Our family loves to travel, but securing hotel accommodations with two adults and four kids isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Suites are expensive, adjoining rooms are not as common as you’d think, and trusting your kids to behave while sleeping down the hall is a dicey proposition. Fortunately, these days, there are options like AirBnB that allow you to find and rent a house, apartment, or condo of any size and configuration you can imagine directly from the owner, usually at or below market rate for a hotel room of similar quality. For example this past summer we needed a place to stay for two nights before sailing with Royal Caribbean out of Galveston. A Galveston AirBnB was the right solution for us.
What did we rent?
We were able to find a lovely three bedroom two bath house a few blocks from the beach for just under $160 a night with all taxes and fees included. This gave us ample space, plenty of privacy, and cost hundreds less than even the cheapest hotel options save for lying to the desk clerk and stuffing all six of us into a single room.
It’s not just about size. Rentals with full kitchens add serious convenience.
Getting started with AirBnB is simple. After setting up a free account, you simply enter your dates and destination, filter for your preferred amenities, search your options, and book.
Browse options by a sorted list or by map location.
That said, be sure to read the terms for each potential rental carefully. Cancelation policies vary wildly from property to property and reviews can keep you from unwanted landlord drama. Be sure you know your rights and are comfortable with the contract terms before booking. Filters let you find exactly what you’re looking for. Go ahead and be picky.
What if you have problems?
In the unlikely event that you run into problems (we once had a homeowner try to con us into overpaying,) AirBnB’s excellent customer service department will be there to resolve any dispute, refund your money if you qualify, and help you find a better deal.
Even with solid customer service at your disposal, booking a stay in somebody else’s home instead of a major hotel chain can feel like a bit of a gamble- and, to some degree it is. Then again, anyone who has ever tried to get four kids to settle down in a cramped hotel room with too few beds and zero privacy knows that a “full house” isn’t always a winning hand. For my family, it’s always worth betting that the bigger space is better. We will definitely look at another Galveston AirBnB before our next cruise.
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