for 28-50 € instead of hotels for 100 €. For families and companies of at least 3-4 people, it is almost always more profitable to book accommodation, rather than hotel rooms.
- Practical... Living in an apartment with a kitchen is very convenient and profitable - you save on food.
- Privacy... I am an introvert, so I love privacy: there is more privacy in an apartment and a house that is completely at your disposal than in hotels.
- Excellent customer support in Russian: they work quickly, they always help.
- Convenient system of reviews, ratings and filters allow you to choose the best accommodation.
- Simple and straightforward website design.
- Security... You pay by card on the service website, you do not need to take cash with you and solve financial matters with the owner.
- Suitable for visa... All consulates accept reservations with Airbnb without any problems, I received 4 or 5 Schengen on them.
I haven't had a bad experience booking on Airbnb yet. I am completely satisfied with the service, you can only find fault with trifles.
What I do not like:
- Service commission when renting a home - 10-15%. However, everything is fair, they should earn money.
- There is a risk of bumping into a bad master... But this is a human factor, the service is not to blame here. But there is a system of reviews of other tourists about Airbnb accommodation and a support service. Next, I'll show you how to choose a reliable host and good housing.
Our authentic apartment in an old building in the center of Tbilisi costs only 1,700 rubles per day. Choose apartments with reviews and high ratings (4-5) - this is a guarantee that everything will be fine with housing. Airbnb reviews cannot be faked, so all sane hosts try to please guests in order to get good ratings.
Read reviews - people can report important things: for example, the Internet or heating is not working well, noise from the street interferes at night, and so on.
Reliable host:
- has a verified profile,
- many positive reviews,
- registered on the service long ago.
In case of problems, always write or call support. We once had a badly cleaned apartment in France, and we had to sweep the floor ourselves, I thought it fair to ask Airbnb to refund us the cleaning fee - they returned it the same day. If the accommodation does not match the one stated in the description, complain and the service will either give you coupons for a $ 50-100 discount, or provide you with better and more expensive accommodation in the same city.
Our cozy apartment in Paris for 50 euros per day. About prices
The cost of housing almost always depends on the season: in the high season there is a high demand and prices are 2-3 times higher. I try to travel in low season so as not to overpay.
Airbnb charges a service fee based on the amount of the booking - usually around 10-15%.
Often the hosts will include a cleaning fee separately, but you will see this amount before booking.
Sometimes the bill includes taxes of the municipality from tourists (in Italy, for example).
In rare cases, the owner can take a deposit for the safety of the property - this is typical for solid apartments and apartments where there is something to spoil, destroy and break. In my practice, there was only one such example.
The amount you pay when booking is final. When you meet with the owner, you will not have to pay anything else.
A house by the ocean is wonderful! My best Airbnb accommodation. We lived with friends and paid 1,700 rubles per person. Floris Island, Azores, Portugal. How to book accommodation on Airbnb
Everything is very simple. In short, it looks like this: you go to the Airbnb website, look at housing in the right city for the right dates, choose, check out with the owner, book, come, live and enjoy. Now in more detail.
Stage 1. Registration
Fill out your profile: add a photo, link to your Facebook page and phone number, write a few lines about yourself - all this is necessary to confirm that you are a real person and to enable future landlords to get to know you. It is advisable to upload a scan of your document to verify your account and make it reliable. This is for safety reasons.
After registration, you can invite your friends and receive a new bonus - $ 17 for each friend. Nice and nice discount!
Stage 2. Choice of housing
Now you can start looking for housing.
Airbnb is a convenient and simple service, you can easily figure it out. Enter the required information in the search box: destination, dates and number of guests. A page will open with the available options and their location on the map. There are search filters at the top. You can limit the price range, select the area, type of accommodation, and more.
Open the pages of the accommodation you like. Read the description, reviews, look at the photo. Compare and choose the best option.
Once you have chosen your accommodation, you can book it right away or write to the owner first to ask your questions. Do as you like.
This is how the website of the Airbnb.ru service looks like. Stage 3. Payment
You will need a bank card or PayPal to book your accommodation. Payments go through a secure protocol. Recently, it became possible to pay half the amount, and the rest - later, about a week before arrival. Please double check the dates and number of guests before paying.
After you book an apartment on Airbnb, the host has 24 hours to approve your application. If he does not do this, the money will be immediately returned to your card. Once I had this.
The service has accommodation marked "instant booking" - the reservation is made automatically, the confirmation of the owner of the property is not required.
Updated 01.10.
The history of my relationship with Airbnb: 10 countries and 15 cities, 23 apartments and rooms for a few days and 2 houses for a month. What have I learned for myself in 4 years and will I continue?
To be honest, I have never had any serious problems with airbnb.ru, and I am 99.9% satisfied with it. Stop, where did one hundredth go?
What accommodations can I find on Airbnb?
Almost anything - rooms, apartments, bungalows, villas and even tree houses! It usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour to search for an accommodation option in one city - I look at photos of apartments, read reviews of “former” ones (I also translate foreign languages). I also compare prices with RoomGuru - it happens that the good old number in 3 stars also wins.
My feedback on Airbnb
Our apartment for 4 people in Jerusalem - $ 100 / night
Note: and if not the first, then here's a life hack - register a mom / dad / friend (remember that the bonus is not entered, but is automatically credited when you click on the link), and the discount coupon will work again. 🙂
Step 2. Let's go further - search for accommodation for travel. Apartment reservations are available in almost any city in the world. To do this, set the parameters you need on Airbnb:
- town
- dates (from 2019 the numbers drop out along with the cost - convenient)
- and the number of people by clicking "apply" and then "housing"
and here they are - all the rental options for your dates, from a luxury townhouse in the center to a bum-style tent by the lake (I told you, for any wallet? 🙂).
What filters are there?
- Housing type(entire housing, separate or common room) - I usually do not choose anything here, I am guided immediately by the ads. You can slap, for example, the first option, and the house / apartment will be completely in your - temporary - possession
- Price- you can choose the border amount that you are ready to shell out per day (from 0 to 50,000+ rubles)
- Book instantly- see one step below
- Trip type(for families / business trips) - in my opinion, the filter is not quite relevant, because a more interesting and cheaper option can be found just in the tape
- Other- if necessary, indicate the number of bedrooms, amenities, area or tick the box "unique housing" (a hut in the woods, a yacht or a houseboat? 🙂)
Step 3. We study housing - a short algorithm is as follows:
- look at prices
- we determine the location on the map on the right (when you hover over the ad, its price tag is highlighted on the map)
- we open several apartments we liked
- read reviews
When you click on a property, you can see detailed information about the rules / conditions of residence, photos of rooms, reviews from travelers and the host. I advise you to CAREFULLY go through literally each letter. The site works in Russian, so there is also a magic button "translate". Pay attention to the "Amenities" section. It happens that the owners also include breakfasts - they are quite simple, but still nice 🙂 Plus, it saves both time and money.
Our apartment in New York (Brooklyn) for $ 67 / night for two - it has a robot, a fireplace and even a cinema (more details wrote in the telegram @howtrip)
My advice on how not to fly over and overpay:
1️⃣ I never choose apartments about which no reviews or a small number of them (2-4). Although I admit that everyone starts with something, and that cool loft with zero responses in a month or two will become a super-sellable offer. But I’m probably going to step aside.
UPD: I changed my mind and now I am looking at the "new items". And all because they sometimes offer a 20% discount to the first 3 guests. I have already booked this twice, and successfully!
2️⃣ Of the whole bunch of rave reviews, I mark those that are automatically generated by the service itself "The host canceled this reservation ..."... This means that the owner canceled the reservation so many days before the arrival of the traveler - if there are 3 or more, I pass by.
3️⃣ An important factor is response frequency and time host (can be found below reviews). They demonstrate the attitude of a person to Airbnb - scores or is really responsible.
4️⃣ Above the red button "Request a booking" there are several lines that add up to the final cost, but these are not always found specifically:
- Cleaning fee- I do not see the need if I eat for 3-5 days or even a week. In principle, it is not large - up to 2,000 rubles for all accommodation
- Discount per week / monthly- this is your favorite 🙂 If you book an apartment for 7 days or more, then some hosts discard 10-15% of the price, and if for 3-4 weeks, then the discount can go up to 30-40%! That is why Bali cost me 400 rubles per night.
5️⃣ And someone enters and security deposit... You can find out about this in the "House Rules" section, expanding them completely. I wonder what he not written off and is not frozen on the card when booking (and even more so, it is not given to the owner in cash). If the owner complains about the damage after the checkout, Airbnb reviews the claim (with your participation, of course) and issues a verdict - pay the amount or forgive. I haven't had any experience with collaterals yet.
6️⃣ Do not click on "Request booking" immediately. First, write to the landlord (in the “Host name” section, the “Contact” button): ask something about the apartment or just mention how you liked the option. But be sure to clarify, whether the desired dates are free - the calendar can and junk. Plus, it saves you money from sneaky instant bookings.
7️⃣ What is instant booking? The host has set up an automatic confirmation of the reservation, not a manual one. Accordingly, the money on the card is frozen right there, without waiting for the final word from the owner. In fact, this is a convenient option, and overlays (cancellations) are extremely rare 🙂 The red "Request booking" button is normal, and the "Booking" button is instant.
8️⃣ Browse cancellation policy... Flexible, moderate, strict - the amount that will be returned to the card depends on them if you decide to cancel the apartment.
Step 4. The host has 24 hours after your request to accept or decline your reservation. If the outcome is positive, payment is made, and airbnb.ru opens access to all information about the accommodation - the exact address, telephone number for communication.
What to consider on financial matters (how payment is made):
- Airbnb takes commission from 10 to 15%, the value of which depends on the cost of the reservation
- Payment is always in rubles, not in dollars and not in euros, even if the cost is indicated in those currencies. And it is better to use a ruble card, in order to avoid frantic conversion
- If you select "Share payment with friends" - your friend will not be able to pay with bonuses. They can only be used by those who book accommodation.
Step 5. Wait for the trip and contact the host the day before to clarify the details.
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For the first time we decided to try expensive housing on Airbnb - an apartment with a view of Manhattan cost 20,000 rubles / night for two (they took it for 2 nights)
How do I contact Airbnb?
Before booking for all questions write to support www.airbnb.ru/help. Unfortunately, it will not work to make a call, they simply do not have such an opportunity.
If you made a reservation, and there was a need to contact, find the letter in the mail "Your booking is confirmed". At the very bottom there is a red button, go to the Help Center, flesh out the problem. You will be offered to write or call their Russian-speaking support service (the number is free). Note: this very Russian-speaking support is often busy, there are few operators, so they throw it on the English-speaking one.
I recently discovered their Vkontakte page - vk.com/airbnbhelp, there is also a good connection there.
What happens if a booking is canceled?
Canceled by host: Full refund or bank transfer to another booking. If you canceled: full / partial refund (subject to conditions).
If you choose accommodation with flexible cancellation, then there will be no problem. Always pay attention to this. In January 2018, we canceled our booking in Thailand - the money was returned to the card within 2 days! 🙂 Important: the refund is made to the card that was indicated at the time of booking.
By the way, if you are traveling only to one country for a week or 10 days, then I advise you to look at the cost of tours, it often happens that they are more profitable than an independent trip (applies to countries such as Thailand, Spain, Greece, Tunisia and other popular destinations):
What are the advantages of the Airbnb.ru website? Positive feedback from tourists
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The apartment where we lived in Paris (August 2018) - 65 euros / day
- The lowest prices for apartments around the world. And it is true! This is especially noticeable in large and expensive cities. As mentioned above, many offers have discounts when booked for a week or month. It is also profitable to rent an apartment by a company, when calculated per person it turns out to be more budgetary. You can find cool offers for quite reasonable money. So, in Phuket, I rented an apartment for 600 rubles a day with a swimming pool and a gym. Not bad, huh? And in Barcelona - a room for 600 euros for a whole month.
- Simple and straightforward site. This, of course, is not a very tangible plus, but many services have big problems with this.
- All kinds of options - you can find luxury apartments overlooking the entire city, a small and cozy apartment in a residential area with locals. In general, the choice and prices for every taste.
- By renting a place to stay on Airbnb, you get to know the locals and feel the culture of the country. Which is quite difficult to grasp if you check into a hotel and talk to a receptionist programmed to smile.
- The service has solved one of the main problems for many - full payment - and now it is not necessary to give the full amount when booking. It can be divided into two parts, and the second one should be spent ≈2 weeks before the trip. Condition: total amount - from $ 250, date of travel - not earlier than in 4 weeks.
What are the disadvantages of the site? Negative reviews
Our accommodation for a day in Moscow on Bolshaya Sadovaya - 4200 rubles / day for three
First, I’ll say a few words. Here I read the messages, and I think if everything were as bad as some describe, so Airbnb would have been blown away for a long time. Well, and through one, of course, the fault is the user's inattention.
- If you have been advised of a specific accommodation - for example, Michael's cozy apartment in NusaDua - you won't be able to find it by name. This has become a very uncomfortable moment for me more than once.
- Payment upon booking. Now it is already possible to divide the amount into two stages, but back in 2017 this was not the case, which did not suit me wildly. Money, in fact, is in a "suspended" state for several months, and maybe quite a large amount. Airbnb finally went to meet customers. I know you will say that the hotel can be bought without paying at all. But here, when canceling a reservation, significant losses are incurred by ordinary people for whom this is not something that would be profitable. And this is offset by cheaper prices than hotels. On the other hand, you can always cancel your reservation (at a certain time before arrival) and the service will return the full amount based on the conditions that were specified in the apartment's profile.
- If any problems arise, the support service takes a very long time to respond to letters. And it's okay that problems rarely arise, but they do happen. The last time I had a question was about a refund. Surprisingly, the money was returned faster than the employee answered - 2 days vs. 5 days 🙂
- Negative reviews about Airbnb abound in the following: caught by a scammer who tricked me into slipping a bad apartment or canceled a reservation a week before check-in. But just for such a case, responses about accommodation, host ratings and the ability to contact before booking have been introduced. Always carefully read each comment, see the date of registration of the profile and photos of the accommodation. If you have any questions, then be sure to write to the landlord - this is the difference between Airbnb and a hotel search engine, that he - about communication and waiting... In addition, the service is really customer-oriented - any cancellation is accompanied by a discount coupon, and money is returned for non-compliance with the conditions (after the proceedings). But this does not eliminate the need to look for new housing and unpleasant emotions. This is where one missing hundredth is hidden.
- Speed - people are not always online and after booking you need to wait for the owner's confirmation. Therefore, if you book accommodation in the morning and plan to check in in the afternoon, it is better to look for hotels through Roomguru or.
Is Airbnb eligible for a visa?
Embassies accept airbnb reservations for visa. For example, we made the Spanish Schengen and attached several confirmations from this site. It can be done without any problems for a visa to the Czech Republic, France and other countries.
Click on "View Trip Plan" and print the detailed receipt. Names and dates are displayed there.
What other features does Airbnb offer?
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With a discount, accommodation for 7 days will cost less than 6 or 5. And rent for a month will be more profitable than for 3-3.5 weeks. It happens that the monthly discount starts from 27-28 days.
2️⃣ Why not take a chance and look for new offers (special icon next to it)? Some hosts offer a discount on the first 3 bookings, and it can go up to 30-40% of the initial cost.
3️⃣ Some apartment owners add a fixed cleaning fee. It is a tangible amount (who will determine how), especially if the booking is 3-5 days. So try to find accommodation without cleaning. You can write to the host and ask - what if I clean it myself? :) Sometimes they go to a meeting and the price goes down. But if you are against, you should not insist.
4️⃣ Naturally, a life hack that many people know about is a coupon of 2100 rubles. Choose dates and compare prices
We are looking for a tour with a discount.
Collected in one place links to all sites for booking accommodation in travel, which I know. Here you will learn how easy it is to spend the night in almost any city in the world at an adequate price or even free! Or find a truly unusual place to stay in for a long time.
The post contains the largest hostel database in the world, the largest rental service from the owners, websites for booking unusual designer hotels, overnight stays in exchange for help with housework or looking after a pet - in general, options for every taste. Take your pick!
Classic: hotel aggregator sites
Personally, I open these sites first when I am going somewhere on a trip. As the name implies, they combine information from various booking systems, such as: booking, hotels, ostrovok (some of the best prices in Russia), agoda (good for traveling in Asia), trivago, expedia and many others.
Aggregators compare prices, look for discounts and special offers, there you can find not only hotels, but also hostels, guest houses - it is very convenient when everything is in one place.
Read also:
Free overnight stay
The best way to understand the country and its people is to get to know the locals, or even better to live with them for a while. Such opportunities are provided by international hospitality sites when people invite guests to their homes. Just don’t see them only as a free overnight stay; rather, it’s a cultural exchange, interesting communication, an opportunity to improve languages and find new friends around the world.
Source: instagram: @myinterior
Accommodation in exchange for household chores
These sites should not be considered only as a way of free accommodation, but as a new unusual experience and an opportunity to help people and the ecology of the planet for a week, a month, or maybe more. The bottom line is that you work several hours a day, and in return you get room and board.
Source: GettyImages
Services for renting cool and unusual hotels
If you want to live in a lighthouse, in a tree house, visit eco-friendly or vegetarian-only hotels, try glamping (glamorous camping) or just chick, then there are special sites for this.
✔ and - here you can buy someone else's booking at a discount. Someone could not go and sell their reservation on the site. You get a good discount and the person gets money for a non-refundable room.
