It’s good to be home. While our family had a wonderful vacation traveling all over Portugal and Spain, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep in your own bed. It’s even better when you’ve spent the previous two weeks sleeping in other people’s beds in other people’s houses. Yes, I do mean houses, or apartments in most cases. Rather than staying in hotels, we spent this vacation renting homes through AirBnB. My sister-in-law suggested them to us a few years ago, but I was never interested in staying in someone else’s home. This year, to save money, we decided to give it a try. My feelings are still mixed, and to be honest, I’m not sure I would do it again, but it was part of the adventure, so I’m glad we gave it a try.
AirBnB was created with the idea that people would open up their home to travelers as a bed and breakfast or that they would allow others to rent their home when they, the host family, was away. In theory, it’s a great idea. However, as pointed out in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, that’s not quite the reality of the business. Rather than staying in someone’s personal home, in most cases, guests stay in an apartment that has been purchased by the owner specifically for AirBnB rentals. While this was fine with us (and slightly less creepy), according to HBR, it’s having devastating effects on the housing market in several US and European cities where “residents” are no longer actually living in the homes, and real estate prices are driving middle income families out of local neighborhoods. We could certainly see how this was the case as most of the places where we lodged were in residential areas rather than hotel and tourist centers.
All in all, our experiences were good ones. Our children had never stayed in a B&B, and they were happy that only one of the places we stayed in was in someone’s home. While they delighted in the scrumptious breakfast we were provided before leaving Fatima, they didn’t like the feeling of staying in the home of a stranger while the owner slept in the room upstairs. They much preferred the apartments where we were met by the owner, given a tour, and handed a key, before saying goodbye to the never seen again host. They did love, however, the opportunity to have their own beds, and in some cases, their own rooms, and it was nice to be able to wash all of our clothes halfway through the trip.
My advice to anyone considering AirB&B is simple. Research, read, and review. If the apartment is “located in the center of Malaga [and] the square is filled with restaurants, tapas bars, pubs and bars, fundamental enclaves within the Malaga night.,” know that this really means “nothing in Malaga closes, or quiets, until close to 3am, and you’re in the thick of it.” If you’re an early to bed family or a light sleeper, hearing the partying in the streets until 3am and then the trash trucks and recycling trucks until 4am is probably not going to bode well for your next day of sightseeing. “Close to the train station” may not mean an easy walk with your bags but rather a subway ride in which you’ll have to change trains three times.
While we didn’t have any major issues, and all of the hosts were pleasant and helpful, I really missed the amenities of staying in a hotel – a concierge to consult, a clean room each afternoon, a steady supply of toilet paper (yep, that was an interesting morning), and a pool, game room, etc. the things that most people enjoy while on vacation. It was good experience, and I don’t think I would have changed anything, but I did learn to read between the lines. In some cases, if it sounds good to be true, it probably is.
Amy Schisler is an award winning author of both children’s books and novels for readers of all ages. She lives with her husband and three daughters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Her book, Picture Me, is the recipient of an Illumination Award, placing it among the top three eBooks of 2015. Her latest book, Whispering Vines, is now available for purchase.
You may follow Amy on Facebook at http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor on Twitter @AmySchislerAuth, on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/amyschisler and on her web site http://amyschislerauthor.com.
Amy’s books:
Crabbing With Granddad (2013)
A Place to Call Home (2014)
Picture Me (2015)
Looks like an incredible trip across Iberia! It reminds me of a Jose Saramago novel The Stone Raft where the Iberian peninsula was separated from the rest of Europe… goes to show what a unique peninsula it is.
It was a great trip. And yes, truly a unique place.