The view from the balcony of my Airbnb accommodation (Photo: Airbnb)
During a recent business trip to Los Angeles, I stayed in an Airbnb apartment for the first time. When I made the booking, I was thrilled at the prospect of getting more for less—fabulous location, more space, free parking and (of course) free high-speed wi-fi. But as a first-timer, I also had a plenty of questions about using Airbnb for a business trip.
Regular TravelSkills readers may recall why I chose Airbnb for this trip…here’s a snippet from my previous post Are Uber, Airbnb or Lyft safe?
I booked an Airbnb condo in Los Angeles because all the convention hotels near my conference were sold out—except one property 10 miles away. The thought of a 10-mile slog in LA traffic was unbearable. Through Airbnb, I booked a one-bedroom condo in a brand-new building across the street from the convention center. Like most business travelers, cost was not my primary motivation, but it made me smile to be saving $84 a night. Hip décor and free use of the building’s gym and pool didn’t hurt either.
Recently, Airbnb has made a play specifically for the business travel market with a new, focused portal and by partnering with Concur on its TripLink product.
But does Airbnb really make sense for business travelers? Let’s see…
The unit’s living room was a lovely place to hang out at the end of the day. (Photo: Airbnb)
Here’s how my Airbnb stay played out:
Right off the bat, I have to say that I missed the familiarity of checking in in a hotel lobby. “Checking-in” at my Airbnb proved to be confusing and time-consuming. I was thrilled to have free parking for my rental car. So when I drove in from the airport, I followed the instructions the host provided. Entry required punching a code into a garage keypad, identifying myself and waiting for someone on the other end to open the gate. There were some miscues, and that process took about 10 minutes. The iron gate finally swung open.
The unit’s keys were to be in a lockbox on a pillar by the parking space. Thankfully, opening the lockbox went without a hitch. But then, it was not clear how to get from the parking garage into the locked building. At this point I was thinking fond and nostalgic thoughts about hotel front desks—I wanted one! After 10 more minutes, two phone calls and a few texts, I was in. Hours later I realized the fob for building entry was on the key ring. Dumb. Still, at a hotel, I would have been unpacked by then.
Bedroom in my Airbnb accommodation. But what happens when you need to call “housekeeping” for an extra towel? (Photo: Airbnb)
Luckily, it got better once inside. The apartment was lovely and as clean as any hotel room. The view of the Convention Center, Staples Center and L.A. Live was just as the listing promised. There was complimentary coffee (Keurig!), tea, and water bottles, and snacks were provided free of charge. And of course, free wi-fi is always a welcome amenity.
The primary reason I chose this Airbnb apartment was its super-handy location. I was only a three minute walk from the front door of the LA Convention Center and reveled in the convenience– I was closer than all those other attendees at my convention who were paying significantly more up the street at the JW Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton.
Related: Best new biz-class hotels in L.A. | 20 business class seats in one room
In the morning, it felt a little weird waiting for the building’s elevator with some “real” (non-Airbnb) residents. And I wondered…as an Airbnb guest, was I a persona non grata? Maybe. I smiled and looked down. The following days I would conceal my convention badge.
One day while at the convention, I realized I needed my laptop, which I’d left back at the apartment. I dashed across the street and back in the span of five minutes. If I’d chosen a hotel, this would likely not have been such an easy option. Big score for Airbnb.
The front door to my Airbnb apartment near the LA Convention Center (Photo: Nancy Branka)
When the sun went down, though, I wasn’t feeling the love. I attended a convention-sponsored party at a nearby venue. Easy—just a short walk, right? When I walked over to the event in the evening light with lots of fellow conventioneers around, I felt happy about the sunset stroll.
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However, when the event was over and I had to walk back to the apartment in the dark, I wasn’t so sure about the neighborhood. There was no brightly lit and active hotel front door and lobby staffed by a doorman and a steady stream of cars, taxis and guests. And I wasn’t comfortable with the homeless man camped out by the building’s front door, something I’d less likely encounter at a business-class hotel.
Did my real-life Airbnb experience meet my expectations? Overall, it was a very positive stay because of location, location, location. So I’m glad to have Airbnb in my arsenal of travel resources. Now that I’m no longer an Airbnb newbie, I would feel more comfortable about doing it again, especially for a longer stay.
But on the other hand, there were some hassles that would make me think twice about using Airbnb again for a business trip. Every Airbnb unit, every host and each location is different– careful scrutiny of both is essential to a successful stay. Luckily, the Airbnb site is very helpful when it comes to this with plenty of safeguards, user reviews, verified photos, maps and information. But booking a brand name, business class hotel room doesn’t require such scrutiny.
Have you ever used Airbnb for business travel? Would you feel comfortable using it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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I am currently using AirBnb for business travel in London for the primary reason of having a kitchen. As this is what I consider an extended stay (3+ weeks) I prefer to cook my own meals and couldn’t imagine relying on outside food for that long. For shorter trips or conventions, I prefer to stay in the host hotel or at least nearby – but when looking for a home away from home for the longer trips, AirBnb is great.
Seems like when you add in parking wifi etc you probably saved $125 per night. Sure when the boss man is paying no biggie but if you are self employed it adds up over a few night stay.
After 10 more minutes-I have waited that long to check in many times. No biggie
Airbnb is still working things out and if they really want to get the Biz traveler they have some work to do.
Nice report- Hope you give it another try
Thank you for this excellent article, Chris. Until reading it, I would have probably slept in my rental car rather than rent a place through Airbnb. Your description of getting into the building is exactly what I’d be worried about … OK, I’d be a basketcase. The whole concept is too weird for me, but now I would be willing to try it … I think. Your little LA place sure looked cute.
Thanks for your comments, Henry! Yes, those photos are from the Airbnb apt in LA. — chris
Sometimes the “non-hotel” aspects of Airbnb and vacation homes is the BEST PART about them. Hotels are all good and great, but the cookie-cutter, institutional feel can get old… there’s something nice about coming back to a “home” after a long day at the convention/meetings. If you’re staying more than a few days, that reduced price, larger area, and better amenities wins every time… plus you would have gotten used to all the access issues by Day 2.
By the way, are those pictures of the Airbnb unit you stayed at? It looks AMAZING! I’d take that over a hotel ANY DAY.
I’ve used it 3-4times over the past few years and have been happy with it. You are right in that this isnt a hotel, and you miss the service that a hotel offers (eg the queue of taxis right out the front door, or the on-site restaurant), but between the reduced price, the larger square footage, the better amenities, and the great location, it can really pay off.