Booking apartments around the world airbnb. AirBnB reviews
22.03.2020 Maria Glazunova
Cons of Airbnb
Of course, we can’t say that everything is perfect in Airbnb; there are also disadvantages that appear due to the human factor. Since most owners are not involved 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 select the desired room and immediately go check-in, prepare for the trip with using Airbnb should be done in advance - online is not always 100% actual information about the availability of housing for the required dates. In any case, you will need to wait for confirmation from the owner.
- Less privacy. Firstly, in order to book accommodation, you need to fill out your profile, provide your contact details and, preferably, write a little about yourself (or record a video introduction). You also need to provide your documents for identification (they will only be available to the Airbnb system, the host will not see them). Secondly, if you plan to rent not an entire apartment, but a separate room, then perhaps other guests or the owners will live in the apartment with you.
- You may be denied a reservation if the owner doesn’t like you or your profile in some way - after all, he rents out his home and has the right to choose who to put in his apartment.
In order to avoid misunderstandings, carefully study the owner’s profile, the description of the accommodation on airbnb, and study the reviews of previous guests especially carefully. In addition, you need to keep in mind that most of these disadvantages are mitigated by Airbnb's Guest Compensation Policy (see below).
What Airbnb is for us
For us, Airbnb is great option for accommodation, which is located between hotels and. It combines freedom and independence on the one hand and the opportunity to get more comfort and homeliness, as well as to join the culture of the country, on the other.
Instructions for use
In order to register, you need to go to the Airbnb website. If you register 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 main 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 found options, as well as a city map with marked points
The system has quite a few filters by which you can select the appropriate options
Having selected suitable housing, you can study the details, look at photographs, and read reviews of previous guests about a specific apartment on airbnb. On the right side of the page the cost of accommodation is indicated for one day and for the selected number of days, as well as the cost of Airbnb services
After this, you can send a booking request 
Once the host confirms the specified dates, you can pay for your reservation using bank card or via PayPal.
What you should pay attention to when choosing housing
Verified profile– in order to confirm his identity, the host can provide the Airbnb system with his documents, after which an icon will appear in his profile indicating that he has completed online and/or offline confirmation.
Verified photos– if in the upper right corner of the photo, in addition to the usual logo, there is an inscription verified photo, which means they were taken by a professional Airbnb photographer and are accurate.
Response rate– if the profile indicates a frequency of 10%, then you don’t have to waste time on such housing, most likely no one will answer you, but a 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 much time left before the expected booking date. In this case, choose those who respond as quickly as possible.
Calendar update– 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 reviews of the accommodation and the owner.
airbnb reviews– this is probably one of the most important criteria. The description of an apartment in airbnb can say anything, but if the vast majority of guests praise this place, then most likely it is really good. 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 was an interesting experiment.”
Cancel Reservation
Airbnb has a variety of cancellation policies, allowing you to customize your accommodation depending on how confident you are about your upcoming trip. Please note that the Airbnb fee is non-refundable, except in serious circumstances (if the cancellation was initiated by you, of course):
- flexible,
- moderate,
- strict,
- super strict
- long-term
You can read more about cancellation types and conditions here.
Why Airbnb is safe
Airbnb has " Guest compensation rules”, which allow you to get a refund of paid Money, in case there is some misunderstanding, for example:
- the owner canceled the reservation or did not provide access to the accommodation;
- in reality, the housing differs significantly from the description on the website;
- you find that your home is dirty or unsafe
And although this does not happen often, if suddenly something in the booked accommodation does not suit you, contact Airbnb within 24 hours of your arrival. You can read more here.
Booking confirmation for visa
We ourselves have never provided a service receipt to the consulate, but according to the support service, as well as judging by numerous reports from airbnb users, the feedback on this topic is quite positive - such reservations are accepted without problems at consulates and visa centers.
Rent out your apartment via airbnb
As you might guess, in addition to renting housing while traveling, using the Airbnb service you can also rent out your apartment/room/house /inflatable mattress. If you have a spare room or are going to the country for a few months, or just want to earn a little extra money during the summer by living in the office, this is a great opportunity, simple and convenient.
For hosts, Airbnb provides no less guarantees than for guests, so it is also quite safe. Moreover, it is free, since the Airbnb service adds its own additional fee (about 10%) to the cost, i.e. you will receive exactly as much as you indicate in the ad. By the way, a professional photographer will also take photos of your apartment for Airbnb for free.
In order to rent out an apartment in airbnb, you need to go to the “Your listings” section in the “Control Panel”.
Conclusion
As with everything new, at first glance, Airbnb may seem something unusual 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 tool in stock for traveling. I hope that Airbnb can be a good alternative for you to hotels, hostels and guesthouses :)
To make using this service even more enjoyable, I remind you that you can receive a bonus for your first booking in the Airbnb system. To do this, simply register using this link. Wish great travels and have a nice holiday!
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 housing through the airbnb service, share this article with your friends (repost on social networks).
Igor
Julia
yuliagulyaeva
Pitalenko Alexey
Denis
Pitalenko Alexey
Pitalenko Alexey
AirBnB Host
Catherine
Catherine
Oksana
Maria Glazunova
Oksana
Julia
Svetlana
Svetlana Heiro
Maria Glazunova
Svetlana Heiro
Svetlana Heiro
Maria Glazunova
Maria Glazunova
Svetlana Heiro
Svetlana Heiro
Maria Glazunova
Maria Glazunova
Olga
Maria Glazunova
Galina
Maria Glazunova
Zoya
Olga
Oksana
Yuri
Antonina
Anya
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Marianne
Marianne
AirBnb is the best home rental service that makes it easy and safe to rent apartments and houses in many countries around the world. On the website, homeowners post advertisements for housing for rent, and rent it to those people who need it. It's simple. All advertisements are posted with a description, photographs, and a list of what is and is not in the apartment. Moreover, Airbnb is not limited to apartment rentals; on the service you can find excellent houses on the ocean, rooms, yachts and even medieval castles.
Renting a home on Airbnb takes place in several stages:
- Direct search for housing
- Correspondence with the owner, in which you can find out everything down to the smallest details
- Payment
- Arrival and check-in
- After your stay, you can leave a review about the accommodation (this is optional)
Renting apartments on Airbnb is no different from renting a house, a separate room or a yacht. The process is the same. The service itself has proven itself on the positive side, it has been operating all over the world for many years and its popularity is growing every year, which is worth the numerous ones, in addition, it is completely translated into Russian, so knowledge of a foreign language is not necessary. Compared to hotels, booking airbnb apartments costs on average 2-3 times cheaper than a room in three star hotel. And if you are traveling with family or friends, then Airbnb is what you need, because hotel rooms are usually designed for 2 people, and you have to book several rooms at once to fit everyone in (especially for groups of friends of 4-8 people ), and by renting an apartment on Airbnb, you can all stay together.
Why you should rent a home on AirBnb:
- You will see the real condition of the property from numerous photographs.
- You are guaranteed rental security, i.e. You will not be scammed; all homeowners are verified by the service.
- You can find out reliable information about housing from reviews that are written by people who have already lived there.
- Each ad contains a list of available devices (Wi-Fi, washing machine, TV, air conditioning, etc.).
- You can set your filters by price, type of housing, amenities, etc., which will allow you to find exactly the housing you want.
- The site is very easy to use, it is translated into Russian.
- The site has received thousands of positive reviews from travelers all over the world.
How to choose the right accommodation on Airbnb
Knowing some features of the service, you can find airbnb apartment according to the most low prices and with a high level of comfort. Often newcomers do not know these “rules of a good search” and find not the most comfortable accommodation. Especially for such beginners, here are tips for booking airbnb apartments.
- Read reviews about accommodation carefully. The reviews were written by those who have already lived in this apartment/house/room, so they reflect the real situation. Choose accommodation that has more than 5 positive reviews.
- Give preference to properties with verified photos. Photos of some apartments are marked with a "Photo Verified" label. This means that the owner of the property provided comprehensive information, professional Airbnb photographers came to him and personally photographed the rooms.
- Find out all the details from the landlord. Don’t be shy, if you want to know what the Wi-Fi speed is, how long it takes to walk to the city center, whether the windows face the sunny side, what pattern the rug in front of the entrance is - feel free to write to the owner, he will be happy to answer all your questions.
- It is better to book accommodation with a host with a verified profile. Each host has their own profile on Airbnb, review it before booking, if the profile is not verified, it is better to find another accommodation option.
Comparison of Airbnb and hotels
Is Airbnb safe?
Don't worry, renting an apartment abroad on airbnb is absolutely safe. The service is a rental guarantor. When you have found a suitable housing option, then transfer money to the airbnb service, and not the owner, as payment, which eliminates the possibility of the owner “disappearing” after transferring money (and this happens on some foreign services). Only after check-in does Airbnb transfer money to the host, and you can relax and enjoy life.
But there was also a fly in the ointment. The service is safe and in case of problems it guarantees that you will not be left in trouble without help, but some owners can be cunning and provide false information about their housing. But you can easily identify such hosts and not book anything with them. Be sure to read the article about that, and then you will be protected to the maximum.
Airbnb and visa confirmation
An Airbnb reservation is suitable for proof of accommodation, which is required when obtaining a visa. You will just need to print the payment receipt from the website. There is no difference between confirmation from and Airbnb, all embassies accept both.
If you are not traveling alone, then when booking accommodation on Airbnb.ru, write down the names of all the people who are going to live with you in these apartments and they will also be indicated on the receipt. If suddenly you did not do this at the time of booking, then contact the support service, write down the names and surnames (as in foreign passports) of all guests, and then the service staff will correct the receipt and send the corrected version to your email.
Some embassies also require a copy of the apartment owner's passport: a page with his photo and a page with his signature. You can find out exactly whether these additional documents are required for your visa or not only at your embassy (call them or write to them by email). If you still need copies, then simply send a letter to the owner with a request (if you don’t own English language, then you can translate the letter using an online translator) send copies of the pages and within a few hours or days (depending on how) you will receive them. It is almost never necessary to obtain copies of the apartment owner’s passport.
Instructions
Figuring out how to use the AirBnb website is quite simple, but... Knowing a few tricks, you can find very good and cheap housing.
AirBnb is the best travel rental site. Travel and enjoy life! All the best!
In this article we will tell you which sites you can book accommodation on yourself and give step by step instructions, how to do it.
Have you ever had to search for accommodation around the world on your own or do you trust this task to travel agencies? The latter will prepare all the documents for you - this is a plus. However, you will pay them more money, the only exception is last-minute travel packages. In addition, you will be accommodated in one of the typical hotels where all package tourists are taken. And if you want to go on the trip of your dreams, then no one can organize it better than you.
Today we will tell you how to book accommodation yourself. To get started, we recommend reading this article. It will help you navigate housing rental sites around the world. And if you like it, sign up for ours.
Where to book an apartment yourself: the best English-language accommodation search sites for travelers
Previously, in order to rent an apartment in our city, we read advertisements on poles and in newspapers in the “For Rent” section. We asked friends if they had friends who were looking for lodgers. And renting a home abroad, before arriving in another country, seemed like an extremely difficult task. Thanks to the Internet, everything has changed - home rental sites around the world will help you.
1. Airbnb
These Airbnbs Will Blow Your Mind (Not Your Budget) features 79 of the world's most unique travel accommodations, from luxurious treehouses and small trailers to fairytale mansions.
2. 9flats
3. Wimdu
5. Tripping
6.Agoda
8.Hostelworld
10.Outdoorsy
12.Private Islands Inc.
2. WWOOF
Wherever you plan to go on vacation - be it Italy, Turkey or a dacha in the Moscow region, the main thing is to take a good mood with you. And then unpleasant little things, even if they exist, will not be able to ruin such a long-awaited vacation for you.
I remember my first independent travel- straight up the Stone Age. It was necessary to check with the hotel or with partner companies, at the airport counter, or look for accommodation on the spot, because there was no convenient payment online. However, in those days everyone used paper air tickets, and electronic ones caused mistrust. It’s good that everything has changed, although some Southeast Asian countries, for example Myanmar, are still at this level.
What is Airbnb?
Features of AirBnB
6. Help from the owner
In my rental cases, all the apartment owners were very helpful. For example, in Turkey they painted landmarks and walking routes To see everything, they recommended inexpensive restaurants with vegetarian food and helped us book transfers. And all this without imposing services like “buy an excursion from me.” The owner of my apartment in Phuket meets guests at the airport and helps as much as possible. Check with the owners, clarify all the details: is it nearby, what infrastructure surrounds the house, how fast the Internet works. Live communication always helps. There are owners who mark recommended restaurants, attractions and entertainment on the map under the description of the accommodation. I would say that Airbnb hosts, in a sense, can replace your guide, help you navigate an unfamiliar city and tell you how to best spend your time. Hotel reception desks are mostly staffed by visiting people who have little interest in the tourist component and sometimes don’t even know the city’s transport patterns. So on Airbnb, a good host is a traveler's friend.
7. Long stay
Depending on the apartment, there are long-term stay options available on Airbnb. For example, renting a villa for two to three weeks will cost the same as for a month. Check with the hosts for details and ask for a discount for long-term stays.
8. Airbnb is ideal in big cities
Disadvantages of renting a home through Airbnb
1. This is not a hotel
Living conditions in a private apartment compared to a hotel room have their disadvantages. For some apartments and villas, cleaning is charged separately and is included in the final bill. In apartments, sometimes maid service is not included at all or is provided only once a week. You won't always be served breakfast. When moving into an apartment, check the serviceability of the air conditioner, TV, plumbing and integrity of the furniture. It happens that the previous tenant broke something, but the owner did not notice. In such cases, when leaving, it will be impossible to prove that it was not you who did this. In some cases, the owner takes a deposit for the safety of the property, which is blocked on your card and returned 48 hours after check-out. I would say that such a deposit is not a minus, since all the details are spelled out in the description of the property. Compare that some hotels also take a deposit, but do not write about it on booking sites. It’s better to know about the deposit in advance than to be notified about it upon arrival.
2. Response speed
Another difference from booking sites is the speed of confirmation. The owners usually respond within an hour or two, but sometimes I wait a day for messages from them. For urgent reservations, if you have already decided on accommodation, select the option " Instant confirmation"In other cases, you need to search and find out details in advance. Once I spent a whole week discussing the details of renting an apartment in Bali.
3. Internet users are uneducated
Sometimes the owner does not fully understand the functional part of the Airbnb system, and there will be serious errors on the apartment page. For example, the lack of written information about additional bills for electricity and water can become an unpleasant surprise upon arrival. Or the owner incorrectly filled out information about the cost of living for the second and subsequent guests. Check these details if you are going to rent an apartment in Thailand. Some hosts fill out housing information on native language Of course, the built-in translator will help translate, but in situations with Korean, Chinese and other Asian languages, something seems to be missing.
4. Airbnb commission
7. Cancellation
In rare cases, the owner may cancel your reservation, although there is a penalty for doing so. You can see all the owner's cancellations in his profile. Please read the cancellation conditions on your part carefully. There are several of them, it all depends on the conditions and time of cancellation.
As you can see, the pros of renting a home through Airbnb outweigh the cons. It is worth noting that the system presents more than a million unique options - there is always a choice. In my opinion, the options for renting an apartment in Phuket are superior to hotel rooms in cost and comfort. Tell us about your experience of renting a home through Airbnb in the comments.
I have collected in one place links to all sites for booking travel accommodation that I know of. Here you will find out how easy it is to spend the night in almost any city in the world at an affordable price or even for free! Or really find unusual place, a stay in which will be remembered for a long time.
The post contains the largest database of hostels in the world, the largest service for renting accommodation from hosts, sites for booking unusual designer hotels, overnight accommodation in exchange for help around the house or looking after a pet - in general, options for every taste. Choose!
Classic: hotel aggregator sites
Personally, I open these sites first when I'm going on a trip somewhere. As the name implies, they combine information from various booking systems, such as: booking, hotels, ostrovok (one of best prices in Russia), agoda (good for traveling in Asia), trivago, expedia and many others.
Aggregators compare prices, look for discounts and special offers, where you can find not only hotels, but also hostels, guest houses- it’s very convenient to have everything in one place.
Read also:
Free overnight stay
The best way to understand a country and its people is to get to know local residents, and even better, live with them for a while. International hospitality sites provide such opportunities when people invite guests to their home. Just don’t see them as just a free overnight stay, rather it’s a cultural exchange, interesting communication, an opportunity to improve your languages and find new friends around the world.
Source: instagram: @myinterior
Accommodation in exchange for housework
These sites should not be considered only as a way to stay overnight for free, 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 idea is that you work several hours a day, and in return you receive room and board.
Source: GettyImages
Rental services for cool and unusual hotels
If you want to live in a lighthouse, in a tree house, stay in eco-friendly hotels or hotels only for vegetarians, try glamping (glamorous camping) or just have fun, then there are special sites for this.
✔ and - here you can buy someone else’s reservation at a discount. Someone couldn’t go and is selling their reservation on the website. You are getting good discount, and the person - money for a non-refundable number.