Airbnb for beginners

During SXSW I become one of those girls tricked by Jimmy Fallon except instead of fake band names I wanted to know all the cool apps/startups/companies that are being talked about. I must confess I had never heard of Airbnb till SXSW! I saw a lot of ads for them throughout the week and after a quick Google I realized this was where dreams lived. I could rent a treehouse or stay on a farm and have pet pigs for a weekend...it sounded prefect.

While planning my trip to NYC I had no idea how Airbnb actually worked other than it sounded like VRBO but with prettier pictures. So here are a few things I learned from using the site vs the app.

1. Some things are visable only on the app and don't show on the website. While talking with my bf on the phone we realized that while looking at the same listing via app and desktop some of the amenities didn't show on both ends particularly when it mentioned pets. I have bad allergies and cat hair is a hell no for me. Through the app it was easier to tell if they listed a pet on property and if the pet would be staying during your visit. The place we picked had a dog who was there for a few hours our first day then the owner took him on vacation! Also reading reviews from previous guests helps when narrowing down places. I'm pretty sure you have to book a place in order to review it to cut down on fakes. We were given the option to review the next day via email.

2. Some places you are renting the entire place others you are renting a section on a place and some you are just renting a room. Get to know the verbiage on the site. It could look like you are renting the whole place because the pictures make it look like you are but unless it says full apartment or full home you will probably end up sharing the place with the owner or "host" 

3. Having a "host" to talk to helps you become familiar with the town, bars, transportation and more! When you rent through Airbnb the owner or host will meet you to give you the keys and go over house rules. This is the perfect way to learn about your vacation town. Our host gave us advice on using the subway and where to go for food/drinks. She stayed in communication and was there to answer any questions. It was great and she pointed us to the BEST bakery I have ever been to. 

4. Message hosts before booking to make sure dates are available...and messaging multiple hosts at once isn't bad! Some hosts take longer to get back with you than others. Some people are renting their home and not a vacation home so they will need to make arrangements. All of this takes a while so the more people you message the faster you can find a place to stay.

5. Remember you are staying in someone's home. Clean up after yourself and follow the house rules! You can also be reviewd by the host. Just got an email saying we were reviewed by our host and that she was happy how clean we kept her home! 

Airbnb has some really cool listings these are a few of my dream stays...and one is on an elephant camp!