When I was looking for a place to stay for my recent vacation to northern Virginia, I was flabbergasted what I would have needed to pay for a hotel. The prices per night in a traditional hotel was around $170-$210 per night. Since I was planning on staying for four nights, this would have been a lot of money for me. Plus I would need to spend a lot of money for plane tickets and a rental car. That’s when I thought about trying Airbnb.
I used to think the idea behind Airbnb was a little weird. I wondered if I would be able to find anything that would be close to where I was hoping to visit, much less find a place that was affordable. I also wondered if I wouldn’t be staying with someone who was an oddball and wanted to take advantage of me. Ultimately, I decided to take the plunge after reading some positive reviews about Airbnb. Once I signed up, I was pleased to see that there was a wide variety of places to stay. It also helped that the hosts of these places had positive reviews with pictures of where I could be staying, as well as what amenities would be included. I decided to stay in a man’s house that had a private room set up with multiple amenities and my own private bathroom. He and I were good about communicating with each other before I arrived which helped reassure me that I was staying in a good place. Staying there was much more affordable at $45 a night. With a service fee, my ultimate price tag for staying with this host through Airbnb was $203 for a four night stay. Pay the same price for four nights as I would for one night in a hotel? You do the math to see how great of a deal that is. Of course the rates will vary depending on which area you stay in, and the size of the space you will be staying in, but it still beats the rates of a traditional hotel.
When I arrived at my host’s house, he and his wife were welcoming. They had two chocolate cocker spaniels that were barking like crazy when I came in. I didn’t mind since I like animals and that is something I’m used to from my two dogs. Along with having the bedroom and bathroom tidied and ready for me, he was kind enough to leave me a brochure with some places of interest around the area for me to visit.
Much of my time was spent seeing historical sites and museums around northern Virginia and visiting a wonderful married couple who I am good friends with. My experience of being with a good host through Airbnb without breaking the bank was a big weight off my shoulders that helped let me enjoy visiting northern Virginia and seeing my friends. I have now gone from someone who is skeptical of Airbnb to believing in it. I think if I have the right home for it, being an Airbnb host is something I might one day consider. Think of it as an additional stream of income. You can do it too! If you are hoping to stay somewhere for a couple of nights and want to save money on a place to stay, I highly recommend you give Airbnb a try! You won’t regret it!
Bo Thompson 