Airbnb - more than just a place to sleep and have breakfast!

Post:Ami Page

Personal lifestyle

In 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, two friends sharing an apartment, couldn't afford the rent in expensive San Francisco, so they came up with the idea of ​​renting out part of their living room. They laid out air mattresses on the floor and even offered homemade breakfast to make the service more appealing. The name "Airbnb" comes from their idea of ​​"airbed" and "breakfast".

An Airbnb property in Kyoto, Japan.

You might be thinking, "A place to sleep and breakfast, too commonplace for a startup idea," especially since every hotel does that! But what makes this idea different is that they use the apartment itself, with all the furniture and belongings exactly where they were originally placed. No touch from interior designers, no standardized arrangement. When guests arrive, they'll live in your space, read the books on the shelves, eat the jam your mother just made a few days ago, and if fate allows, they'll likely become important friends later on.

Now you find it more interesting, right?

While wandering through the apartments of various artists living in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, my sister-in-law, a French ceramics artist, confided: "Actually, I wanted to attend 'Open Door Day' partly to see the artwork, but mostly to see how the interiors of ordinary, walled-off houses next door are decorated. This is a rare opportunity to better understand someone's lifestyle."

That's right, Airbnb has hit the jackpot by capitalizing on lifestyle trends. Visiting Airbnb is like browsing a catalog of beautiful homes, but the difference is that now you can contact the homeowner and "ask" to stay in their house for a short time. And if you think Airbnb is just a budget-friendly option, you're mistaken. It can offer you a luxurious room in a two-story apartment in downtown New York, a weekend getaway on a houseboat floating on the water in Amsterdam, or even help you realize your dream of owning a French wine estate, albeit only for a few days!

Airbnb and its "5-star" rating

The location of the house is important, as are the interior decor and the quality of the breakfast. But to convince a complete stranger that your home is exactly what they're looking for among over a million homes in 34,000 cities across 190 countries, you need more than that.

To receive a "5-star" rating, you need positive reviews (from previous guests), attentive service (answering all guest questions attentively, even picking them up at the airport or cycling with them to visit the fish market at dawn), sharing engaging stories (about yourself, not someone else), and treating them to delicious food (as if you were a culinary ambassador). And most importantly, you need to care for them like family, like cooking porridge for them when they're sick, even if this isn't listed in the terms of service, for example...

I can write all this because my family also owns an Airbnb in Hoi An. Our house, named "opposite the rice fields," has gradually become a platform for forging new relationships. For guests interested in exploring Vietnamese cuisine, we're happy to go to the market with them, prepare meals, and share them. They're always so enthusiastic that they even volunteer to wash the dishes, even if it's a paid meal.

I often joke that "just sitting at home makes the whole world want to join me for dinner." Actually, it wasn't just one dinner. Thanks to Airbnb, I once watched the European Junior Rugby Championship final on my laptop screen with two Austrian guests to cheer on their younger brother playing on the field. Or, during the time I had a German guest who worked as a marketing specialist for the fashion brand Diesel, we always talked about fashion and related topics around breakfast.

One of the most interesting guests was probably the guy who, along with his colleagues, created the Google Drive app that I use every day. Or, if it weren't for Airbnb, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to chat with an American guy who works as a wine analyst, specializing in evaluating and recommending wines to pair with dishes served in upscale restaurants…

While we welcome and look forward to receiving "5-star" reviews from our guests, we also know we are fortunate to have experienced "star-level" service ourselves.

I found myself at someone else's house.

The more you interact with Airbnb guests or read interesting stories about Airbnb personalities, the more you'll understand why so many people choose Airbnb for their travels. It has now become a popular trend globally.

The more you interact with Airbnb guests or read interesting stories about Airbnb personalities, the more you'll understand why so many people choose Airbnb for their travels. It has now become a popular trend globally.

Witnessing the destruction of his home after the 2011 earthquake in Japan gave Kiminari a different perspective on life. "Seeing the dead bodies on television, I truly understood that we only live once," Kiminari said. And so, the 35-year-old Japanese man, who had never set foot abroad, decided to embark on a journey. On his trip exploring 38 countries in over 200 days, Kiminari chose to stay only in Airbnb accommodations. His goal was to chat with people willing to teach him about their traditions over dinner, or to be shown hidden gems that no other tourist knew about.

Clarence, a design school student who had grown tired of his classes, turned to Airbnb to explore his potential. Denmark and Belgium were his destinations. And when Clarence stepped into a house in Belgium, he was immediately inspired. To him, the house "felt like a museum." The warm atmosphere, vintage items, antiques, high-hanging ceiling fans, contrasting modern colors, and a beautiful garden hidden behind the house… all led Clarence to decide to shoot a fashion photoshoot in his favorite room, in someone else's house. Luckily, the homeowner was open enough to let him realize his idea. A few days later, Clarence and his team of eight models, a stylist, and a makeup artist worked together, resulting in a successful photoshoot. From that memorable photoshoot, Clarence began to believe that he had the ability. Now, that student has graduated and is working as a professional designer.

I also particularly remember the story of a female tourist from China who forgot her wallet, containing many important documents, on a bus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If it weren't for her enthusiastic Brazilian landlord, the matter would probably have ended at a police station or the bus company's "Lost & Found" information desk. But no, after hours of patiently stopping at every bus stop she passed along the way, even searching on buses that had "slept" at the central bus station, they found the wallet around 3 a.m. And now, the landlord in Rio de Janeiro is taking a professional tourism training course to improve his service.

In an interview with Fran Parente from a local seaside coconut grove, the Brazilian homeowner said something along the lines of, "I just traded my hospitality for a job of a lifetime." And it was all thanks to Airbnb!

Additional information:

But Founded in 2007, Airbnb now has over 25 million members on its network. You can explore the world of Airbnb at www.airbnb.com.

But The process is quite simple. After entering the destination name and finding a house that suits your criteria regarding price and room type, you just need to click "request" and leave a message introducing yourself briefly and stating your desire to stay. If approved, payment will automatically be processed, and you will receive an email with the address and contact information of the homeowner.

But Paris is the destination with the most Airbnb options. From 4,000 hosts in 2012, visitors can now choose from over 40,000 accommodations when visiting the Ile-de-France region.

But When President Obama eased travel restrictions on Cuba in January 2015, Airbnb was one of the first American companies to partner with locals, offering more than 1,000 accommodations across the island nation, many of which were "transformed" from the traditional local casas particulares, a type of homestay.

But In Vietnam, there are over 1000 homes ready to welcome you everywhere, from major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, to Hoi An, Sapa, Cat Ba, and Mui Ne…

The Thanh