As frequent travellers, you’ll inevitably end up using short stays/ Airbnb a lot. Although staying in a hotel can be a lot of fun, there are definitely some distinct advantages to picking an Airbnb. You’ll potentially have access to a kitchen which means you can cook for yourself, you’ll likely have more space than a hotel, you get to essentially find out what it’s like to live like a local, all while plausibly saving a fair bit of money (compared to a hotel)! So without further ado, here are the best tips and tricks we have for helping you to pick your perfect Airbnb!
1) Find your perfect location (use the integrated map)
We all know the saying – location, location, location! Nothing can ruin a vacation more quickly than being in the wrong location – which can mean added transportation costs and frustrations. If we’re in a city, we absolutely love to walk out our door and be surrounded by cafes, restaurants, parks and culture. We definitely prefer to be able to safely walk places, and this includes coming home from a restaurant after dinner. Start by doing searches for “best areas to stay” in your selected city. You’ll likely come by a lot of different blog posts telling you about the popular areas of a city, be sure to read them in depth, paying particular attention to the amenities, safety and the vibe of each neighbourhood. It’s not a bad idea to open google maps and take a look at the area, do you see you a lot of cafes and restaurants? What about green spaces? Museums? Discovering a location you love is definitely key to finding your perfect short stay rental.
2) Know what you like and prefer in a space
We do realize this a bit easier said than done. It does take some time to determine what you really like about a living space. Do you need a separate bedroom from the living space? What about an ensuite bath? Do you need a full kitchen or will a kitchenette suffice? Try to decide on the things you absolutely need and the things you really want. After a few misses, we now know that the amount of space doesn’t matter to us as much as being in a bright and modern apartment. We typically travel to warmer places and therefore air conditioning is almost always a requirement for us.
Lastly, make sure you know what kind of space you are after. If you want an apartment to yourself, make sure you check off “Entire Place’ under Home Type. The other options are “Private Room”, “Hotel Room”, and “Shared Room”.
3) Read the full description and list of amenities
This should go without saying but definitely make sure you read the entire description (translate it if it’s in another language). The host may have hidden some important but negative information at the bottom thinking you wouldn’t read that far. Also be sure to click on the full amenities list to see everything included in the apartment. Do they have a hair dryer? Air conditioning? A pool? All the important information should be included here so don’t skip over it. Also be sure to check out the list of bed types under sleeping arrangements. You likely don’t want to accidentally end up booking a room with two single beds if you’re a married couple.
4) Read the rules
While you’re at it, definitely don’t forget to read the rules! Hopefully there will be no major surprises but you never know what you might find there. We’ve come across places that have extremely strict (and odd) noise rules (ie. please make no noise from 2-4 PM in the afternoon), we’re by no means noisy people, but it still concerned us enough not to book it! Are you a smoker? Perhaps there are strict smoking rules for outdoor spaces. We definitely advise you to read it all before you book.
5) Ask questions and check response time
Even if the description is incredibly detailed, we always try to ask a question to the host before booking. Because we work for ourselves we require a really good internet connection, so we often ask the host to do a speed test. We’ll also ask about outlet locations (if we can’t see them in the photos) and coffee makers (you’d think that would be a given but we’ve been to so many Airbnbs without one!). Even if you can’t think of anything, perhaps ask about the location? We find asking a question in advance is a good indication of how helpful and responsive a host will be.
6) Read reviews and get a place with lots of high quality reviews
We have actually taken the gamble and booked new listings with no reviews, and thankfully it’s worked out well for us! However, we typically try to book a place with a lot of good and high quality reviews. We honestly don’t find it particularly helpful if there are only a few very short reviews (ie. “Great place!”). We always try to look for very in depth reviews discussing pros and cons of the home and the area. Be sure to read all the reviews, you might come across people mentioning a common problem with the rental. If so, did the host address it? It’s another sign of a good host if they reply to reviews, particularly when they are negative ones.
If you’re really interested in the rental, but there are no reviews, click on the host. Perhaps it’s maybe just a new listing for them but they have a lot of reviews on another listing. If so, be sure to read those as it might give you a good idea of how good the host is.
Sending...