24 responses

  1. tomthervguy
    August 18, 2016

    In the U.S. hosts who do even a little research, quickly learn that the widespread and overwhelming advice to hosts is: Discount requests mean trouble and you should decline the request. I follow that advice—so yes it CAN hurt to ask for a discount. Also—if you are a newby AirBnb guest, here is a little advice—READ THE LISTING! The whole thing—you’ll be surprised how many questions it will answer for you. And lastly, when you review your host and the accommodations—don’t complain about the location. YOU researched and booked the place and We can’t pick it up and move it for you.

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      August 18, 2016

      That’s a very narrow-minded policy. Many experienced travelers even ask traditional hotels for a discount. It’s a common thing. We have excellent references and reviews from hosts, so no it doesn’t mean we’re “trouble.” If someone is asking for a discount for 2 nights and giving you their life story, yeah, I think the advice is probably solid to pass on them. We recently had a stay where I knew we would likely end up longer. He gave us a discount, and our 1-week stay ended up in him having 2-1/2 months of solid occupancy he never would’ve had otherwise. And we left the place in better condition than we found it.

      The location rating is a stupid one in IMO. As you said, it isn’t like you can improve that. The only time I’ll give a lower score for that is if they were deceitful to outright lying in their description, which does unfortunately happen occasionally.

      Reply

  2. http://www.blrimages.net/
    April 29, 2016

    I am like you, I think that it’s not automation that is the problem, but the person behind the automation. If you are utilizing tools to help get everything done with your social media strategy (or your social media manager is) then you have to remember that engagement is the most important part of the equation! Great post!

    Reply

  3. jess2716
    March 28, 2016

    I am making a trip to Manhattan soon and seeing as the hotels there are incredibly pricey, I plan on using Airbnb for the first time. Knowing this is definitely helpful and I feel much more confident that I will be okay now that I know how to carefully book my rental. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and advice! I don’t doubt that it will improve my future stay

    Reply

  4. Ash
    June 15, 2015

    Do you count your child in the number of guests you book for?

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      June 15, 2015

      Yep! I don’t think it would be fair to act like we’re only 1 guest and show up as 2. When asking for a discount, though, I do make sure to mention his age, though. Sometimes they take that into consideration.

      Reply

  5. Amy
    February 8, 2015

    We’re looking at AirB&B for the first time for our upcoming Europe Grand Tour in June. I’m wondering how early we should plan on booking a place for the big destinations like London & Paris. How early do available places tend to start dwindling?

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      February 9, 2015

      If you plan on being there during high season, which I believe June is, I’d probably start booking as soon as possible. Places like London and Paris may still have availabilities but you may get stuck with poor choices or high-end ones.

      Reply

  6. Advice
    September 22, 2014

    The advice to ask for a discount is BAD. As an airbnb host I IMMEDIATELY decline, and I’m not the only one.

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      September 22, 2014

      And there are many hosts who are happy to work with potential guests as well. It never hurts to ask for a discount. A host can always say no.

      Reply

      • Peter
        October 14, 2014

        It depends on the country/culture. I have found many hosts in Asia might take a request for a discount in stride bu it is an absolute no-no in the US.

        Reply

      • Talon Windwalker
        October 16, 2014

        I know plenty of US hosts who will consider those requests.

        Reply

    • Anne
      February 23, 2015

      I agree. I’m always leery of the ones asking for a discount. I feel like my rates are low enough as it is. It’s a red flag to me of a guest that’s already not satisfied with what they’re getting… If you wouldn’t do it at a store or a restaurant, don’t do it here. This isn’t a garage sale! It’s my home!

      Reply

      • Talon Windwalker
        February 23, 2015

        I don’t know why it would make you leery. People ask hotels and car rental places for lower prices all the time. And, of course, you’re always free to say no. Generally, I only ask for a discount if we’re staying for a week or something. Giving someone a discount for a week’s stay is still much more profitable than renting the place out only for 2-3 nights.

        Reply

      • tomthervguy
        August 18, 2016

        My listing AUTOMATICALLY applies a weekly discount. But other than that, if a potential guest asks for a discount, their request will be declined at my listing…and most others too.

        Reply

      • Talon Windwalker
        August 18, 2016

        My previous comment applies here, too.

        Reply

  7. Brianna
    April 24, 2014

    Thanks for the Cliff Notes on Air B&B. I’ll likely be using this or Homeaway for the first time this summer.

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      April 24, 2014

      I haven’t had any good experiences with Homeaway yet. None of the hosts respond. This kind of lodging is so great, though.

      Reply

  8. Tamara (We3Travel)
    April 18, 2014

    Good tips! I’ve used Homeaway many times in the past and used AirBnB this year to book for Rome. Definitely do not rely on the online calendar, especially if traveling at a busy season. We spent hours reading carefully through descriptions and looking at locations to find apartments that matched our requirements and narrowed it down to a shortlist but once we went to book, all were no longer available, even though they still showed available on the site. It was a very frustrating experience. The other tip I’ve learned when booking in Europe is that dryer often means a drying rack. So the expectation of doing multiple loads of laundry in one evening before moving on to your next stop probably isn’t going to work out.

    Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      April 22, 2014

      Good point about the dryer! I forgot that one. I’ll add it to the post.

      Reply

  9. Lauren Sadler
    April 17, 2014

    I’ve spent hours upon hours browsing Air BnB but never actually used it yet. I do intend to use it soon though so these tips will definitely come in handy.

    Reply

    • Jevolution
      April 18, 2014

      I used AirBnB a lot on my recent 9 week trek through Europe. The service was easy to navigate, and there was a wide range of properties in all price ranges. Pictures, previous guest reviews and the tone of owners’ responses to queries were the most important factors in selecting rentals. Overall owners were friendly, welcoming and quick to respond. Most took the initiative to offer help finding their location and advice about stores, services and things to see nearby.

      I had wonderful week-long stays with whole apartments to myself in Amsterdam, Bracciano and on the south coast of Ireland. I also rented very nice rooms for 3-7 days with excellent hosts in Bruges, Barcelona and Stockholm. Most fun about doing the AirBnB thing was time spent with the owners and their families. They all extended themselves beyond sterile business arrangements to make my stays enjoyable and memorable. In Barcelona the three college age kids I stayed with insisted that I go with them to a Christmas Eve dinner put on by a bunch of their friends from all over the world. It was an awesome international experience and I was deeply touched by how kind and attentive everyone was to me.

      I had to cancel a reservation I made for Rome because the house was too far out of the city for me to safely make an early morning flight out of Fiumicino without spending the entire night before at the airport. As I was well within the allowed cancellation period a refund was made to my credit card that same day. I also found several owners responsive to rate adjustments, so don’t be afraid to make a proposal before nailing down the reservation if you think a case can be made for a lower price.

      After your stay AirBnB encourages you to review your host and the accommodation. This is important because reading about others’ experiences can be very helpful in getting a sense of what your stay will be like. Owners are also encouraged to review you as a guest, so remember that as you accummulate stays with AirBnB you’re developing a reputation about the kind of guest you are, and this may impact how other owners respond to your future rental requests.

      I know that some people have had gnarly experiences using AirBnB and services like it because I’ve read some hair-raising reviews. But my experience couldn’t have been better, and I encourage you to give the service a try. Read the reviews, communicate with the owners and don’t be shy about getting your questions answered before you agree to the rental. You’ll save a bunch of money over hotels and you might just make a new friend or two as well.

      Reply

    • Talon Windwalker
      April 18, 2014

      Let us know how it goes when you do.

      Reply

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