Airbnb quickly became a popular way to book affordable overnight accommodations. With its sleek mobile app and homey settings, booking travel there seemed like a no-brainer and the new and hip thing to do. But with time, travelers are learning that staying at an Airbnb isn’t necessarily the best possible experience in all circumstances.
An extended stay hotel in Juneau, Alaska, can offer many of the great home-like amenities that an Airbnb offers but with improved reliability and resources for travelers. Because Airbnb is offered by individual homeowners, they don’t have the same type of resources that hotels do to ensure the best experience for their customers.
Don’t be fooled by booking with Airbnb because it’s the hottest new trend out there. Instead, weigh these pros and cons between an Airbnb and an extended stay for your travels in Juneau, Alaska.
Airbnb hosts do not have the resources, liability insurance and time to offer airport transportation like a hotel can. Because you’ll be the only guest that the host has for the duration of your stay, the host can’t run a shuttle service for just you.
At an extended stay hotel, guests are coming and going regularly. And the hotel staff can work to ensure the shuttle is ready to pick you up when your flight arrives and get you there punctually when it’s time to return home. Airport transportation is an added cost and stress you don’t need when traveling to Juneau.
When you stay at an Airbnb, you have the resources of just one person. At a hotel, the staff draws upon the experiences of all staff and can use their knowledge to benefit customers. At an Airbnb, the homeowner might not be present during your stay or they might enjoy having their privacy.
Hotels have staff available to help when you need it, no matter the questions you might have. If you’re looking for tips and advice on things to do in the area, the hotel staff can help with that.
Extra sheets and blankets are readily available when you call housekeeping at a hotel. However, when you stay at an Airbnb, you might spend a great deal of time opening closets and searching for extra blankets or sheets.
And if you forgot toothpaste, you might be out of luck when staying at an Airbnb. Hotels draw upon their experience dealing with thousands of guests each year and are prepared with spare toothpaste, shaving cream and more.
Families traveling with young children have unique and special needs. For example, a roll away crib can make for safe sleep when traveling with an infant. And when children sleep better, so do parents. Hotels offer rollaway cribs so that you don’t have to travel with a portable crib.
Certain Airbnb accommodations might just be a private room or apartment attached to the main house. That means that any noise your children make could be problematic to the homeowner. Before you book a stay with an Airbnb for your family, be sure to check and see if the home is family-friendly and evaluate if they have the sleeping arrangements you need to get a good night’s rest.
If you’re traveling in a large group, an Airbnb might mean you have no private space. Plus, extremely large groups might have trouble finding accommodations nearby one another when looking at an Airbnb.
A hotel can offer multiple families or various travelers vacationing together their own space while keeping them close together in the same general vicinity. There’s no need to share bathroom space or living space with other members of your travel party. Instead, relax during your travels with the privacy of personal living space that an extended stay hotel offers.
Each Airbnb host can select how to handle check-in and check out. Some leave a key under the mat; others have a keypad that they provide the code for the day before your arrival. The experience will vary based on how that homeowner chooses to handle your stay.
With a hotel, you know what to expect in the check-in and check-out process. You won’t be left outside trying to make a keypad work or wondering which flowerpot the homeowner was referring to when searching for a key. Instead, you can rest assured that your check-in and check-out process will be smooth and friendly when you book with an extended stay hotel in Juneau, Alaska.
When something goes wrong during your stay, you want to know that there will be someone there to help. For example, when the heating or cooling system isn’t working, there’s a leak or the Wi-fi goes out, who do you call?
At an Airbnb, you might be stuck dealing with the problem while the homeowner is away. Hotels offer the reliability of a front desk and support team who is ready to assist you when you need it.
Homeowners who rent out their homes while they are away might suddenly change plans and cancel your booking. That’s one of the challenges with staying in someone else’s home while they are away.
Many Airbnb managers have policies that they list on the platform to offer vacationers some promise of stability but be sure you read carefully. You can go from one home to another and not realize how vastly different the cancelation policy is.
Hotels provide a reliable place to book accommodations that you can count on. Don’t let a cancelation leave you scrambling days before your trip looking for a good place to stay.
Full washers and dryers in every suite.
Perhaps the only con of staying in a hotel versus an Airbnb is it’s not quite the same homey feeling. Hotels do have a certain feel to them, whereas the vast online directory of Airbnb listings allow you to choose a home with similar décor and tastes as your home.
But that’s where an extended stay hotel can be the perfect combination of a homey feel with the reliability of a hotel. An extended stay suite features in-room laundry, a living space, kitchen and everything you would expect for long-term travels, much like an Airbnb home. The big difference is that you’re guaranteed to not have to share that living space with anyone else unexpectedly.
Juneau Hotel is an extended stay in Juneau, Alaska, that ensures that you get all the comforts of home with all the conveniences of a hotel. We’ll be here when you need us with a 24/7 front desk and your check-in and check-out will include a friendly, smiling face. Book now to experience the perfect blend of hotel convenience with a homey atmosphere.
Further Reading:
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Find the best photos of Juneau, Alaska, and learn the seasons when you should snap these great photos. Here’s your complete list.
