Over the past several years, I have slowly but surely made the transition from automatically booking a hotel for every vacation, to staying in everything from BnBs to Hostels and more. While there are quite a few reasons why I made the switch, I’ve compiled here the top 3 reasons why I no longer book hotels and why you should consider it for your own travels.

1. The Cost

When it comes to Airbnbs and hostels, you can't beat them for price. Hotels charge $80 upward a night for anything relatively decent, and then you will have to pay a deposit on top of that, plus a charge for anything in the room that you eat or drink.

I rented a studio apartment in Seoul through Airbnb for my sister and I that cost us around $45 a night. The apartment was in a safe area, conveniently-located a few minutes' walk from the subway station, and spacious enough for the both of us to spend a week there comfortably. The host left us snacks and water for free, and there was a full kitchen, washing machine, iron, bathroom and shower, etc all available for us to make use of. We would never have gotten that kind of value for our money at a hotel.

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Of course, the price of an Airbnb will vary depending on what country you're visiting and whether you're staying in the city, suburbs or countryside. For example, you probably won't find a studio apartment like our one in Seoul for $45 in a city like New York or Los Angeles.

You’ll also typically pay more for an entire place vs a room in someone’s house. However, even then, the price of an Airbnb in one of those cities compared to the price of a hotel is just too great a difference for me, personally, to justify spending the money, especially considering all the extra resources you can get by renting out someone’s place.

2. The People

Another thing that Airbnbs have on hotels is the host. My travel experiences really did a 180-degree turnaround when I started staying with real people in their homes. The families that I’ve lodged with treated me like a guest rather than a customer.

Practically every host I've met through Airbnb has gone out of their way to make me feel personally welcome, and I've also been able to acquire some amazing insider knowledge about the places that I've stayed in. Locals just have the kind of familiarity with the location that hotel staff might not, and I've been able to find out some really neat things about the places that I’ve visited.

*discovered Glenveagh National Park thanks to some amazing hosts!*

Lots of BnB rentals will have guidebooks with local restaurants, interesting sights, emergency info and more. In fact, one of my all-time favourite trips to Ireland began with a two-night stay at the Apple Hostel in Letterkenny. The town was cute, and I'm sure I would have found some interesting things to do there, but the lovely ladies at the hostel gave me a run-down of the best attractions in the area while I checked in. I never would have known about the local bus that went to Glenveagh National Park and back just once per day, but thanks to my hosts I was able to hop on that bus and discover what is now my absolute favourite place in the country.

3. The Experience

I will admit, from time to time an all-inclusive resort sounds pretty nice, but it can get boring spending time in cookie cutter rooms that all start to blend together after long enough. Thanks to hostels and Airbnbs, I've been able to stay the night on a sailboat, in a refurbished gypsy caravan, in a traditional Korean hanok, on a farm, and so much more. These are just the types of quirky and memorable experiences that you can’t get at a hotel.

Here are just a couple of amazing experiences that I’ve had staying with locals . . .

Bella, Sylvia and the Gypsy Wagon

My mom made it very clear pretty much any time I happened to be planning a trip to England: You have to go see the Cotswolds. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to heed her advice but, when I finally did, I was beyond amazed at the astounding natural beauty that the area had to offer.

Browsing through bnbs in the Cotswolds region was overwhelming to say the least. You're never starved for quality, stylish and memorable options for accommodation, but when I saw the listing for a refurbished, antique gypsy wagon, I was pretty much sold.

Getting into and around the Cotswolds was a feat and a half. Because many of the villages in the area are motor-vehicle-free, you have to get a little bit creative in going from place to place, but that's what keeps the Cotswolds so incredibly pristine and beautiful. The scenery remains largely untouched by any kind of pollution.

*In the Enchanted forest with my new best friend*

Luckily, my host, Bella, was kind enough to pick me up in Moreton-In-Marsh, which was as close to Blockley as I could get by train. When we arrived at her beautiful house, it took all of ten minutes for her adorable daughter to become my new "best friend." After teaching her a few Irish dancing moves and letting her show me around the "enchanted forest" behind her back yard, Bella led me to the Wagon.

It was pastel pink and green with just enough room for a bed, coal-burning stove and a bit of space under the bed for luggage. To me, it was perfect. Though it was November, and the weather in England was quite chilly, I could not have been more comfortable when night came and the sounds and smells of the fire filled the cosy caravan. Little Sylvia popping in before her bedtime to swap scary stories with me was just the cherry on top of a kind of surreal night. And next morning, Bella dropped me at Broadway Tower for a day of hiking the Cotswolds.

Learning to Sail in Southampton

When I booked a night aboard a sailboat in Southampton, I expected a few things. I figured I'd spend some time waltzing along the beach, maybe get some ice cream, watch the sunset and let the ocean rock me to sleep. Now, granted, I also did all of those things too, but what I was definitely not prepared for was to find myself behind the wheel of said sailboat, guiding her slowly-but-surely to the famed Isle of Wight under the watchful eye of the ship's owner.

How to describe Andrew . . . He was a fascinating character, with a quite unexpected backstory. He grew up in South Africa before moving to England when the social and political atmosphere of his hometown became a bit too violent. Drew had a story for everything, and sometimes they bordered curiously on fiction. He seemed to walk a thin line between reality and fantasy that kept you hanging onto his every word, wondering how much of the truth he was actually allowing you to hear.

He had a grand vision: to sail his little sailboat around the entire globe. He was in the planning process, mapping out his route and interviewing crew to bring aboard for the journey. He was nothing less than captivating, which is why - when he caught my eyes just outside the harbour and casually asked me if I wanted to take the wheel for a while - I felt almost compelled to say yes.

Sailing was almost intuitive for me, which was surprising considering I'd never lived anywhere near the water, much less set foot on a boat at all. Perhaps it was Drew's patient teaching style or the jolt of confidence that I got when presented with his eccentric personality. Whatever it was, I found out that day that trying something new and getting ever-so-slightly out of my comfort zone made for some pretty good stories.

Vodka for a Ride

If you've looked into Iceland, even a bit, then you probably know how infamously expensive it is to take a trip there. They have to import nearly everything to the island country, which causes gas, food, drink and many other expenses to skyrocket.

When I decided to book a flight with an overnight layover in Iceland, I unfortunately did not realize this. Luckily, Siggi, the host of the BnB that I booked had a system going for his guests. It was pretty simple: you bring him a litre of duty-free vodka, and in exchange you get a free ride to and from Keflavik airport.

Because alcohol is one of the many things that get imported to Iceland, it's a win for Siggi, who doesn't have to buy it locally, and a win for the guest, who doesn't have to drop a small fortune on a taxi.

Why I Don’t Stay In Hotels Anymore

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