Airbnb vs Hotels

When I travel I try to reduce my expenses as much as possible. However, as I mature I realize that my tolerance for amenities and comfort is very important to me. Gone are the days where I'm sleeping on a couch or staying in a double room with nine girls that's really meant for two. I am tooooo old for that! Last month, I took a weekend trip to Montréal & Québec City, Canada for my 20 something birthday.

When it was time to book housing accommodations my beau and I searched many different hotels but they were all a bit pricey once we factored in other travel necessities like flights and food. I was a guest of Tourism Montréal so the walking tour and other attractions we enjoyed were not a factor. Before, I got too flustered about searching for a hotel Airbnb was suggested to me by my beau. I never heard of Airbnb until this year, so I was a bit suspicious. Below is an excerpt from their website:

Airbnb at a glance

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 33,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions. 

Long story short, I LOVE Airbnb! I really recommend renting out an apartment, condo, house or boat using Airbnb instead of the typical hotel to add a different dynamic to your upcoming Summer travels. Our luxury condo located in Old Montréal was astounding! Everything from the glass shower door with the ceiling shower head to the balcony was breathtaking. Our host answered all questions we inquired about and was not shady at all (something I was very concerned about). 

We also saved a lot of money by grocery shopping and cooking instead of eating out every day. Staying in this condo made our trip even more enjoyable. Having the living room, spacious bedroom and open dining room area allowed us not to feel so cramped, which tends to happen in hotel rooms.

Breakfast!!!!

I felt like I was showering in the rain...ceiling shower heads are AMAZING!

Relaxing on the balcony 

Loved the art work and overall feel of the condo

Nice gym....too bad we never used it. lol

Click here to learn more about Airbnb. Read about their deposit agreements, cancellation policies and of course the reviews! 

*Photo credit: Airbnb website

Have you ever used Airbnb? Would you?