Social Distance While Traveling With Airbnb & Save $40 On Your First Trip
The coronavirus pandemic has halted travel in recent months. Airlines and hotel chains are struggling and are hoping for travelers to start spending money again. Some recent data shows that travel is picking up, but we are still far away from getting back to normal.
But even when people do start traveling again, we will do so differently. When it comes to hotel stays, will be focusing on things that we probably didn’t previously consider, such as cleaning procedures and social distancing. Also do you choose a hotel or opt out for Airbnb?
Hygiene
Hotels could have an edge when it comes to hygiene. Hotel chains have introduced things like deep cleaning procedures using medical-grade chemicals and contact-less check-ins.
Airbnb also has new cleaning protocol for hosts. It includes cleaning with government-approved disinfectants, and waiting 24 hours after a guest checks out before anyone else enters. But there is no guarantee that hosts will follow these procedures.
That could actually be the case for hotel rooms as well, but people tend to trust established companies more. Still, it is worth doing some checking on your own when you get to a hotel or Airbnb. Check out the space, especially surfaces and corners to see if there’s accumulated dirt or grime. Also check with host or check in agent and ask how often rooms are cleaned and sanitized.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says the novel virus “does not spread easily touching surfaces or objects”. Also surfaces are no longer a risk after 1-3 days.
Social Distancing
This is where Airbnb and similar home sharing services have the upper hand. Hotels have way more people passing through the property, or even being there at the same time. That increases the chances of coming across someone who might be infected.
Especially if you rent a private property on Airbnb, you are guaranteed to be the only person there, so social distancing will be easy.
Airbnb Signup Bonus
If you have never used Airbnb in the past you can join now and get up to $55 off your first trip:
- $40 off your first stay of $255 or more
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$15 off your first experience booking of $50 or more
Conclusion
I use Airbnb often myself when I travel. While you might not get the service or amenities that you find in hotels, you do get more options for stays, especially when it comes to older neighborhoods where hotel chains are rare. For paid stays, it’s often cheaper as well.
Let us know in the comments about the pros and cons of Airbnb and whether social distancing or hygiene concerns will change your travel habits.
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While we are on the subject of Airbnb… any idea how I can get my service fee refunded? They gave me a credit but I asked for it to be refunded since I won’t be able to use it this year (it expire 12/31) I asked for the refund on the 15th.
Thanks
Patrick