Whenever we go on a trip, we almost always stay in a short-term rental.
We stayed in them around ten times in 2014, and plan on staying in them many more times this year as well.
I always look at Airbnb’s website (this is an affiliate link that will give you a $25 off Airbnb coupon code for your next stay) first when planning our trips.
Even though I use Airbnb often, there are still many people out there who have never heard of Airbnb before, so I thought it would be a great service to review.
With this Airbnb review, I hope to help you see why you should be using Airbnb as well. Below are some of the many positives of using this vacation rental website:
You might have a kitchen in your Airbnb vacation rental.
One of the big positives of staying in a short-term rental over a hotel is that you most likely will have a kitchen. All of the Airbnb rentals that we have stayed in have had kitchens, and we always use them.
This is one of the main reasons I wanted to create this Airbnb review – because you can save a ton of money by having a kitchen on your vacation!
I love having a kitchen when I am traveling because it helps me be able to curb back on some of my food spending. Keep in mind that we travel a lot with our dogs, so we like to be in the rental at least some of the time with them. So, having a kitchen means that we can go grocery shopping and make a nice meal for ourselves.
Funny thing is that we usually spend less money on food when we are traveling than when we are at home.
This was our Airbnb rental for our Joshua Tree trip.
Airbnb can be cost effective if you have a large group.
If you have a large group that you are traveling with, then finding a place to rent is usually more affordable. This is because with a hotel, you might have to rent multiple rooms, pay fees for all of the people, and more.
However, if you are renting, you can usually find an affordable house with multiple bedrooms that can fit your whole family comfortably for a price that is much cheaper than at a hotel.
Plus, with my $25 coupon code for Airbnb, it’s even more affordable. No, $25 isn’t a ton of money, but it can help!
Airbnb is great if you are bringing pets.
A hotel is a fine spot for us for a day or two, but a rental is where we prefer to stay if we plan on staying somewhere for a week.
What I love about Airbnb is that I can usually find a house that allows me to bring my pets. Sure, I can bring my dogs to a hotel, but there usually isn’t a backyard for them to run around in.
You’ll have more space.
With a short-term rental, it is usually an apartment, a townhouse, a house, a cabin, or something along those lines. That means that there is usually more space with a short-term Airbnb rental than with a hotel room. You’ll most likely have a separate bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a balcony, and more.
With a hotel, you usually just have one room that is just a few hundred square feet.
This is an Airbnb vacation rental that we stayed at on a trip to Miami.
You can also make money with Airbnb.
Okay, so this last one isn’t exactly a reason for why you travel with Airbnb.
However, you can make extra money by hosting travelers in your own home. If you have an extra room, an apartment above a garage, a guest house, or something else, you can make money through Airbnb. If you sign up and host someone through my link (that’s the same link throughout my Airbnb review that will give you a $25 Airbnb coupon code as well), you will receive a $75 bonus.
Don’t completely throw out the idea of hosting others. Read the post on my blog Debunking 5 Myths About Renting out a Room to a Stranger before you decide not to. We have rented our home (but on a long-term basis) in the past and have made extra money.
Before you look for an Airbnb rental…
There are some things you will want to keep in mind in order to make your stay great:
- Always read the Airbnb reviews. Airbnb reviews can tell you a lot about the place and the host. There are Airbnb reviews that you can read right on the rental’s description page. Or, there are also Airbnb reviews for the host as well. You will want to read the reviews in order to see if the rental is the correct one for you, how the host is, and more.
- Read and understand the Airbnb description. Some places will have rules, such as if you can have pets, if you can have others over, and so on.
- Remember that Airbnb is not a hotel. This is something that I’ve noticed people forget. An Airbnb rental will not be the same as staying in a hotel. Someone won’t be there to clean the rental every day (unless you request that and pay an additional cleaning fee), there won’t be a concierge, and there might not be room service.
How do you like to save money when traveling? Have you ever used Airbnb? Or do you prefer hotels?
Don’t forget to sign up for Airbnb since you will receive a $25 Airbnb coupon code for your next stay. This Airbnb coupon code does not expire, so you can just sign up and it will just save to your account for when you plan your trip in the future.
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Brian @DebtDiscipline says
We are considering using Airbnb over a hotel for an upcoming trip. Thanks for the coupon. 🙂
Michelle S. says
Yes, you definitely should! We’ve stayed in a short-term rental probably 10 times in 2014 alone.
Amy says
I haven’t used Airbnb, as we haven’t traveled much since our daughter was born a few years ago. However, whenever I think of traveling with her, a rental property with a kitchen and more of a “home” feel seems like the way to go.
I’ll definitely create an account and add the coupon code – thanks!
Michelle S. says
Yes, a rental property would most likely make it easier to travel with children. There’s usually so much more space!
Jen @ Save to Splurge says
We’ve used Airbnb twice for our week-long trips and would definitely do it again. I love the extra space we get and the rates are very reasonable.
Michelle S. says
I agree!
Taylor Lee says
I’ve tried using AirBnB a handful of times now, but in every instance the person whose place I’d be staying at either never got back to me or outright cancelled on short notice. Although, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to using it, especially for a long vacation for which it’d be cheaper and more comfortable than a hotel.
Michelle S. says
Weird! I have always heard a reply back within minutes from every host, and I have never been cancelled on.
Elroy says
I’ve always looked into using AirBnB, but at the end of the day, we have enough miles and points we can stay just about anywhere for free. It’s sounds good in practice, but in reality I enjoy the conveniences of a hotel/resort.
Michelle S. says
I think it really just depends on what you are looking for. For me, I like renting big houses that are right on the beach where my dogs can run around like crazy 🙂 I’ve used points at Airbnbs as well and have gotten them for free 🙂
Michelle S. says
Interesting! I’ve never actually stayed in an Airbnb where someone else lived. The ones we’ve stayed at were purely vacation rentals.
Syed says
Awesome we’ve never used it before but it seems like a good idea since we have a little boy that loves running around. Thanks for the review!
Michelle S. says
Welcome 🙂
tanya says
Awesome, thanks for the coupon! Never heard of it before but will be looking it up now 🙂
Michelle S. says
Welcome 🙂
G says
I think thisis good method for side hustle, maybe you have an extra room and you can earn some from it…plus it is be useful when you travel…thanks for sharing!!!
Michelle S. says
Welcome 🙂
Tennille says
That sounds like a great idea! We are planning a family reunion/vacation in 2016 I’ll have to remember this for that trip. Thanks! :o)
Michelle S. says
Yes, this would be great for a big family!
Simon Cave says
I’ve never used Airbnb but I will definitely think of it for my next trip!
Michelle S. says
Yes, you definitely should 🙂
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
AIrbnb is such a great option–I’m glad it has become so popular and widespread. We last used Airbnb to stay on a farm in Vermont and it was a wonderful experience. In addition to being cheaper than a hotel, we cooked all of our meals there, read books in the cozy living room, and hung out with our awesome hosts. I love all of the value-added experiences that come with Airbnb stays!
Michelle S. says
Sounds like Airbnb has been good to you. Great to hear!
LeisureFreak Tommy says
I had never heard of this. Fascinating! I will have to check more into it. What a nice tip to pass along to the super-budget travel novices like myself. I have used VRBO before but this is very different.
Thanks for this informative post.
Michelle S. says
Airbnb is actually almost the exact same thing as VRBO. I can’t think of too many differences 🙂
Michelle S. says
Welcome 🙂
Michelle S. says
Airbnb is just like renting any other short-term rental, such as through VRBO. It is sad and I’ve never had any problems. You deal with Airbnb and “purchase” a room or house just like you would with Expedia.
Ryan says
Hey there – great list! I also follow many of the same steps. automation, joint finance, fewer credit cards overall.
One reason many people (myself included) like to have multiple savings/checking accounts open is that there are several “high” interest options out there like Ally, Sallie Mae and GE capital that pay somewhere around 1% interest on your cash funds. Most of these accounts have balance limits (minimum and maximum) and usage requirements that you have to meet in order to achieve the maximum interest payment. having more than one of these accounts allows you to take advantage of a greater spread of options if you don’t mind the extra account management. I add all my investment, credit, savings
Jon @ Money Smart Guides says
I’ve heard of AirBnB but have been nervous to actually try it out. Though I do keep hearing more and more good things about the service and that might just sway me into giving it a try.
Michelle S. says
What are you nervous about? Maybe it’s a question I can answer 🙂
Lisa says
I’m such a huge fan of Air B&B, especially when I’m planning something for a big group of people!
DNN says
Next trip I take…I want to go BACK to Santa Barbara, California for 2 weeks next time around, so i can do absolutely nothing and network with some celebs out there. Just to relax and be in chillmode. Maybe visit the eBaY headquarters, tour Silicon Valley, and DEFINITELY do some shopping in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. I may even take a trip to someone’s house by myself in Beverly Hills when I touch down out there next time around. I do admit I was leary about taking planes at first but now I like the scenic view. 🙂