It was about a year ago that I discovered the beauty of Airbnb. I was planning our mammoth honeymoon and just couldn’t find a hotel that I liked in Long Beach, CA. I spent hours combing through every website that I could think of to no avail. We had quite specific requirements and were travelling in the height of summer which slimmed down our chances of finding exactly what we were after. We wanted somewhere nice and comfortable, on the beach and close to local amenities. We also wanted free wifi and car parking along with an in room safe. The safe was the hardest thing to come by when looking for a place to stay. Lots of hotels had them behind the desk, but I felt safer leaving all of our valuables in a safe that we had direct access to. After searching and searching I was beginning to lose hope and that’s when Airbnb stepped in. I had heard about it and decided to look it up as a last resort. It was there that I found a gorgeous apartment in Long Beach, a few minutes’ walk from the marina and beach. Restaurants right by the front door, free parking and free wifi. It also had a lockable cupboard that we felt safe leaving our goodies in. Best of all, it was a quarter of the price of a hotel in the same area! 

We had a really good experience and fell in love with Long Beach during our stay. I was so glad that I had found the little gem that is Airbnb.
  

A couple of weeks ago I was searching for a place for us to stay in Reykjavik, Iceland. My requirements weren’t quite as strict as our trip to California as we haven’t hired a car in Iceland, but we still wanted somewhere in a good location with wifi. As I had left it quite late to book, I once again found myself struggling to find a nice hotel (I actually found one, but it was nearly £2000 for our six day stay and I thought it wasn’t worth it!) and once again turned to my old friend Airbnb. Here I found lots of nice looking apartments and managed to find a great one that I thought would be perfect. I was absolutely right as we are currently enjoying a lovely stay in a clean, bright apartment in Reykjavik. Obviously there are draw backs such as no maid/room service, but we have so much privacy and freedom.   

I would recommend reading the reviews extensively to make sure that you make a decision perfect for you and your needs. There are many different types of places to stay from dorms with shared bathrooms right up to huge houses beaming with luxury.
 

I am very much enjoying our time in Reykjavik and Airbnb has played a huge part in that. The hubby actually prefers having an apartment over a hotel because it’s like a little home from home. I will definitely think about Airbnb when booking our next adventure.
Have you used Airbnb?

L x