Don’t Sleep on these Airbnb filters!
Have you ever wondered how to filter on Airbnb? How about which filters on Airbnb to select? Airbnb makes it very easy to filter for exactly what you are looking for on vacation! Let me paint a picture for you. You’ve been searching the Airbnb app for hours. You’ve added ten places to your wish list. You are talking to your travel partner about which one is going to provide the ultimate weekend get away. You are seeing your favorite band perform. You have front row seats at an incredible venue downtown. You settle on this unbelievable apartment on the 28th of a luxe downtown high-rise. Every room has floor to ceiling windows. There’s a pool on the rooftop. The penthouse has a gym and a bar, you laugh because you already know which one you’re using. You deserve this vacation! You’ve been looking forward to it for months. You arrive at the building… and there’s no place to park your car. The doorman lets you know there are several nice garages… a few blocks away. You drive over, thinking a brisk walk to and from the apartment won’t be that bad. You pull into the garage and think… this is nice enough. The sign at the entrance lets you know that parking is only… $48 a night. What? No! That’s almost $100 you didn’t account for right at the start of your trip!
One of the pitfalls of renting amazing places to stay is that sometimes, they don’t always meet your expectations. Luckily, Airbnb employs a robust filter system that allows the host to notate exactly what their listing will offer, and more importantly, allows the guest to know exactly what to expect. They are very easy to find too! You can add filters on Airbnb before or after you search!
If you are familiar with Airbnb, you probably already know about the common filters: entire house vs. shared space, location, price, are pets allowed (I wish my dogs could come to every place), and cancelation flexibility, but you may be less familiar with all of the filtering options you have available. In this post, I’ll go over some filters you may not think to use - and why you should consider them next time you are searching for the perfect place.
Free Parking
You may have guessed one of these filters would be free parking. If you are planning on staying in any metropolitan area, whether it be downtown, or in a hip suburban neighborhood, I always recommended searching for places that provide free parking. Another destination you may want to consider filtering for parking is historic cities and neighborhoods. Old world cities and neighborhoods certainly have their charm, but their winding cobblestone streets and narrow alleys can create a headache for travelers looking for street parking (looking at you Charleston). If you aren’t flying to your vacation spot but instead bringing your own car or renting one, it is critical that you have a safe place to leave your car. Free parking is available in the facilities group of filters.
Airbnb Plus / Airbnb Luxe
Planning a special trip? Need to make sure you are guaranteed a comfortable mattress? Want to rent an expansive (and expensive) mansion? Consider trying to filter your search by Airbnb Plus or Airbnb Luxe. The plus classification recognizes listings that meet “exceptional quality, comfort, and style.” To qualify for Airbnb Plus, hosts most meet certain requirements that ensure the guests will have a incredible stay. To learn more about Airbnb Plus, click here. Airbnb Luxe takes this idea one step (honestly several hundred steps) further. With Airbnb Luxe you can rent entire castles in the south of France, book famous accommodations like the beachfront Caribbean home where the James Bond novels were written, or an medieval villa in the hills of Tuscany. While Airbnb Luxe’s often come with a hefty price tag - the also come with the best amenities. Each is paired with a dedicated trip designer who will book bespoke local experiences, arrange for a private wine tasting, or schedule a private chef to prepare all your meals. If you’re looking for a fancier trip, or the trip of lifetime, be sure to search using these filters, available in the verified places filter group.
Yurts, Domes, Castles Oh My!
My favorite filter group is the unique stays group. One of the mantras of this website is unique stays, and there is no better place to look than the unique stays filter group. Here you can sort stays by some truly interesting accommodation types. Sleep in the middle of the forest, retreating back to your yurt complete with heating and a bathroom, stay in a glass topped glamping dome in the wilds of Finland and fall asleep under the stars, or book a castle in the Scottish moors. The unique stays filter group truly is a place of wonder. Recently, we have seen the addition of entire islands in the sounds of the pacific northwest, lighthouses perched on rocky coasts, quaint cottages on working farms, and houseboats in the Florida keys all available for booking. Definitely don’t miss out on this filter.
Honorable Mentions
Before we wrap up I wanted to mention a few more filters I love to utilize
Waterfront/Beachfront: Looking for the perfect lake house or ocean front condo with access to the water? Use the waterfront or beachfront filter in the amenities filter group
Indoor Fireplace/Hot Tub: Looking for the perfect romantic mountain cabin? Be sure to check out the indoor fireplace and hot tub filters in the amenities filter group
Language: Traveling to another country? You can filter for hosts that speak your language in the language filter group
Ski in/Ski out: Looking for a chalet that you can jump on the slopes from? Engage this filter in the amenities filter group
Piano: Because why not stay in a place with a piano?! Look for this filter in the amenities group
I hope this list has been helpful! As always email us with any tips or tricks you have found with Airbnb filters at seeseeksleep@gmail.com.
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