Saddling up for the night with Airbnb

David King

If life is anything like in the movies, there was a day in that life when a countryman could trot up to a stranger's house on his horse, saddle up for the night, enjoy a hot meal and get some rest out in the back barn, all for less than a sixpence. Their hosts, of course (often damsels in distress) opened their doors freely to those in their community, and let me tell you, those coming and going were on a budget that had to last longer than sunrise.

Okay, so life is no movie, but in our era of now going beyond social networking, Airbnb.com is one of those companies who's bringing back those good ole' days. At first, the founders' ideas were dismissed as ridiculous. After all who would suddenly start renting out a room in their house to a short-term traveller they've never met?

Of course, anything before its time is usually met with resistance. Now rumoured to be a billion dollar venture (it's an unconfirmed rumour folks), Airbnb is a modern day "how did they do that?" outfit that's set the standard for not only connecting travellers with hosts online, but in in the live flesh. Expanding to almost 10, 000 cities around the world in only a couple of years, Airbnb is already the industry leader in creating a community that goes well and beyond couchsurfing-style accommodations, and it's unlocked the door to some of the most unique accommodations on the planet, including B&B,s, flats, rooms, and unusual rentals like boats, treehouses, castles and event venues. Where else can you rent an entire apartment in NY's Hell's Kitchen or a studio overlooking the Eiffel Tower for less than a hundred bucks?

Fact is, travellers today have a harder time meeting their dietary restrictions in restaurants, trapping themselves in stuffy hotel rooms, or not getting the full benefits of their more sophisticated tastes in unique travel excursions. With a company like Airbnb, all those needs are met - access to kitchens and cooking and more, without paying for luxury suites or apartment-hotels, and great advice from hosts without the droning, endless speech of a tour guide. There is full range of options well-suited for today's travellers, all while helping the coffers of individuals ourselves. And unlike Couchsurfing, the market caters to older folks just as much as backpackers hitting the road before they start university in the Fall.

Airbnb Crewbie-Newbies / Vayia Geromoschos 

Having been a host myself at Airbnb for a year, I've connected with people from around the world and look forward to visiting them when I go abroad. Noticing Airbnb was hiring to fill its demand, I recently jumped aboard Airbnb's Aircrew, an international, customer support system for Airbnb-ers that has played a big part in Airbnb's success. It's not your typical CS role, and what's most exciting about it is the huge range of responsibilities the Aircrew tackle in one day, from live chat and direct phone support to problem-solving and shout-outs to new hosts.

Back at headquarters in San Francisco, Airbnb staff have been busy moving into a huge new office recently, and continue to import more Aircrew members and staff to keep up with the insane demand. After Ashton Kutcher recently announced his investment alongside founding partners Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia, things are "onwards and upwards", to coin a well-known Airbnb phrase. The multi-lingual staff have a terrific joie-de-vivre that mirrors the Airbnb community itself, and coming from all kinds of backgrounds during this transition time, it's a diversity that should make for a lot of longevity in Airbnb's future, one possibly to the extent of the rags-to-riches story that we now call Facebook.

With exceptional programs for guests and hosts such as Airbnb's Social Connections, Superhosting and Night Writing, Airbnb seems to be going the extra mile for its travellers and those accommodating them. Depending on the location, the team's international photographers visit hosts' homes regularly for free-of-charge professional photography of each listing, while less remote locations can be set up with the help of Aircrew and some simple latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. Hosts have options for cleaning fees and deposits along with their listings, and all transactions are carried out through Airbnb by holding the payment until 24 hours after the guest has checked in, creating less worry for the traveller and for the host in not having to make that awkward transaction in person.

The "Collections" listing on Airbnb for luxury travel is particularly impressive. By having options to auto list a space on Craigslist or Facebook, and to review each guest and host at the end of each stay, visitors to the site have all the information they need with one click, proving Airbnb is not only providing a cut above the rest in service, but a world-class system that's constantly being tweaked with feedback from the community itself.

With this Aircrew, who wouldn't jump on a plane today? / Jessi Whitby Wright

It's easy to be a skeptic after experiencing the dot.com bubble burst in the 90s and the descent of the U.S. economy in recent years. Wherever success lies, a skeptic and a clone looking to cash in on that success are right around the corner. As companies like Wimdu attempt to rip off Airbnb's platform for growth, Airbnb is already the little engine-that-could in the tech industry these days, through not only strong leadership and investment, but a superior community of Airbnb-ers themselves. Airbnb may not have a horse to lend out yet, but considering it's  touted  as the "E-bay of space", you're sure to find more than a back barn within its listings (and then some!) for a fantastic trip, all at the fraction of a hotel price.

Get along, little doggie.

Visit Airbnb.com for more details on hosting or travelling through the site.