Switched from Airbnb to guesthouses in Thailand and saved $200 in 2 weeks

I spent my first week in Chiang Mai booking Airbnbs and kept dropping like $35 a night. Then a local guy at a market told me to try guesthouses instead. I found this place near the old city for $12 a night with free breakfast and laundry. The room was basic but clean and the owner gave me tips on where to eat cheap. Has anyone else found guesthouses way better than Airbnb for certain countries?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_sullivan292d ago

Not really buying the guesthouse hype here honestly. Airbnbs give you a private bathroom, AC that actually works, and a kitchen to cook your own food, which saves way more than $12 a night if you're eating out every meal. Guesthouses might seem cheap upfront but then you're paying for laundry separately, buying water bottles since the tap isn't safe, and eating out constantly because there's no fridge or stove. Plus that $35 Airbnb in Chiang Mai probably had WiFi that didn't cut out every 10 minutes and a bed that wasn't basically a mattress on concrete. Ever added up all those little extra costs at a guesthouse and realized you didn't save much at all?

christopher_flores462d ago

Yeah I had pretty much the same thing happen in Vietnam last year. Booked a couple Airbnbs in Hanoi at first and they were fine but nothing special, then I found this guesthouse near the lake for like $10 a night. The room had a fan and a cold shower but honestly that was all I needed, especially since the street food outside was cheaper and better than anything I'd get near a tourist spot. Plus the owner was this older lady who didn't speak much English but she'd point me to places on a map and gave me free tea every morning. Guesthouses just feel more real to me, if that makes sense.