AIRBNB VS HOTELS

What's the best way to experience a new city? Stay with someone who lives there. You’re able to see the culture just a bit more fully, the spots you visit are usually authentic and worth the effort, and most importantly, you get a tour guide who can show you around (given who you’re staying with is the accommodating type). If crashing with a local isn’t an option, you’re left with a choice. Airbnb or Hotel? Both have their own merits, and both have their drawbacks. 

THE AIRBNB STAY

The Airbnb stay is a standalone experience throughout. Every listing is different and unique in its own right. While there are listings that attempt to replicate the familiarity of a hotel stay, the vibe of an Airbnb is a bit of a mystery until you arrive. Is it in an ideal location? Does it look like it does in the pictures? Is it well taken care of? There are a lot of unknowns you have to weigh. But with the right foresight and planning, it’s well worth it. 

Dissimilar to a hotel stay, most Airbnbs are located in residential areas, surrounded by people eating, speaking, and living the way locals do. You wake up, you’re engrossed in the culture, you go to bed, and you’re still engrossed in the culture. You’d be surprised how much more you can learn about a new place by living among the locals. There’s a bit more culture shock on arrival, but that's kind of the point. It’s more about embracing differences than retreating from them. 

The overall tone and vibe of using Airbnb can vary widely, but with some patience, you can find spaces that will blow away your average hotel room—hell,  even most of the penthouse suites. The care and attention of a lived-in space carry a welcoming warmth that I have yet to find in a hotel room. Sure, it might feel weird to stay in a space that people live in, but it’s no different than a hotel. And if you’re staying in a lived-in space, I guarantee its owner is treating it nicer than the people who rent a hotel room for a night.

On average, your nightly Airbnb stay is going to be cheaper than a hotel stay. Of course, there’s a sliding scale of expenses, so it’s kind of impossible to make a total declaration of affordability. But for the amount of time and care put into some Airbnb listings, you can’t even come close to finding a comparable hotel room for the same price.

In our minds, the most glaring drawback when booking with Airbnb is that those stunning, one-of-a-kind listings require a good deal more effort. Airbnb does a pretty good job of featuring standout listings, but given their popularity, the available listings can sometimes be sparse. Booking plenty of time in advance (a couple months) seems to be the best bet in order to secure a breathtaking listing.

THE HOTEL STAY

The hotel experience is a tried and true formula. The check-in, the amenities, the room, the concierge. Of course there are varying levels of service, but the overall package is meant to elicit a sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar place. For the most part, you know what you’re getting.

Say you’re staying in a city you’ve never been to before. While you’re excited about exploring all the things your new destination has to offer, you may prefer to rest your head in a familiar space. Culture shock is real and having a space that reminds you of home can help curb it a bit.

For the most part, hotels are the more expensive option. An average nightly hotel stay in a larger metropolitan city is going to run much more expensive than the other options. Granted, you’re paying for a lot more—room service, concierge, amenities, etc, but those additions rarely even the playing field when compared to the alternatives.

It’s all a matter of what you’re trying to get out of your experience in this new place. Are you wanting to feel less like a visitor? Discover places more off the beaten path? Or get as close as possible to feel what it’s like to actually live in the city you're visiting? A hotel might not be the best fit for your style of travel. But if you’re looking to kick back, get a taste of the city’s greatest hits, and dip your toe in the myriad of things this new place offers, then a hotel is your best bet.

As we witness the travel industry transform, we see travel experiences making adjustments based on people’s preferences. While a hotel stay offers a sense of comfort in knowing what to expect, it’s removed from what makes the place you’re visiting so special. The culture, the people, the food, the language—while it all exists in the hotel environment to a certain degree, you can’t fully immerse yourself in it. That’s the point of a hotel; it’s a static experience where you can expect the same thing day in and day out, but it’s removed from a lot of cultural influence.

THE VERDICT

There’s no right or wrong choice when picking between a hotel or Airbnb; it’s all based on expectations. If you’re looking for something more culture-neutral, familiar, and a bit paint-by-numbers, than a hotel is right up your alley. If you’re more into digging into where you’re visiting and getting a glimpse of what it’s like to actually live there, then an Airbnb is your ticket. However far you’re willing to push yourself, it will still lead to new discoveries in a new place.