Life of luxury for less with AirBnb
- Claire Ottaviano
- Dec 1, 2015
- 3 min read
As transient traveller’s we are hardly ever in one place for more than a week. Going from hotel to hotel in between the RV and settling in Canada became cumbersome as we started to miss the creature comforts of home such as a stovetop and kitchenware, our own bedding and space to - temporarily - call home.
Our last two AirBnb stays have not disappointed with full kitchens and plenty of space of our own for less than we’ve spent on hotel rooms. Spending less on accommodation doesn’t always mean getting the worst.
In November we arrived in Calgary and needed to stay in the City to set up our working and living life in Canada, this included getting a SIN (Social Insurance Number), setting up bank accounts, transferring our Australian dollars to Canadian online via HiFX, buying phones, buying snowboards and all our warm gear (jackets, pants, boots and general shoes for cold weather) and buying a car as well as insurance and registration for the car.
We thought we could do this all in one week and then head out to Banff to start job exploring. But these things take time and as our week’s accommodation came to an end we hit AirBnb for something cheaper outside the City.
We found several choices about 20 minutes from the City for about $50 to $60 dollars a night.
We ended up lucky enough to stay in West Springs, a suburb that would usually be way out of our league, for a weekly rate of $300 not including service and cleaning fees.
What we loved
Quiet, friendly neighbourhood,
Fully stocked kitchen including small home luxury items such as a blender and a dining room table.
It had a very homely feel, comfy bed and linen.
A host who told us all about the area, where to shop, eat etc.
Our second stay came after a week in a typical hotel room in Banff with little more than a bed, bathroom, small fridge and microwave. Given the choice of staying with these facilities in Banff we chose to venture out for something bigger. What we found on AirBnb was our own Cabin an hour and a half away for $10 less than we had in Banff.
We almost went back to Calgary but by searching around we didn’t just find accommodation, we found an experience, a cabin in the woods, definitely another tick off our bucket list.
What we loved
A truely 'cabin in the woods' experience.
Two storey cabin to ourselves.
Kitchen with stove and oven.
On hand lodge manager with insightful information about the area.
Some more money saving tips.
Book early to get the best
Unfortunately because most of the time we’re only booking the day before we need accommodation, there is a lot less to choose from and the cheapest and best usually get scooped up – we’ve done okay booking late but you can do better booking early.
Weekly Rates
Something we learnt about AirBnb that we didn’t realise our first time around was that some places offer discounts for weekly stays. Our accommodation in West Springs Calgary, a very nice part of town, was $91 a night vs $52 a night weekly rate. So don’t overlook somewhere that might be up to $20 or $30 more because if they have a cheaper weekly/monthly rate it will work out cheaper.
Cleaning fees
Each AirBnb can charge different for cleaning fees, from $20 to $200 dollars. Can make a cheap place add up.
Book a room not entire place
Booking a single room has its advantages if you're travelling alone. It means you interact with your host more and have more opportunities to meet people. But as a couple paying $30 each for a bed in a hostel it is almost always better for us to go at it alone. We mainly book entire places because we like the accessibility and convenience of cooking 80 per cent of our meals at home.
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