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If you’re travelling as a couple or two friends, then two of the most common options for budget accommodation are Airbnb and Booking.com. Having travelled extensively using both sites, we think that both sites have their own unique pros and cons for travellers and hosts.
We have also rented a private room in our apartment and have a view on which platform is better to use for hosts. If you’re considering either staying in Airbnb or Booking.com for an upcoming trip or debating which one is better for listing your property, read on as we’ve highlighted the pros and cons of each platform!
Table of Contents
Airbnb vs Booking.Com for Guests
The Pros of Using Airbnb for Guests
1. Airbnb is typically the most affordable option
If your decision on which vacation rental to use is primarily based on cost, then you will nearly always get better value for money by finding a place on Airbnb.
This is especially true in major European cities, where you can find affordable places to stay in a prime location while many budget hotels will be on the outskirts of town. We’ve used Airbnb in many expensive places such as Reykjavik and Copenhagen which has made our trips much more affordable!
2. You meet locals and get great recommendations
How many times have you stayed in a budget hotel and gotten good recommendations about places to eat?
Chances are they’re sending you to the restaurant in their lobby or somewhere across the road! This definitely isn’t the case with Airbnb as many hosts are long-term residents of the city that you’re visiting and have an excellent knowledge of things to do and places to visit.
Furthermore, we generally find that many hosts are very hospitable and we often end up having a cup of tea or coffee with them during our stay and getting to know them!
3. You usually get access to common facilities
One of the great things about staying in a private room in an Airbnb is that you will often get access to common facilities such as their kitchen and laundry.
This is great if you’re travelling on a budget as it allows you to cook your own meals (rather than eating out all the time) and wash your clothes without paying a premium surchargethat hotels often charge.
In some places, common facilities can be even more awesome – our Airbnb in Gozo had an amazing balconywith brilliant views of the surrounding countryside!
The Pros of Using Booking.com for Guests
1. For many places, you don’t need to pay in advance
One of the big disadvantages of Airbnb for vacation rentals is that you have to pay the full amount of your stay when booking.
This can mean you’re paying for accommodation months before you use it and you are only eligible for a refund if the host allows it in their booking policy (however, Airbnb does allow for a full refund within 48 hours of booking regardless of the host’s cancellation policy).
On the contrary, many hotels on Booking.com don’t require upfront payment meaning you can book accommodation without paying a cent!
2. You can get great deals if you book in advance
Whilst Airbnb is usually the cheaper option, you can often get some amazing deals on Booking.com if you book in advance. Many budget hotels are significantly discounted which is quite different from Airbnb where there are never explicit sales on accommodation.
You can even get great deals if you’re booking within a shorter timeframe but are not travelling during a peak period. During our time in Bulgaria, we got a great deal on a really nice boutique hotel because we were staying mid-week rather than on the busier weekends!
3. Booking.com requires minimal effort
One of the nice things about booking a vacation rental through Booking.com is that once the booking is done, there’s little you need to do before arriving. This is unlike Airbnb, where you need to contact your host, make sure that they’ll be home when you arrive and possibly get specific instructions about how to get to their property.
Sometimes, particularly after a long flight, it’s nice not to have to worry about any of that and simply be able to check into a room with minimal hassle.
Read enough and decided on Booking.com? Click here to find a place on Booking.com!
The Cons of Using Airbnb for Guests
1. You need to be flexible as a guest
One of the most important things to remember when using Airbnb as a guest is that it’s not the same as a hotel so you need to be flexible sometimes. Check-in hours might be restricted or if something breaks down, it might not be possible to fix it straight away.
If these sort of things bother you then it’s probably best to book a hotel however in our experience these minor inconveniences would never be enough to stop us from using Airbnb!
2. Staying in an Airbnb has an element of risk
While we’ve never had any issues using Airbnb, you do occasionally hear newspapers reporting horror stories about travellers’ experiences with Airbnb. There is always going to be a small element of risk when staying in somebody else’s house, however, this can easily be avoided with some basic research.
We always stay with people that have had their profiles verified and have at least at a couple of positive reviews. Also, always make sure to research the neighbourhood of the Airbnb before booking to make sure it’s appropriate for your stay – you don’t want to end up in party central if you’re after a quiet weekend away!
3. In some cities, private Airbnbs are causing housing affordability issues
One of the main issues that travellers have with Airbnb is that in certain cities it’s causing housing affordability issues as landlords are listing their apartments on Airbnb rather than renting them to long-term local tenants. This means that in certain cities such as Berlin or Lisbon, governments are cracking down and banning short-term rentals of whole apartments on Airbnb.
You need to be careful if choosing to book in larger cities as whole apartments might be listed illegally and could be shut down before you arrive. While some travel websites, suggest avoiding whole apartments on Airbnb, we still use them in less-visited cities, particularly in Eastern Europe, where there can often be an oversupply of rental properties.
If you do want to book an entire property, just make sure to do it ethically. Pay attention to who the host is, see if he or she is an actual person and not a holiday letting agent, and make sure that person doesn’t have numerous properties available for rent.
There is a big difference in staying in the apartment of a local looking to make some extra cash compared to patronising a large business profiting off short-term lets.
The Cons of Using Booking.com for Guests
1. Budget hotels can often be sterile and less spacious
One of the problems with using Booking.com is that if you’re on a budget a lot of the places tend to be less spacious and often sterile and lacking in character.
One of the things we love about using Airbnb is that every place is unique and has a homely atmosphere which is quite a contrast to many budget hotels which will usually have quite a similar feel to each other.
2. Budget hotels are usually poorly located
Another issue with budget hotels is that they are often not located in the neighbourhoods that you want to stay in. When booking accommodation, one of the most important considerations is ensuring we’re centrally located and can easily get around.
The cost of being in the centre of town, ultimately means that many budget hotels are located further away from the city centre and thismeans that it will take longer to get around and you will probably pay more for transportation during your stay.
3. Booking.com is nearly always more expensive than Airbnb
At the end of the day, when we’re travelling, we tend to be out and about exploring for most of the day so we don’t want to spend excess money on accommodation when we’re barely there.
That means we’re always looking for the most budget-friendly room that is well-located and clean. In nearly all places that we’ve visited, Booking.com is consistently more expensive than Airbnb.
The Verdict for Guests
If you’re deciding whether to use Airbnb or Booking.com for your upcoming trip then it’s important to consider what’s important for you.
If you’re on a budget, value meeting locals and getting their recommendations and having access to additional facilities then we’d recommend finding an Airbnb for your upcoming trip.
If you value flexibility, convenience or are simply travelling to a place with limited private apartments then we recommend booking accommodation on Booking.com. We suggest not leaving it until the last minute as you can find great bargains if you book in advance.Click here to find a place on Booking.com!
Booking.Com vs Airbnb for Hosts
When we lived in London, we rented our spare room in our apartment on Airbnb for over a year. We never used Booking.com because we felt that Airbnb had a number of advantages over Booking.com for hosts.
The Pros of Using Airbnb for Hosts
1. Better screening and control of guests
On Airbnb, hosts are able to have full control of who stays at their property as well as get a better understanding of who will be staying with them.
Airbnb allows you to turn off instant book so you can accept or reject each guest based on their profile and their previous reviews. Airbnb also has a full verification system so guests need to upload forms of ID and hosts can reject guests if they aren’t fully verified.
On Booking.com, once you list your property, you have no control over who is actually staying at your property. Once a guest books, the reservation is automatically accepted. This was a big disadvantage to us as hosts, particularly as we were sharing our apartment with incoming guests.
2. Lower hosting fees on Airbnb
The pricing model on Airbnb favours hosts while on Booking.com it favours guests. This means if you list the same property on both websites, you will typically pay less as a guest if you book on Booking.com which means the host ends up paying more.
As hosts, if you are looking to minimise the amount you pay to the platform, then Airbnb is definitely the better option.
3. Streamlined payment process on Airbnb
One of the big advantages for hosts using Airbnb is that the payment process is extremely streamlined. When a guest books a property, Airbnb typically charges them instantly. The payment is then released to the host 24 hours after the guests check in to the property.
On Booking.com, guests have the option of paying in cash which adds additional burden for the host to collect payment. For payments that are processed online, hosts either need to collect payments manually if they want to receive them as soon as possible or wait once a month to collect it via bank transfer.
The Pros of Using Booking.Com for Hosts
1. Access to a wider market
Historically, Airbnb has only been used by a certain type of traveller, while Booking.com and similar hotel booking sites have been used by a larger market.
This means that if you are a host in a less visited area, listing on Booking.com will likely allow you to have a much larger pool of potential guests. While we never had this problem in London, it is certainly something that is worth considering depending on your location.
The Verdict for Hosts
If you’re deciding between the two platforms as a host, then I personally recommend using Airbnb as your primary platform for the reasons outlined above. Listing on Booking.Com is a good option if you want access to additional guests however you’ll need to make sure that you stay on top of syncing availability between the two platforms.
Do you prefer to use Airbnb or Booking.com? What are the pros and cons of using each? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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