Hello everyone from our apartment here in Shanghai! Yes this is actually my very first Airbnb experience and in China no less for my current trip to see the Terracotta Warriors. Airbnb virgin no more! While I don’t mean to go through everything about Airbnb, I thought I’d give you a glimpse of just how easy it was to make a booking on the platform. Finding an apartment in Shanghai was a cinch!
The Airbnb search experience
Searching for a place was actually super easy. I love just how intuitive the system is. They’ve really built it so that you don’t have to think all that hard.
Tip: On the lower right corner is the “Language and Currency” button. Click it to change it to whatever currency you want to pay in.
Why it’s easy:
- Map on the right allows you to zoom into the exact radius you’re interested in and the search will filter accordingly
- Filter option allows you see only properties that rent out the entire place vs a single room and most importantly you can hone in on the price range you’re interested in
- Heart the properties you’re interested in to save them into a list so you can check them out later all together
- Listings themselves are pretty are easy to go through and I like how all the available amenities are clearly laid out
- I love how if you sign up for an account, it’ll actually remember all of your previous searches so you don’t have to type in the location and punch in those dates again.
For this Shanghai trip, we were looking for a relatively cheap place so we filtered for properties to a max of $85, ones that rented out the entire place and was centrally located in Shanghai. Eventually we decided on this one because it met all the criteria and had a lot of positive reviews.
I would say at the end of the day, it really is the reviews that will be one of the biggest factors in selecting an Airbnb spot.
The only con I will say is that it’s a bit annoying that you can’t sort properties in any way. What I would love to see is the ability to sort by “# of reviews” but I suspect this is done on purpose.
The Airbnb booking experience
Like the search process, booking was just as easy. Our place had an “Instant Book” option so I literally put in the dates I wanted and hit “Instant Book” button. After that I had the chance to pay with Paypal and BOOM it was done.
Properties that have the “Instant Book” option basically allow you to book on the spot because there is guaranteed availability and the owner is willing to accept any tenant.
For places without Instant Book, you essentially make a temporary booking by paying (held by Airbnb) and the request is sent to the owner. If there is availability and if the owner wants to rent to you then you get accepted. If you’re rejected, the money is refunded back to you. This happened to me on another property we were looking at in Shanghai. We tried to book it and paid via Paypal but after he rejected me (still don’t really know why), I got the money back on Paypal.
It was all very seamless and secure. What you probably didn’t know is that the host only receives your money 24 hours after check-in.
Our Airbnb pad in Shanghai
Pretty sweet right? It’s incredibly clean, the hosts were very welcoming and we actually have a kitchen and fridge. 5 nights for $306 USD is a steal compared to what I would’ve had to pay for a hotel in a major city like SHanghai.
This really goes to show that you can have an amazing Airbnb experience wherever you go in the world.
Giveaway for a $300 CAD Airbnb credit
So with this being my very first Airbnb experience in China, I thought, why not give away some moola so one of my lucky readers can see what Airbnb is all about. And if you’ve done Airbnb already, you know that $300 can cover a pretty good chunk of a vacation anywhere in the world.
We’re on a serious roll with these giveaways right? I highly encourage you to sign up for the Insider newsletter if you want to get all the updates.
Restrictions: Canadians only (sorry I know that’s two in a row!)
Conditions: Voucher expires October 30, 2015
Giveaway ends: April 30, 2015 at end of day Eastern Time (EST)
If you don’t have an Airbnb account, why not pair it with another awesome deal that’s happening. Just click below to get hooked up with another $30 USD.
i used airbnb last summer in montreal. We forgot to book a hotel for osheaga and then realized everything was either too expensive or booked! we found a great little apt and ended up spending a lot less! love airbnb
True story. Love it! 🙂
I’m a huge AirBnB fan!! It’s such a great way to experience how the locals live – I used it in Paris and it was awesome!
One of the best ways to find affordable rooms while travelling
I totally agree! How many Airbnb’s have you done so far?
I used to be an AirBnb host when my building allowed it – not only did renting out my spare room help with the bills, it was a fabulous way to meet other travelers and learn about different cultures, two of the guests and I have remained close friends 5+ years later. On the flip side, I have had nothing but positive experiences as an AirBnb guest. I’ve had some great hosts with more knowledge about places than a guidebook and got to see and live in other places like a local.
Hey Jocelyn, love your candid feedback. It’s really because of hosts like you that make Airbnb work. While my host for this trip was away and had a friend handle the keys and everything, I’ve heard of great things from other folks where hosts have been a wealth of information. Nothing like travelling like a local 🙂
Thanks for the chance, never used Airbnb before
I love Airbnb it’s one of the first websites I check out when I’m going on a trip.
Cool giveaway!
I’ve heard of Airbnb but haven’t used it. We love to travel and stay in different off the beaten path places – this sounds like an ideal place to start!
About to embark on a journey around the world, this could definitely come in handy!!
Thank you for the tips on Airbnb! Will consider trying it next time for sure!
I’ve used Airbnb a few times over the years. I recommend it!
Airbnb is wonderful, I haven’t had a chance to stay in many, but the ones I did, I loved them. I’m hoping to stay in more when I head to Florida for a road trip before or after TBEX.
Best of luck Megan! There are a ton of Airbnb options in Florida when I last checked 🙂
The space looks amazing!
Thanks for the great giveaway! Before this giveaway I never heard of Airbnb and now I am going to definitely check it out!
I have always wanted to give this way of traveling a try. Hopefully I will someday soon!
Haven’t used them yet, but hope to soon. Thanks for the giveaway
I have yet to try arbnb. Can’t wait to browse through the website.
Great post! I look forward to trying Airbnb.
I’ve been wanting to test out AirBNB but haven’t had the chance yet!
Definitely worth a try for your next trip. A ton of advantages over traditional hotels especially if you’re travelling in larger groups.
Interesting post! I’ve yet to try Airbnb but look forward to trying it. I’d love to be able to visit my favorite cities more often and hotel prices have become stratospheric.
It’s great how AirBNB is connecting people and making us belong anywhere! Your experience in China sounds amazing!
I am an Airbnb member and have met some wonderful people from all over the world that have stayed in my home. I would love to travel to their countries too.
Hey Will, great giveaway! Looks like you’re enjoying China. Would be great to win this for my South Africa road trip next month! Have a few South African AirBNB places on my ‘wish list”. 🙂
Thanks for entering Andrea! It’s been great here in China so far besides the usual ups and downs 🙂
I’ve used AirBnB something like 13 times already, in places like Canada, USA, Europe, and Australia. It’s great! My latest blog post (below) also talks about it as a way to save money on accommodation.
Awesome thanks for sharing Marie-France!
i love air bnb i used it when im in Toronto there is a lovely house 5 blocks from the Eaton center and it costs me 70 a night its awesome.
Love to try Airbnb Thanks for the Give away!!
Awesome! I’ve been thinking of trying Airbnb for my next trip 🙂
I love using AirBnb when I travel. Such an amazing way to live like a local in the area as well as a great money saver!
Glad you are having an awesome first Airbnb experience in China! The place looks amazing (Where you’re staying AND the country!)
Our first Airbnb experience was in Iceland, and the whole process was much easier than I anticipated, plus our stay was unique and far from the average stay at a hotel. I recommend it to all the travelers I know!
Hey Jay! That’s awesome. Do you by chance still have the link to this place in Iceland?
Good morning Will,
Ever since our first experience with Airbnb it is always the first place I look for lodging when traveling. I love having a kitchen – for budget and healthy eating. Also, sometimes it is easier to find a personal residence near public transportation like metro stops since. I mean, public transport is designed for locals not hotel guests!
Another major benefit I’ve found is that often your hosts are wonderful resources for things to do in the area. One of our hosts took us to their favorite beach for the day and hung out with us.
Airbnb stays can sometimes be cheaper too. Especially if you are traveling in a group.
Cheers!
Dale Hampton
Hey Dale, thanks for stopping by again. A lot of great points for why Airbnb is awesome. When was the last time you were able to stay at one?