For people who travel frequently or those looking to visit vacation destinations off-season, Anna McKitrick of Vegan Group Travel (@annathingbutanimals) has a money-saving hack for booking Airbnbs.
Airbnbs have been somewhat controversial in the traveling world as travelers have called out the excessive rules and fees at some properties. But for certain destinations or long-term stays, they still offer conveniences for some travelers.
In a TikTok, McKitrick claimed that the tip she shared is her “biggest travel hack” that saves her “literally thousands of dollars.”
To take advantage of savings, she recommended that travelers save the contact info of any hosts they have stayed with before and liked.
McKitrick suggested saving their information with their associated destination, such as “Mexico,” and then, when you are traveling to that area again, reaching out to them directly to ask if they would offer an off-season or discounted cash rate.
She also encouraged travelers to be specific in what discount they would like, such as 30% off when paying with cash, or if the destination you’re booking in is in an off-season, as high as 50% off. Last-minute bookings can also garner deep discounts, as Airbnb hosts are more likely to want to get any profit they can out of their rental property if it hasn’t been booked.
The hack, McKitrick swore, “has never not worked,” and she added that she just recently saved $500 on one Airbnb she booked for a month-long stay.
People claiming to be Airbnb hosts in her comment section spoke out, confirming that the hack is legitimate.
“I’m an Airbnb host and she is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT,” wrote @healthysimpleyum.
“As a host this is facts,” added @courtney..johnson.
“I’m a host and we have a handful of people who just text me asking for availabile dates. It totally works and it’s a win-win!” noted @anastasiya.flor.
Booking off-platform can result in savings for both the guest and the host, as Airbnb takes fees out of each stay, but there are some potential risks going that route. For instance, Airbnb explains that off-platform booking can run the risk of the guest losing access to Airbnb-specific cancellation and refund policies, as well as safeguards against things like double-booking.
If you can locate a host’s information or have it from a previous stay, it may be worth simply asking what savings they can offer you.
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