Tuesday, December 10, 2013

We Love Airbnb

My husband and I have always been B&B people. We love the intimacy, the charm, the uniqueness, and the individual care and attention that you get when you stay at a Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at one in Napa Valley on our honeymoon and it was absolutely a dream. Not only did we get a big, fluffy king-sized bed right next to a fireplace, and a delicious homemade breakfast of soufflés and biscuits each morning--we got our breakfast in bed. It was their quiet season and while a few mornings we did wander down to the wine cellar for breakfast (which was also lovely), most days the innkeepers delivered it right to our doorstep. It was a heavenly, unexpected, honeymoon surprise.

But I'm here to share that we've recently discovered something even better than B&Bs (in our opinion)--Airbnb. We've had the opportunity to use Airbnb 4 different times now, every single time being a lovely experience, and I can absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend it to you. Have you heard of it? The way it works is that individual people list their apartment/home/studio/spare bedroom, and you deal directly with the owner in setting up your visit. They leave you a key and instructions, you let yourself in, and voilá--you have your very own place to stay in while you're on vacation.


One of the best parts is the amount of space you get. Some of the listings are for private rooms in a home, but we've always searched for the listings for full apartments, just because we like the additional room and privacy. We stayed at an Airbnb this past weekend in Charlottesville for the amazing wedding of our friends, and it was wonderful. Our apartment was located in an old 19th-century home within walking distance to downtown. There was a huge living room filled with Arts and Crafts, Stickley-style furniture, and we had friends come over each night to hang out and chat. You can't do that so easily and comfortably in a hotel room! There was an adorable claw foot tub, a big, clean bathroom, and the owner even left us bagels and cream cheese from a local bakery along with coffee and a french press. Total luxury!


It's also really fun when you have the chance to meet with the owners. We stayed in a place near Boston back in September, and when I met the owner I discovered she is a conductor! So we chatted music for a little while in the backyard of her old Victorian mansion. So neat!



Anyway, after 4 completely positive experiences, I decided I had to share. If you haven't heard of Airbnb, do check it out. We totally love it and it has made our vacations a little more comfortable, convenient, and unique. It really does feel like you're staying in a friend's place when they're out of town. We may never stay in a hotel again!


Airbnb doesn't know who I am, and they have no idea I'm writing this post. I'm sharing my thoughts purely because I love the company and we've had great luck with it!




8 comments:

  1. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment in NYC the summer before last - it was such a good deal and a beautiful spot! Definitely worth it!!

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  2. Which C'ville place would you recommend for our next getaway? Both look so lovely! Just love it all. We have to ty this out...

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  3. I'd love to try an NYC Airbnb! I bet you can get a great deal, and it's such an expensive city to stay in. I'm glad you've tried it and had good luck, Katie!

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  4. Definitely the most recent place we stayed in.

    https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/98084



    You can't go wrong with either, but this one was really a dream. I know you like the Arts and Crafts style, so you'll love how they've decorated! It's literally 3 walks from the downtown mall, and the owner left breakfast for the first morning! Although the other place had a full-sized kitchen, and this didn't, so if you wanted to cook dinner then the other place might be better.


    Let me know when you try it out! You'll LOVE it!

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  5. I told Alex we were doing this next time. He's pretty excited to have the space of a house when we travel. :)

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  6. I also love Airbnb! I first used it a couple of years ago for my bachelorette weekend in the Hamptons, and the hubs and I used it in Morocco and Barcelona for our honeymoon. I've decided that I much prefer the feel of home (even if it's not mine) than a sterile hotel-- so much more charm and coziness!

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  7. Kate - we just booked an Airbnb apartment for next week when we're house hunting in Kalamazoo. Thank you so much for this recommendation. I never would have known about it if you hadn't written this post. I'm so excited to give it a try!

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  8. Woohoo! We're staying in one right now too! I think you're going to love it. It means a lot to me that you were thoughtful enough to stop by and let me know that this post gave you the idea :) Keep me posted on how it goes!

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