Finally, after travelling for years and staying in hotels and resorts of all budget ranges, we got ready for our first airbnb experience in India. And on our most recent trip to Goa in January 2023, we stayed in an airbnb villa in Calangute, Goa. Although, I have done my fair share of research on the pros and cons of staying in an Airbnb in India every time I have explored on in the past. But now, I feel qualified enough to list out the pros and cons of staying in an Airbnb in India. After having experienced an airbnb villa stay first hand. So, without further delay, here goes my list of pros and cons of staying in an Airbnb in India. Some of these will be specific to India, while others might as well be applicable to Airbnb stay outside of India.
Lets start with the good things first
Table of Contents
Pros of staying in an airbnb
You get your own private space when you stay in an airbnb
Having your own private space becomes enjoyable and even particularly important when you travel with family or a group of friends. With little kids, I have realised it over time. They keep running all the time between ours and our parents room in a hotel. But it was so much more convenient in our apart – hotel in Bangkok and when we stayed in Ooty at Sterling Elk Hill. Where we got a 2BHK suite. Not to mention, the room doesn’t get cramped when you assemble together with your family in those evenings to enjoy the family time or the in-room meals. Because in an apartment or villa which you rent through airbnb, you get the separate living, dining and even kitchen space.
Stay like a local in a local house when booking an airbnb
Although we do try to live like locals on every trip, But, this time around, the experience could be truly felt. As we shopped from the grocery store after reaching there. And then cooked our meals in the kitchen of the Airbnb villa. Also, we cleaned and dried our cloths in the balcony on the cloth stand. Had our meals in the dining room. And enjoyed a movie with our kids in the living room. Just as how we do at home. At night we took stroll around the gated community.
Get access to a kitchen when staying in an airbnb
If you don’t intend to cook during your vacation then it’s a different story. But having a kitchen and cooking even a few meals does make a huge difference on your travel budget. And we realised it during our two weeks trip to Europe. Wherein we stayed in a serviced apartment – palazzo dei ciompi in Florence. Which had a kitchen. So, we could cook simple meals. Our meal cost per head staying here was hardly 1 Euro for one time, compared to a minimum of 3-4 euros when eating out! And a 30 euros if going for a 3 course meal in a fancy restaurant (which, by the way, we never did 🙂 ).
Also when traveling with kids, having access to a kitchen makes life so much easier. Although I always travel with this very light and portable travel cooker. But having a kitchen in the airbnb in Goa felt like a bliss. Because I could cook almost everything that my kid eats at home. Including her pancakes, dosas, parathas etc. which generally require a stovetop and a pan!! It was so much more satisfying when she was eating her proper meals on the travel as well. Also, our parents who are tea addicts and often travel with us. They were able to brew their tea as and when they wished. No restricted hotel timings!!
Also, we ourselves enjoyed some quick meals that we cooked at the kitchen. Including blissful cold coffee loaded with ice-cream, sandwiches and toasts etc.
Airbnb homes are economical for long term stay
Let’s get a little real. Staying in even an ultra luxury hotel feels good for only so many days. And then we start to miss the little comforts of home. Also, it is so much more economical to stay in a home than a hotel room when staying long term. When we stayed in Goa for couple of weeks during our workcation from Goa, we stayed in Biera Mar Beach Resort. Which was a resort. Although it was so much more comfortable than a home. But, it also cost more than an airbnb home. If you ask me the price difference of an airbnb home and a budget hotel, Airbnb homes usually come at 50% cost !! Isn’t that a huge saving when looking to stay for long term?? This is one of the biggest pros of staying in an airbnb.
Except that you wont get an elaborate buffet breakfast, an on-premise restaurant or oversized swimming pools and lawns. If that is not your priority, then airbnb wins hands down.
Cons of staying in an airbnb
Airbnb as a platform has certain features missing
Compared to hotel booking websites like agoda.com and booking.com that I trust and book most of my accommodations with. Airbnb as a platform lags certain features in my opinion. Some of these include –
- Cancellation policies are not as flexible. Many have a full refund only if you cancel within 48 hours of booking. Afterwards, the penalty for cancellation might be equal to either a major chunk or your complete booking amount.
- Host has a flexibility to cancel from their end. Although you get a full refund from airbnb in such a case. But, for me, it is a big hassle if my host cancels end moment. As, when traveling with kids and parents, I can’t take the risk of landing some place and then searching for an accommodation. Actually, getting the right place at the end moment at a suitable price is next to impossible in India, particularly in tourist places like Goa, Himachal or Uttarakhand. To be very honest, this time, I ended up booking an airbnb because I booked the very last moment. And I was sure 99% I was going to travel.
Is an airbnb home secure? Security can be an issue in an airbnb
Security is a big question with Airbnb. Although Airbnb platform does it’s best to ensure that you get what you have signed up for. But you never know. Because these are homes, not hotels with a brand name and trained staff and additional security. And incidences of attack and even privacy breach of guests is not completely unheard of. For these reasons, I try to book airbnbs in prime locations, never in remote areas. With market, public transport etc. all being nearby. Residential colonies and gated communities are preferred over individual houses. And ones which are hosted by “superhosts” are always more preferable.
Also, you should have a handy checklist for security checks when entering an airbnb home. Like, the lock should be reset before your visit. And you can check for hidden cameras in the airbnb home. Make sure to lock doors and windows when you step out. And to keep your valuables securely. Keep some torch or candles handy with you in case power cuts happen.
You might not always get what you signed up for
At times it has happened with airbnb guests that they booked a certain airbnb home. But landed up in another. Particularly when the host has multiple properties listed on airbnb. And that also similar looking. So, it took sometime for the guest to realise that the house was not exactly the same as what they actually saw and booked. Particularly if the location is completely different, it can be a big issue. So, do confirm about all of it as soon as you step into your airbnb home.
Also, sometimes the home might be worn out, older or not exactly in as good a shape as shown in the pictures. There can be wears and tears or operational issues that you might not have expected.
The kitchen might not be what you envisioned it to be
Some airbnb homes have kitchen which can be used by staff only. While there are others where the airbnb kitchen is not fully equipped. It might have just a small refrigerator and a microwave for example. So, if you are looking for a fully functional kitchen with all cookware, serve-ware etc. where you can cook your own meals. Then it’s good to enquire in advance about it. Sometimes, there might not be groceries present in the kitchen. While at other times the airbnb hosts take care of loading the kitchen with basic groceries. So, do understand and consider if your kitchen expectations are meeting what you are going to get.
For us, this time around, our airbnb kitchen had basic needs like little flour, pulses, sugar, salt, tea etc. And a big refrigerator which we could load as we desired. It had all the pots and pans for cooking any meal. And a lot of crockery and glassware. Also the market was also nearby, so we easily loaded the kitchen with whatever extra we needed during our stay. Amongst the Pros and Cons of staying in an Airbnb, kitchen really is an important one for us.
If breakfast is included, don’t expect the spread to be like a hotel
Although I won’t call it really a con of staying in an airbnb home. I book my airbnb without expecting a breakfast. But if there is one provided, expect it to be a simple home cooked meal rather than a buffet breakfast spread like you get in a hotel. Just calling it out so that you can set your expectations when heading to an airbnb.
Parking can be a challenge
I have often found parking to be a challenge when booking an airbnb. Many a times, I enquired with airbnb homes that were located within gated communities which have parking for every flat. yet, when we called them and asked exclusively about the parking, they said it’s right outside the campus on the streets. So, if having a safe parking within the campus is important to you, you must enquire beforehand about it. Otherwise you might end up in a soup.
There can be hidden charges in an Airbnb stay
Having listed the above pros and cons of an Airbnb home, I will soon write the list of tips to consider when booking an airbnb, particularly in India. So that you can use this list as your handy book for booking your next airbnb stay!! Do remember the things listed in the cons are the ones that might or might not happen all the time. But the pros do stand out 🙂 What are some of your own list of Pros and Cons of staying in an Airbnb, we would love to hear.
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