(#wanderlusttips) AirBnB hosts never need to travel far to experience the world. They live vicariously through the stories that travellers bring to their homes. And AirBnB tenants? They find a home wherever they go.
[rpi]
Home at a stranger’s house
As a single father, Jonathan used to struggle raising three kids in Echo Park, Los Angeles. He had to work 80-hour-weeks at a job that was unfulfilling and he still scrambled to take care of his three children. And with such a schedule, his passion for ceramics fell by the wayside.
When his hours at work got cut back, Jonathan decided to renovate and list an extra room in his home on AirBnB. His first guests gave him such a positive review that more lined up, and he was soon renting out a second room through he online bed and breakfast community. He started welcoming more and more guests to his home. AirBnB changed Jonathan’s life, as hosting became not only an extra source of income, but paved the way for Jonathan to pursue his work as a potter. More importantly, being an AirBnB host brought joy to his house and he had interesting encounters with his guests.
Shell, a woman from New York, did not share much about the reason why she became an AirBnB host, but talked a lot about how the decision changed her view on life. Having hosted over 180 guests from all over the world, Shell refers to her home as a magical doorway, welcoming guests with unique personalities. She calls her guests “characters in a great novel”, who help her discover a little more about the bigger stories of life.
Jonathan and Shell are only two among two million AirBnB hosts who have opened their homes to welcome travellers, giving them an authentic experience of a place they are visiting.
“Belong anywhere”
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, AirBnB is one of the most successful platforms using the “community sharing” business model. The website allows travellers to book accommodation at local homes. Staying at an AirBnB often means you are sharing the facilities with homeowners, and get an insight into the habits that shape their lifestyles.
With over two million listings in over 34,000 cities in 191 countries, AirBnB is currently the largest accommodation booking website in the world, opening up an infinite number of unique experiences for travellers.
Everything you have ever dreamed to experience has never been easier to reach. After only a few clicks, someone will be ready to welcome you into their home and unique experiences await you. You can sleep on a houseboat on an Amsterdam canal, become a princess inside a castle in Southern France, find a writing muse in a villa on the shores of the Mediterranean ocean, or live in a penthouse apartment in the middle of a big city. These are only a few among millions of options.
Finding accommodation is easy, but what makes AirBnB different from other homestays or hotel options is that it allows you to stay with a host as if you were an old friend who happens to stop by the house. AirBnB is not a relationship between customers and service providers, as hosts can also rate their guests. If you misbehave during your last stay, don’t be surprised when your next booking request is rejected.
You are staying at someone’s home and they have the right to welcome you or not.
When you are welcomed into someone’s home, you will be delighted when tasting their grandmother’s homemade jam, borrowing a book that the host has not finished reading, listening to an old vinyl record, or harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables from their garden.
Fate will decide the experiences and lessons and no one really knows what awaits them. AirBnB’s newest motto is: “Belong anywhere”, may many share this spirit, so that each wandering heart has a reason to wander.
Trang Ami | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet