Started in San Francisco, California, in early 2008 by roommates Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb located a hole in the short-stay market and subsequently found their niche’. Thirteen years and 500 MILLION! weary travelers later, Airbnb has an estimated worth of 132 billion dollars! All of this happened because someone short on rent money offered air mattresses, breakfast, and free WIFI in their living room during a hotel shortage created by the Industrial Design Market conference.
The first time someone mentioned Airbnb, I was admittedly skeptical. Why would I want to pay money to sleep in someone else’s house? It just seemed weird, but it’s actually a fantastic business plan! Everyone wins; Airbnb makes money, property owners make money, and travelers have lodging choices outside traditional hotels, often at much more reasonable costs.
My husband and I first used Airbnb in the spring of 2019 when we traveled to Florida to visit family. We had always stayed with my grandparents on previous visits, but that year, they just were not up to having company. We had budgeted travel and food for our trip but not lodging, so we needed something quick and cheap! Enter Airbnb. We booked a two-bedroom, one-bath house with a kitchenette that perfectly met our needs for sleep, showers, and food storage for less than a hotel would have cost.
Our experience was so great that in 2020 we again used Airbnb to escape to a rustic cabin in the New Mexico mountains. More on that experience here https://beckyjmiller.com/bath-day/ Never mind, the experience was not my cup of tea; the hosts were great, and the scenery was beautiful.
So, enter 2021 and another mountain escape to Arkansas, which you can read all about here; https://beckyjmiller.com/the-hot-tub-compromise/. We’d not planned an additional trip for 2021, but when the news came that my maternal grandfather had passed away. We needed to travel again, this time to Florida.
We looked at the Airbnb we’d booked in 2019, but it was no longer available. We researched other bookings in the area, but the home we’d intended to book was taken once the final funeral arrangements were complete. We had a small window to make our travel bookings, and I was at work, so when my husband texted with a tiny house booking, I took a quick look and agreed. It looked new and included pool/hot tub access, so how bad could it be? I mean, I figured we could manage anything for six nights. After all, the trip was not meant to be a vacation.
That night, I tossed and turned, recalling the six uncomfortable weeks we’d spent living in a travel trailer. Adding to my turmoil was the fact that we’d extended a hosting offering to my baby brother. I was unsure how the three of us would survive a week with one bathroom in such a cramped environment. Taking a second glance at the pictures, it appeared the second bedroom, a loft which would be my brother’s, was in the open, with no privacy. It had a super low ceiling clearance which did not even allow him to stand fully erect. After expressing my concerns, less than 24 hours from our departure, my ever-accommodating husband immediately began looking for another Airbnb.
We found an older house with no pool but more spacious with two bathrooms that we booked before leaving for work that morning. What a relief! Imagine my dismay receiving a lunchtime text from my husband stating the reservation had fallen through. NOOO!!! This cannot be happening!
Fortunately, the gracious host offered a second property to us at the same cost. The catch was rather than renting an entire house; we would be staying in her actual home. What?!?! I don’t like people, especially strangers. How could I ever be comfortable in someone’s home?? The listing was for two bedrooms with their own baths located in the front of the house. Swallowing my discomfort, I reluctantly agreed to this very unusual, for us, arrangement.
This Airbnb was a lake house with a pool. I love swimming, it’s such an incredible form of relaxation, but strangers??? Ugh. As I left work that afternoon pondering the unusual change of venue, I had a thought, “Well, Jesus, I guess you just really wanted me to have a pool.”
Arriving at the house was more awkward than anticipated. There were work crews everywhere, with the homeowner outside directing us where to park while family, pets, and a grandchild arrived. Oh, dear, whatever had we gotten ourselves into? Thankfully, first impressions are not always accurate.
The home turned out to be absolutely perfect! We enjoyed quiet evenings in the pool, relaxing dinners beside the lake, a short five-mile walk to Starbucks for coffee each morning, and even for this nondog lover, the company of two sweet Airedale terriers. The hosts were friendly and available without being overbearing. Our stay was peaceful, comfortable, and uneventful. Although I would never have chosen to stay in someone’s home, our accommodations turned out to be exactly what we needed during our time of grief.
If you’ve never stayed at an Airbnb, I highly recommend checking them out for your next trip https://www.airbnb.com/d/howairbnbworks. Just be sure to use a super host; they have the highest user ratings!
Until Next Time,
Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”