Frequent traveler or not, if you had traveled even only once in your life, you probably have come across Airbnb as you searched for hotels and places to stay during your vacation. Airbnb is a service around the world that provides short-term accommodations – usually, in apartments, bungalows, houses and many more. While staying in a hotel could be lots of fun, choosing an Airbnb has its benefits such as access to a kitchen – allowing you to cook home-cooked food for your buddies even during trips. You would also get more space compared to a hotel while experiencing what it feels like to live like a fellow local. To top the list, you might even get to save a fair bit of money compared to staying at a hotel! 

While Airbnb is an accessible platform for the convenience of travelers, it is not surprising to hear about rental horror stories all across social media networks. Spending almost half a day to locate the actual Airbnb accommodation, wild animals infiltrating the kitchen or cold water bath, there are tons of horror stories that will definitely scare first-time users of Airbnb into using this accommodation platform.  

To save yourself from being the main character of these online horror stories, we compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you pick the best Airbnb suitable for you and your travel buddies’ needs! Without further ado, let’s begin!

 

1 –  The Perfect Location 

Of course, on the top of our list is location! We cannot stress the importance of a good and strategic location enough! Nothing can ruin your vacation faster than being in the wrong location. Each location has its own advantages. For example, cities such as Mont Kiara in Malaysia would have much more convenience in terms of transportation and the many entertainments around the area. If you prefer to walk around the city to visit the cafes and restaurants nearby, your best choice in the area of Mont Kiara would be KL Sentral condo and KL Sentral apartment. 

Before booking the first Airbnb that you lay your eyes on, start by researching for “best areas to stay” in your selected city. You would likely come across many blogs and reviews about the accommodation and even popular spots in the city. Pay attention to the facilities, safety and the overall information of the neighborhood. You can even use Google Maps to take a look at the area to familiarize yourself with the area or even take a look at your chosen Airbnb! The built-in map feature on the Airbnb application can also help you search even more than the regular listings so don’t miss out on the great function! 

 

2 –  Know Your Preference and Priorities

It does take time to understand what you really like about a living space. Try to decide on things that you prioritize and then the things you really want. For instance, some might prefer to have a separate bedroom from the living space or a full working kitchen. Others may prioritize the bright environment of Airbnb over the amount of space the accommodation provides. Hence, when booking your next Airbnb, make sure to check all the facilities and photos of the accommodation to make sure your next trip would be a comfortable one. 

Additionally, make sure you check the type of space you’re after. If you want the apartment to yourself, make sure to check the option, “Entire Place” under the Home type. There are other options available such as “Private Room”, “Hotel Room” and “Shared Room”, so make sure you choose the one you prefer!

 

3 –  Reviews! Reviews! Reviews!

Certainly, you wouldn’t want to risk your honeymoon in a place with no or low reviews! Try to book places with a lot of good and high quality reviews. Reading the comments would also help tremendously in understanding the experiences of others in the same Airbnb – especially those which explain thoroughly. By doing this, you would be able to understand in more depth about the pros and cons about the accommodations and even the area. Moreover, you can even come across a few comments addressing the same problem and can identify whether the host is responsible for handling these issues. 

 

4 –  Questions and Response Time

Even if the description is throughout, it never hurts to ask the host about the accommodation to dig deeper into the pros and cons of the accommodation. You might even get recommendations about local outlets and secret cafes that only the locals know about! If the host is helpful and responsive, this might be a great sign in your experience during your stay!