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 the locals, or better yet, 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 get a good discount, and the person gets money for a non-refundable room.

An alternative to hotels - renting apartments, apartments and houses - is becoming increasingly popular in the world.
When you come to a foreign city, you want to feel the comfort of home. Most hotel rooms, and you will agree with me, cannot replace the comfort of home with a kitchenette, hanging shelves filled with pots, drawers with spoons and forks, a sink and a stove. For example, it’s more pleasant for me to sit in the kitchen than in the living room - everything is at hand: a refrigerator with a supply of drinks and food, a table where you can have intimate conversations or watch TV... They probably understood me.

Pros of living in an apartment

Especially apartment prices for those who come to relax on long term– I won’t hide the fact that it’s cheaper, since the products in European supermarkets are much different in freshness and variety from those in Russia, and I think anyone can cook a steak from non-frozen meat or bake fresh fish. Accordingly, we save on going to restaurants, absolutely freely pour ourselves wine and something stronger, and we are also not shy about smoking at the table.

In the world of travel, there is a need for apartments from owners, just as there is a need for owners to rent out these apartments. This is how the Airbnb service came into being, which allows you to connect the two poles, acting as a guarantor in these relations:

How Airbnb works

What Airbnb has: a database of owners who offer their properties for short-term rental, has reviews from those who have already used their services, has an owner profile where he writes about himself, and has photographs of what the owner offers. There is also a processing center that accepts money as a deposit, brings us together with the owner and, within the framework of the agreement between him and us, protects the rights of both, transferring financial relations into a contractual framework: when you book housing, you pay money, but the owner of the property will only receive it the day after your check-in.

That is: if you don’t like something and the offer published on the Airbnb website by the owner is not true, you have the right to get your money back.
If the owner of the property violates the agreement and cancels your reservation, you get back the entire amount paid + bonus (Airbnb fines the owner and this fine is your bonus)

In general, everything is transparent and quite simple:

You enter the place (This is a country, city or region) where you are looking for housing.
You enter the dates you are interested in
Number of residents
And you receive search results - a photo of the proposed housing and the price

There are filters: by housing cost limits; by type of housing: “house, apartment, bed”; by services: internet, washing machine, parking, etc., etc.

Did you choose your favorite based on the photo? Read the reviews of those who have already stayed there.
Read about the owner - there is his photo, what he writes about himself and what clients who have already stayed here write about him

Well, if everything suits you: book! To do this, you naturally need a visa or mastercard credit or debit bank card.
The money will be debited from your card, but the owner of the property will receive it only on the second day of your stay in his apartment or house.

If you don’t like something, namely: if something is different from the offer that was on the Airbnb website, you can write to Airbnb support and they will return your money and select it for you Alternative option housing

Airbnb Pitfalls and Cons

The ease with which any homeowner can become an Airbnb partner and get into their database is the reason for the large number of outright scammers and scoundrels in this database
If Booking.com checks hotels and apartments included in the database since both of them must be legal entities (firms, LLCs, etc.), then Airbnb does not do this check

Difficulty contacting support.
I have many positive results of solving situations with Booking.com support service in Russian: .
It's no secret that anything can happen and no one is safe from mistakes. Booking.com handled all situations with honor: I received an alternative or a refund in situations that seemed hopeless at first glance.
Airbnb acted according to the scenario: we’ll wait, maybe everything will resolve itself.
I did not receive any help from Airbnb, for example, in a situation when, upon arriving at the host, I discovered that the previous residents had extended their stay.
That is, in essence, I found myself homeless in the evening in a foreign city. I had to

Modern travelers do not tend to limit themselves to traveling within their own country. If finances allow, many go in search of adventure to the most remote corners of our planet. One can only imagine how much effort was required to conduct international travel a quarter of a century ago.

Absence mobile communications, the same Internet, problems in embassies - and these are just the beginnings. Whereas now, by opening an Internet browser, you can find so much information that it will be enough to ensure maximum reliability for your upcoming trip.

And what does the growth of our needs cost? Having visited some five-star hotel in Turkey last year, a person will no longer want to go to Croatia next year with no less comfortable conditions. Moreover, everyone strives to find a nest that is cheaper and with more comfortable conditions.

Today I will talk about an excellent service for renting apartments around the world from homeowners, which has found recognition all over the world, allowing the user to rent cheap apartments/rooms in any corner of the planet. It's about about the site airbnb.ru.

By the way, Russians are reluctant to use the Airbnb apartment rental service due to ignorance of its existence. There are older services like hotellook.ru or generally “oldies” that stay afloat only at the expense of citizens of the CIS countries. These are sites like booking.com. They are also good in their own way, but the peculiarity of AirBnb is that it is possible to rent apartments directly from the homeowners, and this is its main advantage. But first things first.

Airbnb service - an inside look

Airbnb.ru gives you the opportunity in a few clicks rent an inexpensive apartment or room in many countries around the world. Airbnb offers not only hostels and daily apartments, but also for those who love exquisite relaxation there are offers to rent an expensive yacht or some oriental palace.

And what’s good is that on Airbnb (AirBnb) you can find a budget option housing in very good location, in which if you rent a hotel room, you will pay five times more money. Here's an example from Airbnb - renting a room in Barcelona with a view of the Sagrada Familia costs 1,848 rubles

The photo above is the view from exactly where you will live! Time passes and the exchange rate of the ruble against the dollar and euro changes, but still, as a percentage, renting apartments through AirBnB will be cheaper than in a hotel.

Yes, if for some reason you didn’t watch the video above, I’ll tell you again that the very story of the creation of the Airbnb website is quite funny. Two guys, being students in another country, did not calculate their finances when renting a room, and in order to somehow get off their knees, they began to rent out their air mattress on the floor. By the way, the name of the Airbnb website follows directly from the description of this story, and translated means an air mattress and breakfast.

As practice shows, the Airbnb service (AirBnb) offers a wide variety of housing options in Europe or America, while East Asia Either I haven’t heard about the existence of the Airbnb service, or they have their own competitive site similar to Airbnb, but the Airbnb service is almost not represented here at all. Although, if you really want to and have Google translator at hand, you can also find good apartments at an affordable price.

I like that on Airbnb you can immediately filter apartments by quality, view from the window, location, price, even by the face of the owner of this property and his friendliness, because on the site AirBnb people write real reviews about the apartments they rented from the owners. Moreover, these are not paid reviews, but real comments from real people:

Like any project, the Airbnb service has its advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss below.

Benefits of the AirBnb service

1. Airbnb is awesomeaffordable prices

Even in the most major cities there are affordable housing offers around the world. Airbnb's website is proof of this. On Airbnb it is quite possible to find better offers for renting apartments compared to private advertisements for renting apartments or hotels. As a rule, the local representation comes down to people who are eager to make a little extra money on their home. In fact, the offers on Airbnb are completely different. If you are trying to rent an apartment in London for 100 dollars, then it’s better not to go anywhere, but you will be gladly provided with an air mattress in many parts of the city. On Airbnb you can actually settle in cheaper upon arrival, plus you will have a local resident “at hand”, who is also the owner of the apartment you rented, who will show and tell you everything.

2. Airbnb is comfort

If a cozy and comfortable life at the level of a luxury hotel room is very important to you, then Airbnb is the perfect service for you. As a rule, many apartment owners rent out their homes in order to earn money during the period of time when they themselves go on vacation or simply live in some other place with relatives. In this case, you will be absorbed in a homely atmosphere with complete autonomy.

I think you won’t refuse to see how the French or Italians furnish their apartments, or what household appliances the Germans or British use. I can say with confidence that you obviously won’t get such a vast amount of information while staying at a hotel.

Often, such apartments are rented fully equipped - you will be provided with everything you need to lead a normal life, including a washing machine, dishwasher and equipped kitchen with a full set of appliances and dishes.

Here are some examples of apartments

AirBnb - apartment in London

AirBnb - apartment in New York

AirBnb – apartment in Paris

AirBnb – apartment in Rome

3. Airbnb is forclear communication

During the rental of housing, the owners not only look for a potential client, they, just like you, are given a unique opportunity to communicate with foreigners. As practice shows, people are always happy to chat on the most various topics, even to the point that they will give you valuable advice on visiting a particular place, or, for example, they will give you the number of the cheapest taxi to get to the place you need. Don’t think about it, this is not necessary - if you don’t want to, no one will oblige you

4. Airbnb is aboutdiscussing housing conditions in advance

The Airbnb service requires fulfillment of a mandatory condition before booking - you will definitely need to communicate with the owner of the apartment, where you will be provided with comprehensive answers to all your questions. For example, how is the infrastructure in the area where you live, are there cheap supermarkets here, is the metro or bus station far away. You have the opportunity to clarify whatever your heart desires.

5. Airbnb islinking accounts

If you are registered on Facebook, you will have no problem tracking the movements of your friends, especially if their profile is directly linked to the Airbnb service. Share your impressions!

Disadvantages of the Airbnb service

1. I don't argue that Airbnb is a great service. But Airbnb, like everywhere else, has its drawbacks. First of all, this is the lack of a professional approach. Most of the apartment owners are, as a rule, ordinary people who want to earn extra money, so be prepared for anything and have maximum patience (especially if you are booking an apartment for the first time) - some issues may take too much time to discuss.

2. Living conditions. Each person has his own moral values, so there is a high probability that your wishes will not coincide with the specified living conditions from the owner. Not because you are being deceived, but everyone has different preferences.

3. The lack of instant booking of accommodation on Airbnb is also a small drawback, especially for businessmen. The fact is that if other sites for renting and renting out apartments - analogues of Airbnb, offering reservations in hotels, provide a maximum of five minutes for placing an order, then on Airbnb you will have to wait for the owner’s decision. Therefore, this option is not suitable for people who are still at home today, and tomorrow - somewhere at the other end globe and they urgently need housing.

4. Virtually no privacy on Airbnb. To make a reservation on Airbnb, you will have to spend time. Registration, sending and checking documents, filling out a profile (which, by the way, is mandatory). The documents will be available only to the site administration and, as a rule, the owner will not see them, unless, of course, you offend him or do something else illegal. Well, another important nuance on Airbnb is the possibility of communal living, when other people can potentially live with you in the apartment.

5. Don’t be surprised by the fact that you may be denied a reservation if the host of your Airbnb property simply doesn’t like you or your profile – this is also quite possible. Agree, everyone decides for themselves who they can move in with them.

Please note that it is worth reading in advance reviews of accommodations on Airbnb or view the owner’s profile in detail. You never know how he will behave in one case or another. And so you can already hint at some common interests.

How to use the AirBnb “inflatable service”, AirBnb discount coupons

To get started, go to AirBnb website and register. I think this operation is not worth describing in detail, everything is simple and clear. By the way, you may have heard that there is discount couponsairbnb. Would you like to receive $25 off your accommodation reservation? If yes, then follow this link, it is already included airbnb coupon code, and then, by registering on the site, you will receive a bonus of $25. That is, by ordering a rental property, the rental price will cost you $25 less! Agree, not bad!

The main page of the Airbnb website presents the hottest offers from the most different countries world, if you haven’t found anything suitable, enter the city where you are going. The Airbnb system will give you a comprehensive list of offers for a specific locality, and the location of the proposed housing on the map. Airbnb also has many filters available (just like an online store), which can potentially speed up the search for accommodation based on your request.

When choosing accommodation on Airbnb, you will receive a sufficient amount of information in the form of photographs, descriptions and numerous reviews, which, by the way, are checked by the administration for authenticity. As a rule, in the right corner of the page on Airbnb the price directly for renting an apartment per day is indicated. There you can also decide on the number of days and the cost of all services provided by the service.

Well, and, ultimately, after checking all the data when writing a request to book an apartment, using bank card payment can be made. In addition, for owners of electronic wallets, the PayPal service is provided.

Criteria for choosing accommodation on Airbnb

First of all, a verified user profile. Let me tell you that on Airbnb everything is serious about document verification, which is why scams rarely come up here. To register your accommodation (apartment, house, yacht, etc.) in the Airbnb system, you will need to provide everything Required documents, confirming not only your identity, but also your right to own housing.

Only after approval by the administration of the Airbnb service, the user will be marked with a special icon, which gives the right to carry out further actions. The same situation applies to photographs of the proposed housing. When choosing, pay attention to the inscription “verified photo”, which indicates that the “photo shoot” of the property was carried out by a professional photographer from the agency and, of course, corresponds to reality.

The next item is the response rate on Airbnb. This box indicates the percentage of questions asked by potential tenants and answers given by the landlord. That is, if you see a frequency of ten percent, you don’t even have to try to find out anything there, since it’s unlikely that anyone will give you a complete answer.

On the other hand, if the response rate is greater than 90 percent, then the host is incredibly sociable and responds to all messages as quickly as possible. And, believe me, if the housing is good, then you have to answer 100-200 requests per day.

Don't forget to update your service calendar. By updating it regularly, you will, first of all, save time. Imagine, you are looking for accommodation on the website, find a suitable one, look at the photos, compare with other offers (as a rule, this takes at least one hour if you are planning a serious trip, and especially if you are a woman).

And already when you agree to book accommodation, you are told that the apartment is occupied. Moral of the story: Update your calendar often to avoid wasting unnecessary time. Nice apartments They won't stand empty for long.

"And I changed my mind"

The “inflatable” Airbnb service, due to the huge number of different scammers, has provided various conditions for canceling a reservation. This opportunity allows you to select accommodation directly depending on your confidence in the upcoming trip. Don’t worry, the Airbnb service fee for making an apartment reservation will not be reimbursed in case of cancellation. Of course, serious circumstances are taken into account when refusing, but in this case much will depend on communication with the administration.

The Airbnb website has special “Site Visitor Compensation Rules” that allow you to get your money back if certain misunderstandings arise, including:

    The tenant independently canceled the reservation or provided you with accommodation on the spot;

    The expectation does not coincide with reality due to the fault of the apartment owner;

    You personally discovered that your new home is incredibly dirty and, even more so, unsafe.

Of course, such nuances do not come up often, but anything can happen, and if you are not satisfied with something in your new home, just contact the service administration within 24 hours after moving into your new place.

Accommodation reservation certificate for visa

Everyone knows that when visiting many countries, the embassy will require confirmation of your solvency and mandatory place arrangement. None of my friends have used this service, but based on reviews online and on the website, it becomes clear that a printed reservation made on the website is positively accepted at the embassy.

The downside of Airbnb

It is quite obvious that in addition to renting any type of housing, you can just as easily rent out your apartments: an apartment, a dacha, a yacht (whoever has one) :)

Much, of course, depends on the location of your home, but if there is free space and you don’t shy away from neighbors unknown to you, then why not rent it out? Speaking of guarantees, the AirBnb rental service provides a potential tenant with no less guarantees than a tenant.

Plus, it's completely free. The system is as follows: to assure you of a guarantee (the so-called “safe transaction”), the Airbnb service imposes its own markup on top of your housing price. If there is a service office in your country, then in some cases the agency can take professional photographs completely free of charge.

In order to rent out an apartment on Airbnb, you need to go to the “Your Ads” section in the “Control Panel”.

In conclusion I would like to say that AirBnb service may seem incredibly complicated to some (which is why I gave such a detailed description of it). In fact, this service is quite advanced and easy to use, so at a minimum, you need to pay attention to it in order to keep it in mind or simply recommend it to friends. It’s not that I’m advertising it, it’s just that after using it, me and my colleagues were left with only the best impressions.

And don't forget that when you first register on Airbnb, you'll receive a small bonus of twenty-five dollars to your account, so don't waste time and get the most out of your vacation.

The history of my relationship with Airbnb: 10 countries, 17 apartments 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. Wait, where did one hundredth go?

What kind of accommodation can you find on Airbnb?

Almost anything - rooms, apartments, bungalows, villas and even tree houses! Searching for an accommodation option in one city usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour - I look at photos of apartments, read reviews of those who have been there (I also translate foreign ones). I also compare prices with RoomGuru - it happens that the good old 3-star room wins.

My review of the Airbnb website

Our apartment for 4 people in Jerusalem - $100/night

Note: if not the first time, then here’s a life hack - register your mom/dad/friend (remember that the bonus is not entered, but is automatically counted when you click on the link), and the discount coupon will work again. 🙂

Step 2. Let's move on - looking for accommodation for the trip. Apartment booking is available in almost any city in the world. To do this, set the parameters you need on Airbnb:

  • city
  • dates (from 2019 the numbers appear along with the cost - convenient)
  • and the number of people by clicking “apply” and then “accommodation”

and here they are - all the rental options for your dates, from a luxury townhouse in the center to a homeless-style tent by the lake (did I say, for any budget? :)).

What filters are there?

  • Housing type(entire housing, separate or shared room) - I usually don’t choose anything here, I’m guided directly by the advertisements. You can click, for example, the first option, and the house/apartment will be completely in your – temporary – possession
  • Price– you can choose a limit amount that you are willing to pay per day (from 0 to 50,000+ rubles)
  • Book instantly– see step below
  • Trip type(for families/business trips) - in my opinion, not a completely relevant filter, because a more interesting and cheaper option can be found simply in the feed
  • Other– if necessary, indicate the number of bedrooms, amenities, area, or check the box for “unique housing” (hut in the forest, yacht or houseboat? :)

Step 3. We study housing - a short algorithm is as follows:

  • look at prices
  • determine the location on the map on the right (when you hover over an ad, its price tag is highlighted on the map)
  • We are opening several apartments that you like
  • read reviews

When you click on an accommodation, you can find detailed information about the rules/conditions of accommodation, photographs of rooms, reviews from travelers and the owner. I advise you to CAREFULLY go through literally every letter. The site works in Russian, so there is a magic “translate” button. Pay attention to the "Amenities" section. It happens that the owners also include breakfast - 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 (we wrote more in the telegram @howtrip)

My tips on how not to fly by and not overpay:

1️⃣ I never choose apartments that no reviews or a small number of them (2-4). Although I admit that everyone starts somewhere, and that cool loft with zero responses will become a super-selling offer in a month or two. But I’ll probably give him a wide berth.

UPD: I changed my mind and now I’m looking at the “new items”. And all because they sometimes offer a 20% discount to the first 3 guests. I’ve booked this way twice already, and successfully!

2️⃣ Of the whole bunch of enthusiastic reviews, I note 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 traveler’s arrival - if there are 3 or more, I pass by.

3️⃣ Important factor - frequency and response time owner (can be found below reviews). They demonstrate a person’s attitude towards Airbnb – whether he’s scoring or really being responsible.

4️⃣ Above the red “Request booking” button there are several lines that make up the final cost, but these specific ones are not always found:

  • Cleaning fee– I don’t see the need if I’m traveling for 3-5 days or even a week. In principle, it is small - up to 2000 rubles for the entire stay
  • Weekly/monthly discount– this is my favorite 🙂 If you book an apartment for 7 days or more, some hosts discount 10-15% of the price, and if for 3-4 weeks, the discount can reach 30-40%! That’s 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 certainly not given to the owner in cash). If, after eviction, the owner complains about damage, Airbnb reviews the claim (with your participation, of course) and makes a verdict - pay the amount or forgive. I haven't had any experience with collateral yet.

6️⃣ Don't click on "Request Booking" At once. First, write to the owner (in the “Owner’s name” section there is a “Contact” button): ask something about the apartment or simply mention how you liked the option. But be sure to check whether the desired dates are free - the calendar may be acting up. Plus, it will save your money from the insidious instant booking.

7️⃣ What is "Instant Book"? The host set up an automatic confirmation of the reservation, not a manual one. Accordingly, the money on the card is frozen immediately, without waiting for the final word from the owner. In fact, this is a convenient option, and cancellations (cancellations) occur extremely rarely 🙂 The red “Request Booking” button is normal, and “Booking” is instant.

8️⃣ View cancellation policy. Flexible, moderate, strict - the amount that will be returned to the card if you decide to cancel the apartment depends on them.

Step 4. After your request, the host has 24 hours to accept or decline the reservation. If the outcome is positive, payment is made, and airbnb.ru opens access to all information about housing - the exact address, phone number for contact.

Things to consider regarding finances (how payments are made):

  • Airbnb takes a commission from 10 to 15%, the amount of which depends on the cost of the reservation
  • Payment is always made in rubles, not in dollars or euros, even if the cost is indicated in such currencies. And it’s better to use a ruble card to avoid crazy conversion
  • If you select “Split payment with friends,” your friend will not be able to pay with bonuses. They can only be used by the person who books the accommodation.

Step 5. Wait for the trip and contact the host the day before to clarify the details.

Entrance to a house in the center of Barcelona where we rented an apartment - 30 euros/day

How to contact Airbnb?

For any questions, write to support www.airbnb.ru/help. Unfortunately, call It won’t work, they simply don’t have such an opportunity.

I recently discovered their VKontakte page - vk.com/airbnbhelp, there is also a good connection there.

What happens if a booking is cancelled?

Canceled by the host: full refund or credit towards another booking. You canceled: full/partial refund (depending on conditions).

If you choose accommodation with flexible cancellation, there will be no problems. Always pay attention to this. In January 2018, we canceled a reservation in Thailand - the money was returned to the card within 2 days! 🙂 Important: The refund is made to the card that was specified when booking.

By the way, if you are traveling to only one country for a week or 10 days, then I advise you to look at the cost of tours, it often happens that they turn out to be more profitable 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 reviews from tourists

Apartment where we lived in Paris (August 2018) - 65 euros/day

  1. The most low prices for apartments all over the world. And it is true! This is especially noticeable in large and expensive cities. As mentioned above, many offers are discounted if you book for a week or a month. It is also profitable to rent an apartment with a group; when calculated per person, it is cheaper. 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, right? And in Barcelona - a room for 600 euros for a whole month.
  2. Simple and clear site. This, of course, is not an entirely tangible advantage, but many services have big problems with this.
  3. All kinds of options - you can find luxurious apartments with a view of the entire city, a small and cozy apartment in a residential area with locals. In general, there is a choice and prices for every taste.
  4. By renting accommodation on Airbnb, you get to know the locals and get a feel for the culture of the country. Which is quite difficult to grasp if you check into a hotel and communicate with a receptionist programmed to smile.
  5. The service has solved one of the main problems for many - full payment - and now it is not necessary to pay the entire amount when booking. You can split it into two parts, and spend the second ≈2 weeks before the trip. Condition: total amount – from $250, travel date – no earlier than 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. I read the messages, and I think if everything was as bad as some people describe, Airbnb would have gone under a long time ago. Well, and through one, of course, everything is to blame - the inattention of the user himself.

  1. If you were advised of a specific accommodation - for example, Michael’s cozy apartment in NusaDua - you will not be able to find it by name. This has become a very uncomfortable moment for me more than once.
  2. Payment upon booking. Now it is possible to divide the amount into two stages, but back in 2017 this was not the case, which did not suit me at all. The money, in fact, is in a “suspended” state for several months, and maybe even quite a large amount. Airbnb has finally met its customers. I know you will say that you can book a hotel without paying at all. But here, when canceling a booking, significant losses are incurred by ordinary people, for whom this is not exactly profitable. And this is compensated by cheaper prices than hotels. On the other hand, you can always cancel your reservation (for certain time before arrival) and the service will return the full amount based on the conditions that were specified in the apartment’s profile.
  3. If any problems arise, the support service takes a very long time to respond to emails. And it’s okay that problems arise rarely, but they still happen. The last time I had a question about a refund. Surprisingly, the money was returned faster than the employee responded - 2 days vs. 5 days :)
  4. Negative reviews about Airbnb abound with the following: you fell for a fraudulent host who tricked you into getting a bad apartment or canceled your reservation a week before check-in. But just for such a case, reviews of accommodation, host ratings and the ability to contact before booking have been introduced. Always carefully study each comment, look at the profile registration date and photos of the property. If you have any questions, be sure to write to the landlord - this is the difference between Airbnb and a hotel search engine, that it - about communication and waiting. In addition, the service is truly customer-oriented - any cancellation is accompanied by a discount coupon, and for non-compliance with the conditions, money is returned (after proceedings). But this does not eliminate the need to look for new housing and unpleasant emotions. This is where the one missing hundredth is hidden.
  5. 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 search for hotels through Roomguru.

By the way, if you chose Booking, check: did you receive a refund of 1000 rubles >> from your booking? :)

Is Airbnb booking eligible for visa?

Embassies accept airbnb reservations for visa. For example, we did the Spanish Schengen and attached several confirmations from this site. Without any problems, you can apply for a visa to the Czech Republic, France and other countries.

Click "View Trip Plan" and print your detailed receipt. Names and dates are displayed there.

What other options does Airbnb offer?



In addition to accommodation on Airbnb, it is now possible to book various entertainments and events with locals. For example, we booked:

  • surf lessons in Bali for 450 rubles instead of the usual 1500 rubles on the beach
  • yacht trip in Barcelona for 4200 rubles per person
  • cupping and a coffee lecture from a great barrista in Barcelona for 1,400 rubles
  • jeep safari in Dubai for 1500 rubles (morning)

Profitable? Without a doubt. Using the site in Los Angeles you can learn how to make ice cream, in Paris you can book sightseeing tour, in Rome, buy tickets for a local concert. All this is available by clicking the “Impressions” button.

And since 2018, the search for luxury housing Airbnb Plus has been introduced. Options marked with this sign are cool homes with maximum amenities and hospitable hosts (and a corresponding price).

FAQ

  1. What to do if the apartment turns out to be completely different from the one in the photo?
    Immediately send photos and videos of your property to the Airbnb Help Center. The complaint is usually considered within 3-4 days, but the entire amount + moral damage is returned.
  2. What should I do if, after confirming the reservation, the owner asks to pay extra or informs me that he is forced to cancel the reservation?
    Under no circumstances do you cancel yourself, otherwise, if something happens, you won’t be able to get the full amount back. Contact the Support Center.
  3. What does the review mean: “The host canceled this reservation _ days before arrival. This is an automated posting"?
    The owner canceled the reservation so many days before the tourist’s arrival. If there are a lot of similar marks, I close the ad. Although, in fact, owners also face fines for “draining”, and considerable ones.
  4. I canceled my reservation, but lost/replaced/stolen the card specified in my profile. How to get my money back?
    Funds are returned not to the card, but to the account to which it is linked. If you have reissued the card, the issue is resolved by transferring the amount from the account to new map. If you have closed the account itself, then you need to contact the bank with an application. I recently came across this issue myself - everything was quickly resolved within a week.
  5. I want to change/shift the dates of my reservation, the owner approves, what should I do?
    In the “Trips” section there is an option to change/cancel. Enter new dates, the host confirms, and you receive an updated reservation.

This is my review of airbnb.ru. I’m friends with the service and haven’t caught any hint of “swindles” in three years. What will yours be? 🙂 Share in the comments!

Airbnb coupon and 3 more ways to save

1️⃣ It is more profitable to rent housing for a week or a month, because... Usually from 7 nights a discount of 5-15% is given, sometimes more.
If you need to stay for 2-3 days, then it’s easier to book a hotel or hostel on RoomGuru or. On the second, by the way, you can also get a 1000 rubles discount (on any booking)

With a discount, accommodation for 7 days will cost less than for 6 or 5. And renting 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 risk and look for new offers (special icon next to it)? Some hosts give 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 amounts to a significant amount (who knows), especially if the booking is for 3-5 days. So try to find accommodation without cleaning. You can write to the host and ask - what if I clean up myself? :) Sometimes they agree to a meeting, and the price is reduced. But if you are against it, there is no point in insisting.

4️⃣ Naturally, a life hack that many people know about is a coupon of 2100 rubles for the first booking. BUT! Even if you already have an account, follow the link, register a new one for your mother, sister, aunt, friend and voila. So far in 2019 it's working. And you can even apply to yourself if you have changed your international passport or have a driver’s license.

Additionally: keep an eye on the conversion. We already wrote about this in our article, in short - at the bottom right of the Airbnb website there is a currency switching feature.

Copying of materials is permitted only with the obligatory indication of a direct, active and indexable hyperlink to the site.

Airbnb- this is rental housing around the world from private individuals; upon a more detailed study of the Airbnb website, the service more closely resembles social network like couchsurfing.com. To rent a home on Airbnb, you will need to register on the Airbnb website, fill out a questionnaire, and even better if your profile has recommendations. Unlike couchsurfing, Airbnb rentals cost money.

The main feature of Airbnb is the ability to rent housing around the world from private owners just like you. In addition, you yourself can successfully rent out your apartment through this service.

The choice of housing on Airbnb is surprising, it has everything! From the simplest housing, in the form of an old trailer, to expensive castles in Scotland, there are both simple apartments furnished with Ikea furniture and designer apartments in New York penthouses.

Who is Airbnb rental suitable for?

Renting a home using the Airbnb service is suitable for everyone, but those traveling in a large group or couples with children can benefit greatly.

For the first group, Airbnb allows you to save money on accommodation in comfortable conditions. A group of travelers can rent big house at the price of a hotel room and to stay comfortably in it, because not every hotel will allow six people to live in a room, no matter how large it is.

For married couples with children, renting housing on Airbnb is also very convenient, because by renting an apartment or house from local residents you get much more than a place to sleep. With Airbnb, you're renting a real home with space for kids to play and parents to relax, and having a kitchen in your rental can help cut down on the cost of eating out.

Airbnb rental housing pros

  • Personal space when booking through Airbnb. When renting apartments through Airbnb, you are guaranteed to have your own personal space in the form of a garden, veranda, front lawn, etc. Almost every house on Airbnb has a kitchen, so you can always cook food at home, which is impossible to do in a hotel number. For the price of a hotel room, you get a real home with everything you need.
  • Any place in the city. Since they rent out apartments on Airbnb local residents, then the choice of area of ​​residence is not limited solely to tourist recreation; you can rent an apartment or house in any area of ​​the city and live like a local. Visiting shops, cafes, markets that are visited by all local residents will allow you to better understand the surrounding reality. Yes, it’s just nice to be somewhere where you are not looked at as a means of making money, which can often be seen in tourist places.
  • New friends from Airbnb. As I said earlier, the Airbnb service is similar to couchsurfing, they also carefully study guest profiles and can refuse you if they don’t like you, but if they like you, then in the overwhelming majority of cases you will make new friends in the person of the hosts who will try to take care of you. about you, because reputation is more important to them than money.
  • Rent whatever you want on Airbnb. Airbnb allows you to live in the most amazing places on planet Earth and in a wide variety of houses, castles, yachts, trailers, lighthouses, etc., everything your imagination is capable of can be a reality with Airbnb. For example, you can afford to live on a private island or in an old Portuguese lighthouse, converted with the latest technology, in a word, dream up.

Airbnb rental housing cons

  • Airbnb brokers. The worst thing that can happen on Airbnb is to run into intermediaries; many enterprising types (I personally ran into similar ones in Goa) pretend to be hosts, but in fact they are intermediaries. This is very common in Goa, some local population Poor knowledge of all the intricacies of working on the Internet, and nosy intermediaries actively take advantage of this. As a rule, in such apartments the owners are not particularly happy about you, because the amount they got from the intermediary does not exceed 50% of the rent paid, so they don’t have to be particularly happy. Some types go even further and push the usual hotel rooms under the guise of your apartment, what is it like for you to choose a private house by the sea and arrive at a hotel.
  • You have to wait for your Airbnb reservation. Airbnb is designed in such a way that renting an apartment requires confirmation from the host (unless the host has specified “instant booking” in the settings). Unlike the usual booking of accommodation in hotels, where everything happens very quickly, in Airbnb it may take some time before the final payment for the reservation of accommodation.
  • Cancel Airbnb reservations the owner of the home. On Airbnb, your host has the right to cancel your reservation. It’s impossible to understand why this is happening, maybe he doesn’t like you (your profile on Airbnb), maybe someone offered a better price/better conditions, maybe the owner of the property didn’t like your writing style in correspondence and a million other reasons, but there is only one conclusion, booking an apartment on Airbnb may be cancelled.
  • Airbnb cancellation policy. It happens that travel plans change and in such cases it is advisable to study in detail the cancellation conditions on Airbnb; the service provides several types of cancellation: strict, moderate, flexible, long-term. Be sure to research cancellation information before booking your accommodation.