Traditional vacation booking sites try to get users to book as many accommodations on their site as possible. In this attempt, several travel sites provide the exact same services without providing anything unique to the traveler. Fortunately, there are platforms like Airbnb that make up the difference. Rather than spreading efforts thin to obtain as many reservations as possible, Airbnb solely focuses on their accommodation booking service. Airbnb has a variety of options for vacation homes. Airbnb has over one million listed vacation rental spots so you know you can find a place in your desired location. Here is how you know:

Over 1.5 million listings
Lodging in over 34,000 cities
Available in 190 countries
Over 1,400 rentals in castles
Convenient search options to find your perfect place

Airbnb makes it easy to find your vacation location by giving easy search features. These features include searching by price range, room type, amenities, property types and verified hosts. Keep in mind, some hosts are not verified so look for lodging that has a super host badge, which indicates that the vacation rental is verified. Additionally, Airbnb is a great place to find the cheapest pricing. Since you can rent an entire house or just one single room, you are guaranteed to find a cheap rental if you are okay with renting out just a single room. Airbnb also includes features such as reviews from previous tenants, pictures of the host, and customer guarantees. Airbnb is also focused on convenience. They offer quite a few options so can have the best experience while booking your vacation rental. These features include:

A mobile app for easy booking on the go (compatible with iOS and Android)
Instant booking features once you have an account
Popularity information such as "This place is typically completely booked"

Most importantly, Airbnb has a great 24 hour customer service line that is there to support you if you have any issues with your vacation rental. Airbnb also withholds the payment of hosts until 24 hours after check-in this means your vacation rental is a secure investment. Airbnb will refund you if you have any issues with your rental such as appearance, overlapped bookings, amenities, or if you are unable to access your vacation rental.

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The Bad

Additional fees
Time consuming
Varied cancellation policies

Airbnb goes out of its way to make sure each guest has a positive experience while booking his or her vacation rental. However, these guarantees are costly and in order to pay for that service Airbnb charges an additional 6-12% fee for each booking. Depending upon the price of your rental, a 12% booking fee could significantly change your cost. This is especially a problem if you are booking a high-cost luxury rental. Since Airbnb has millions of properties for travelers to choose from, finding the right accommodation can take some time. To minimize the research process, Airbnb instituted a sorting tool. This feature allows users to filter based on the following criteria:

Pricing (range or low to high, high to low)
Guest star rating - based on what real customers have experienced
Amenities - what is included in the property
Proximity - distance to landmarks or airports
Type - accommodation type whether it is condo, apartment, house, etc.

Additionally, cancellation policies are decided directly by the host. Airbnb does not have a policy to assist travellers with last minute cancellations and the host chooses the terms of each cancellation. This means travellers should be cautious of cancellation policies when booking, make sure to make a note of the deadline for a full refund. Keep in mind that if you are booking within a month or two of check-in you might not be able to cancel your reservation at all.

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The Bottom Line

We would recommend Airbnb to any traveler as a great resource for low cost and convenient housing. Many of the posted vacation rentals have more amenities than a hotel, and for a much better price. Even though Airbnb has additional booking fees, their service makes it worth it. You know your vacation rental is going to be a good one. Travelers who book their accommodations through Airbnb can expect the following:

Unique travel accommodations - stay in properties that would not otherwise be available
Cut costs on large groups - split the costs per night to save money
See the world - Airbnb has listings both in the U.S. and internationally
Extra booking efforts required - travelers will need to book their flights and other travel necessities elsewhere
Sorting tool - quickly filter through hundreds or even thousands of lodging options

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User Reviews

Star Rating

3.8

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166 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

53%

4 grade

20%

3 grade

2 grade

1 grade

20%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Service

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Trustworthiness

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Jay Keller, TX

I have used Airbnb twice, both in NYC. The first time was a bad experience. My contact person was rude and dismissive, the apartment looked great in the photos but was rundown and subpar in person. The bathroom was rundown and the owners soap and shampoo bottles littered the shower. The bedroom window wouldn't close (it was August!) and the stove didn't work. Also, I was instructed to leave my key at the laundry around the corner when I left but I had to leave early in the morning before the laundry opened so I had no choice but to leave the key on the kitchen counter. I emailed the owner to inform him and received a response three weeks later telling me that was a bad decision and the apartment could have been robbed. All around, a BAD experience. The second stay was the complete opposite! Great communication from the owners, the apartment was spotless, the kitchen and bathroom were fantastic and in working order, the bed was very comfortable and the window unit worked beautifully. I will give Airbnb another chance but I hope my first experience isn't typical.

11 years ago

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SR Redmond, OR

We are Airbnb hosts in Bend, Oregon. We offer 4 short-term rentals exclusively though Airbnb. We have tried other rental portals and Airbnb is by far the best for a number of reasons. One of the most important aspects of Airbnb is the verification of guests and hosts. We pretty much know who our guests are and why they are visiting. That's ultimately very important to us. Also, guests can see who we are. Other portals like VRBO do not have the same level of trust and we often got scammer inquiries. That does not happen with Airbnb or at least never has with us. We host between 200 - 250 guest booking per year and have never been scammed. Airbnb also really promotes reviews. Both from guests and hosts. We maintain a 5 Star rating from 80% to 95% of our guests and the remainder are 4 star. I would say that we leave 5 star reviews for 99% of our guests. Communication between guests and hosts is also highly encouraged and the vast majority of times will avert any issues or misunderstandings. We have never travelled through Airbnb so we don't have any personal experience in that regard. But the guests we have talked to really like the Airbnb experience as compared to other rental portals. So from a host perspective we give Airbnb very high marks. They are not perfect in every way but they are the best at what they do and continue to listen to both guests and hosts on ways to improve. Thanks for reading this review.

11 years ago

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Mario Martin Montgomery, TX

My family and I are arranging a family celebration for 10, and we were at a loss for lodging arrangements for a group of 10 people, with comfortable amenities and convenience. We contacted Airbnb and immediately given affordable lodging ideas and choices. Now, our only concerns are making the best choice with the best value. Airbnb had it all right at the tips of our fingers without hassle.

4 years ago

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Sam Winster Rutherford, NJ

I understand that AirBNB has a higher rate to pay because they want to ensure that everyone has a great stay, but I don't mind that. I've stayed in some really crappy places before and I don't mind paying a bit more to make sure that I have a great experience. I never had any problems with them and the places that I have stayed in, have been great. I've traveled all over with them I will continue to do so. Plus, they are there in a pinch too. I would recommend AirBNB to anyone looking for a place to stay that's not an expensive hotel.

10 years ago

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Paola Ramirez Dallas, TX

I used Airbnb in 4 different countries in Europe. My second host was an hour late to my arrival, I called Airbnb and they made me feel safe and assured me if my host did not show up in the next hour they were going to get me another place to stay. My fourth host tottaly lied about her place, it was filthy and scary, of course I did not stayed there, after my arrival back home, Airbnb refunded me for the unpleasant and dirty place. I will recommended 100%. Safe and great customer service. A+

11 years ago

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Rebecca Hudson Greenville, SC

I am an Airbnb user, first as a guest, and now as a host. I have had mostly satisfactory experiences as a guest. One of my stays was not a good fit for me, and I left early, but at $15 a night, I didn't even ask for my money back. As a host, I provide a clean, safe, and comfortable place to stay at a price that is much lower than local hotels. I can't speak for everyone, but Airbnb has been good to me, all the way around, I've met some lovely people, and haven't had any guests who were dishonest or unpleasant.

11 years ago

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Maureen Malden, MA

I have nothing but great things to say about AIRBNB. I just got back from a 2 week trip to Italy and rented all 4 properties through AIRBNB......The people were great, the properties were great, the prices were amazing! I have absolutely NO REGRETS about using AIRBNB and can't wait to book my next trip. That is my personal experience, I can't speak for others. It was very easy...all the property listings matched the places we stayed. I made sure to read many/all reviews before booking a property, and always got a timely response. I am very happy with the service. Thank you so much!

11 years ago

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davidmckown@cox.net Great Bend, KS

We have our vacation rental home ~ Chalet Rio Hondo - Taos House listed with Airbnb as a Host and have had nothing but good luck with all aspects of renting to Airbnb folks. Their membership seems to attract or screen good quality home renters. From a Host's standpoint the Airbnb web site is accurate and user friendly (just do not try using in linked to Facebook).

11 years ago

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Thomas Hullinger Pleasant Grove, UT

I have used Airbnb for my own trips and trips with the family. I love the selection and the information and pictures that can give me a real life picture of what it will be like. I like the individual owners too, they help one to get a better background on each location.

8 years ago

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Christopher Haueter Salt Lake City, UT

I have only had good experiences with AirBnB. Sometimes the listings on there are sketchy but you can always find good deals and there is a large variety, so finding the one for you is really easy. Prices are also good making it a great option if you don't want to spend money on a pricey hotel.

9 years ago

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Bramdi Canoga Park, CA

Used airbnb in 3 different cities in Italy....all 3 were great!! ...In Venice... it was much better than expected... all hosts were wonderful... I will definitely use it again... in fact the only bad place I stayed in Europe was a hotel

11 years ago

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Kristi Bingham Lehi, UT

I love Airbnb! My spouse and I almost always book our vacations through Airbnb because it’s cheaper and closer to attractions and businesses than most hotels. I’ve never had a bad experience with a home or home owner. The one issue I have is when looking at homes I obviously have a budget, but when I put into the filter for a cheaper home, it doesn’t include all of the ridiculous fees! Some have more or less. I wish the fees were flat rate so the prices I first see are actually similar to what I will be paying.

5 years ago

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Bruce Bennett Sunnyvale, CA

the above statement that the only way to get in touch with Airbnb through being a member of their site is not true. They have an 800 # if you google it, anyone can call. FYI.

11 years ago

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Corlene Argyle, FL

I rented a house on Airbnb & the whole experience was wonderful. The house was just as described. It was fully stocked with everything we needed except food. I can't imagine using a hotel again for a multi-day stay.

11 years ago

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valérie Caussé Draper, UT

A nice and easy way to rent places that are tailored to the needs of a specific trip. Whether I need a house, an apartment, something in a city or in the countryside, they have it all. I will say that some rentals are not always exactly what we expected. A better vetting process would be nice

5 years ago

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Danny Bowen Eagle Mountain, UT

Airbnb is a very interesting place to be, and it offers plenty of opportunities to stay beside the hotels any day of the week. I have enjoyed using Airbnb for my travels and I will continue to do so. My wife and I have met some very great people using this site and have really enjoyed the places that we have stayed.

5 years ago

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Mindy Smith Smithfield, UT

We have used air bnb for a few different trips. The most recent trip we scheduled was for May 2020 for a house to have all of us attend a graduation. The graduation was canceled due to Covid and we recieved a full refund thankfully.

5 years ago

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Brittany Wilkinson Herriman, UT

We used Airbnb for a recent family vacation. Airbnb helped us accommodate our large group, find a house with a pool and large family area in the perfect location. We appreciated Airbnb's assistance and ease of finding a vacation home. We would use Airbnb again but felt that Airbnb fees were excessive.

6 years ago

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Lindsay H. Draper, UT

Airbnb's website is very user-friendly. I love how many unique options there are for places to stay. Plus, it's really easy contact hosts with questions.

9 years ago

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Rylie Crandall

Airbnb has been a great resource while traveling. I’ve been able to stay at fun and affordable places through this site, but I’ve had trouble communicating with Airbnb hosts in the past through this site.

5 years ago

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Maura Bayonne, NJ

Went to Italy and Spain in 2014 (Spain) 2012 ( Italy) good experiences. This was before all the negative chatter about the company,

11 years ago

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Taylor Larson Nakhon Sawan, 60

I love using Airbnb because it has some really affordable and unique rentals, but the prices can be misleading because the fees are revealed later as you check out.

5 years ago

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Trent Ewing Milwaukee, WI

Great and easy way to look for properties to stay in while vacationing! I have used to it book places for just my wife and I, and for larger events like family reunions!

5 years ago

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Nicole Johnson Portland, OR

The thing I like most about Airbnb is the chance you get to "feel local" as you stay in a neighborhood, community, a home! It is much more home-y than a hotel room.

5 years ago

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Crystal Logan, UT

I use this website often to look up alternatives to hotels especially with covid. I have found the review system helpful in finding quality places to stay with my family

5 years ago

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Jordan Bell Orem, UT

Airbnb is great place to find a place to stay. Their website is very easy to use and find exactly where you want to stay within you budget.

4 years ago Edited February 9, 2022

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lscho2 Salt Lake City, UT

We rented one for my friend’s bachelor party and it was really good! The owner came to the basement once that was the only downside

5 years ago

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Alexa Cooper Salt Lake City, UT

I liked it! The greatest difficulties I ran into were with the home owners themselves, not Airbnb as a company. Love what they provide.

5 years ago

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Mindy Baumann Logan, UT

I love how I can find a house wherever I travel. The pictures and descriptions are accurate and you get a bigger space for a hotel price!

5 years ago

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applebutteranna Butler West Wendover, NV

I have never been disappointed with the rentals I have gotten from Airbnb. The people are pretty honest!

5 years ago

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Kristi Logan, UT

We used this site when we were booking our trip to Hawaii. Easy to use! We will use this site again

5 years ago

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Amy McCarlie Orem, UT

The process was simple but I do wish the initial price they quote included out the door price.

5 years ago

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Emily Grossman Houston, TX

My experience with them has been fine except for the expensive cleaning fee that they tack on

5 years ago