Alternatives to hotels and motels

Steve and I have been planning a few art shows out of town, which would require obtaining lodging for a night or two.  And we have always been very traditional, choosing a mid priced hotel or motel in the area of the event.  Recently a friend told me about an alternative to this choice… a web site that carefully curates a selection of properties for day or week rent to travelers.  The web site is world wide, and apparently has been a quiet revolution in lodging world wide.  (where have i been?  i just heard about this a week ago!)

The website is called airbnb.com.

actually visiting the website was stirring my traveling desires, especially some of those incredible spaces like downtown chic lofts, and light houses, old school windmills, and yachts.  The possibilities seem endless.

Knowing very little about this website I posted a request for feedback/information about airbnb on Facebook and was pleasantly surprised at the number of responses I received.  All of them favorable, with the exception of two friends that worried about how these property owners were vetted.  I even had a conversation with a friend who utilized this site for all of her lodging when she traveled to Europe last year, relished the cultural immersion.  Her European hosts were eager to share their lives, town, culture and food.  I think we might enjoy this lodging.  We will certainly let you know the outcome.  (and at the back of my mind i am a bit relieved – the last motel we stayed at was delightful, but that security lock to prevent the door from being opened more than a few inches was broken off the wall…. and i slept with one eye on the door, the other on the chair that was jammed under the doorknob to act as a final barrier. )