Gouda: My first AirBnb experience.

In my last post, I spoke about my first Couchsurfing experience, so now I would like to talk about my first AirBnb experience. I have already written about my traveling in Gouda, Holland, and I had only briefly spoken about my AirBnb there. This post will elaborate on it in more detail.

How did I find it?

A Cuban friend of mine living in Spain sent to me an invitation to refer me to AirBnb. In accepting her referral request, we would both get $30 off of our next booking (but I had to book mine first in order for her to benefit). I gladly accepted the referral request because I needed to find housing for my upcoming trip to Gouda, and I wanted to try something different than Couchsurfing while still staying within my low budget. After searching for days for the perfect place, my travel friend and I finally came across an AirBnb flat that was in our budget and it seemed decent.

At first I was a little bit skeptical about the place because I didn't think that the pictures looked that nice, but I had judged it wrong. Upon arriving at our host's home, I saw that our bedroom and bathroom were cleaner and more comfortable than I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The beds were made with fresh sheets and clean towels were folded on the beds. The carpet was also vacuumed before our arrival.

What to expect.

AirBnb has different types of hosting:

• The host does not live on the premises, meaning that you get the house or apartment all to yourself.
• The host lives in the home but you stay in separate rooms.
• You share the bedroom with the host. 

I was initially hesitant to choose the option of sharing the home with the host because I was concerned about my independence and wanted to have the ability to come and go as I pleased. Thankfully this was never an issue, and I felt totally at ease and comfortable during the entire stay. Upon arrival, our host, who is a student in his last year of high school, gave us the spare keys and not even five minutes after we entered our rooms, he informed us that he was going out for dinner and we could make ourselves at home. I was shocked (in a good way)!     

It is important to keep in mind that every host has different rules and conditions for their AirBnb homes, and usually they inform you of these rules on the AirBnb website so that you are well aware of all the conditions before booking your stay. Following these rules are a reasonable thing to do, especially since you are staying in someone else's home.

One thing that I do like about AirBnb is that because you are paying the host for your stay, you don't necessarily have the obligation to spend quality time with them, although it is definitely a nice (and recommended thing) to do, or at least try to do. I think this is why I prefer AirBnb to Couchsurfing. For example, when we stayed at our host's place in Gouda, my friend and I went out to explore the city while our host was spending time with his friends. When we came home, we made our dinner and sat in the living room with the boys, making some small talk and it was very nice company. It felt natural, never like a forced or strained friendly environment.

How to be a good guest.

A key piece of advice that I have to give you is very simple, yet much too often overlooked. It is to show consideration for your host. Yes, you are paying for your AirBnb, so it is considered a service, but please be a decent human being and clean up after yourself. Simple things like cleaning the dishes after you use them or picking up your trash before you leave may seem obvious things to do for some people, but many people don't do these things. For me I find it rude and inconsiderate.

I remember on our last day there just before leaving the home, I was cleaning the dishes that we had used for breakfast. When he saw that I was cleaning up, our host told me that I didn't have to do it and he would take care of it for us anyway. I said to him that there was no way that I would just leave the place without cleaning up the dishes that I dirtied. He was surprised that I said that because he informed me that many guests before us never cleaned up behind themselves.

I understand that we are paying to stay there, but I consider this pay going toward the clean sheets and towels which will be replaced after each guest, as well as the overall cleanup of the bathroom and bedroom, but I do not consider this pay going toward my host picking up my mess. The secret to being the best guest is to leave the place the same as you found it, and not worse.

Keep expectations low.

One cannot judge all AirBnbs based on only one experience (same thing goes for Couchsurfing). I think the best way to approach each AirBnb or Couchsurfing experience is with an open mind and low expectations. Actually, my tip for always being impressed and/or satisfied is to have low expectations and allow for the possibility of those low expectations to be exceeded, leaving you pleasantly surprised.