Why We Are Loving Aibnb

I'm never at the forefront of a movement. I have never been among the first to sing the praises of a new website, social media platform or life-changing app, because I have never actually there in the beginning. Whether it was Ebay, Napster, Myspace, Facebook or Twitter, I was always among the last to finally have a look for myself, and always wondered why I waited so long. Ebay was always among my favourites because it allowed me to pursue an interest in collecting a lot of useless stuff that I was crazy about, and, at the same time sell things for a profit. Or a least enough money to keep buying the useless stuff that I was so obsessed with at that time. Looking back at my transaction history, it seems that I gave as good as I took.

Speed ahead a few years, and along comes another website that I once again wish I had investigated when I first became aware of it more than several years ago. Enter Airbnb, the online platform that puts people seeking short term rentals in touch with those willing to share their personal space. After a quick look and a few recommendations from some friends that were doing it themselves, I decided to start my own Airbnb business in February and it has been quite a success story ever since. What was at first meant to be a way to make a little extra money sharing a room in my home has quickly become a full time endeavour. And what a pleasure it has been.

It began with opening my account on a Monday afternoon. I took some pictures of the room that I wanted to rent out, along with some pictures of the rest of our home, and posted them to my listing. Then I began describe my unit to prospective renters with colourful language and detail, trying to make it as appealing as possible to anyone looking for a couple of nights in a private room in a "shared, luxury oceanfront condo." To be fair, I didn't have to lie or make my place out to be nicer than it was. I think I have a pretty nice home, and we take pride in keeping it fresh and clean. One reason we do so is because I can be a little meticulous about things. The other is reason is because we live directly in front of the Caribbean Sea, on one of the most famous beaches in the world. Being in one of the most humid places on the planet, and in conditions that the insurance company calls "intensive saline aggression," we constantly have to replace TV's, electronic goods, refrigerators, air conditioners and ceiling fans. Its a lot of work and it's a job that anyone who lives at the beach knows all too well. Price one pays to live in paradise.

That First Guest

I really didn't think it was going to take very long before someone wanted to come to our part of Mexico, Cancun to be exact, and be in need of an affordable alternative to the ridiculously expensive hotel and all-inclusive options that this tourist haven is best known for. Surely someone wouldn't mind a room in someone else's home on the exact same beach as Ritz-Carlton, but for literally one-tenth the price. I just didn't think that I would happen so fast. And the timing couldn't have been worse.

I set up my account on Monday afternoon, and somehow ended up in the hospital after a freak accident early Tuesday morning with fifty stitches in and around my eye after several hours of plastic surgery. So there I was in a recovery room, when, in my medicated stupor, my phone started to vibrate. In my condition I was prepared to let it keep vibrating since I really didn't want to talk to anyone, but it kept going on and on and on, to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. So I picked up my phone, and, with my one good eye, realized that I had someone looking for a night's stay in our home, arriving the following day in the late afternoon. For anyone who doesn't know how Airbnb works, a host has 24 hours to respond to a reservation request, or risks being penalized. Here I am, with only four hours left before I get failing grade for my first test, and I have no idea on the verge of blowing it. I certainly didn't think that I would have someone interested so fast, and me being me, I showed little interest in checking my messages. But here we were.

I can't tell you how excited I was and yet, at the same time, how bad I wanted to tell this woman that I couldn't accommodate her request. I was in the hospital, looking like a monster, and not even sure that the house or the room were guest ready. But I needed this, so I sprung into action, frantically calling my wife and our cleaning lady in an attempt to have the place picture perfect in a relatively short period of time. Amazingly, we (they) were able to pull it off.

We couldn't have asked for a better "first" Airbnb experience. Judy was just awesome. When she arrived, I think she sensed that we had never hosted anyone before and she went out of her way to make us feel comfortable. She was very experienced at using the site, and had booked many stays with it. She admitted that she felt that she was taking a shot with us because we didn't have any user reviews and that those guest insights were tantamount to her deciding where to stay. Her logic was simple, though. She said she chose me (she didn't know that I lived with my fiancé) because in my profile picture I had a nice face and that if, in fact, I was some sort of pervert, she could always just leave. It was a great twenty-four hours, and we made a friend for life. When she left she left us a stellar review. That was the review that started our "business" and we have been booked ever since.

Six Months Later

Since that first guest, we have successfully hosted over one-hundred and fifty couples in our home, and have well over fifty more coming in the next four months. We have met people from all over the world and made some new friends that we are sure will be in our lives for years to come. For us, Airbnb has been a wonderful experience, and provided us with an opportunity to make some very good money at the same time. Since Airbnb has recognized our effort by awarding us something they call "Super Host" status, which, in turn has helped us to market our property much easier and with better results, we have even begun selecting neighbouring apartments to represent as well. I can't say enough about Airbnb, and would recommend getting involved to anyone with some extra space, and who enjoys meeting new people, and has a flair for hospitality. Anyone can do it, and everyone will have different results. We know that we are lucky to live in a vacation area, and that makes our listings desirable. But the formula works everywhere, and there are many types of travellers. The opportunities are endless. The best part of this is that this isn't one of those opportunities where you had to be in on the ground floor, or at the beginning. The bigger and more popular the site becomes, the more opportunity for everyone.