How I Find Child-Friendly Airbnbs While Saving Money
Inspired by a last-minute cancellation message.
Today in 5 minutes I’ll fill you in on:
How to find the most child-friendly Airbnbs.
My proven method for never paying full price on an Airbnb - with screenshots of my negotiations.
Some highlights from staying in 30+ Airbnbs in my 30+ years include:
A 2020-era pivot that led to hosting our wedding at an Airbnb.
The eight months in 2021 spent living nomadically in Airbnbs around the U.S.
Airbnb stays in Mexico, Portugal, Greece, Nicaragua, Sweden, Denmark, Germany as well as many U.S. states for trips ranging from one night to six weeks in length.
At 16 months old, my daughter will be staying in her fourth Airbnb on our trip to Spain next week.
I’ve found the convenience of staying in Airbnbs (full kitchens, more space for the price, often a connection to locals) more favorable than staying in hotels when traveling with a small child.
Even with all of this experience, last week I received a worrying message from the Mallorcan Airbnb host for our upcoming trip that put me into a tizzy.
The host insinuated that she would need to cancel our reservation because of a plumbing issue.
Immediately I was all-hands-on-deck, moving fast to find another place to stay.
As it turns out, I have the booking process down to a science…
What to Look For When Booking Airbnbs with an Infant/Toddler
Non-Negotiable: Great Reviews
Never book Airbnbs with zero reviews. No matter how good of a price they are offering, this risk of the unknown is not worth it when arriving in a new place, let alone with a small child.
4.8 stars or higher. Before becoming a parent, I was happy with 4.5+ stars. Now I am more discerning about the small things like a noisy street and how they can negatively impact the experience with a child.
Prioritize Superhosts. This extra layer of oversight gives me comfort.
Take anecdotal reviews seriously. I always read all of the recent reviews and pay special attention to the ones that mention traveling as a family. If the host has other Airbnb properties, I also read the reviews for those to ensure I’m not missing anything.
My Filters for Child-Friendly Airbnbs
Separate bedroom for your child: The most substantial benefit of staying in Airbnbs instead of hotels is that you can almost always find a spot with a separate bedroom for your child. This allows you to enjoy more space after bedtime without worrying about noise or light.
Kitchen: Must be able to prepare food & bottles easily. Having a kitchen in your lodging is an enormous upgrade to being reliant on a hotel bathroom as your only sink and counter space while traveling.
Laundry: For trips longer than a few days, and especially for trips involving the beach or nature, having laundry is a gamechanger. The ability to do laundry lessens the amount of clothes you have to pack and makes it easier to not to fret if clothes get sandy or dirty.
Outdoor space: As you can see, I optimize Airbnb selections for the post-bedtime period. The period after your child goes to sleep is the longest period of time that you will be awake in the Airbnb without being able to leave. A glass of wine on a balcony goes a long way making a trip feel like vacation, even if you can’t physically leave the house.
WiFi: This one is agnostic of whether you have a child or not. Many places around the world don’t have the same WiFi speeds we are accustomed to in the U.S. You can request a screenshot of an internet speed test from the host via Airbnb message prior to booking.
Nice-to-Haves:
A crib or pack & play. While it would be great not to travel with one, I have had multiple instances where the Airbnb-provided crib is not suitable for my safe sleep standards. You can ask the host for photos of the travel crib via message beforehand.
A high chair. Having a high chair at your destination is helpful, but we’ve found a portable chair that works just fine.
Must Not Have:
A ton of random trinkets. I’ve become pretty accustomed to rearranging the Airbnb furniture to fit my parent travel needs, but Airbnbs that are very full of stuff make it hard to keep a mobile baby from putting things in their mouth or breaking things. I prefer a minimalist aesthetic anyway.
Spiral staircases, pools without fencing, balconies with limited barriers. Scan the photos on the listing page for hazards.
How I Never Pay Full Price for Airbnbs
Below is my proven method for creating a positive relationship with the Airbnb host while saving money.
#1. Start with good reviews on your profile.
The goal coming out of any Airbnb stay should be to have the host write you a glowing review. Reviews are currency for future discounts. Here’s how:
Make being communicative your job.
Before the stay: Confirm receipt of their messages, say thank you often, and express excitement for staying in their home. Keep them posted on when you will arrive.
During the stay: Message them as soon as you’ve arrived to let them know you’re all checked in. If you’re staying for a long period, proactively message them midway through to let them know all is well. If there is an issue, remain courteous in resolving it.
After the stay: Message them to let them know as soon as you’ve checked out. If you leave earlier than expected, they may be able to get a cleaning crew in earlier and allow the next guest a sooner check in. Express how much you enjoyed their stay and how much you appreciate their communication. I find that insinuating that I will leave a good review encourages the host to leave one as well.
Follow instructions.
If the check out instructions say to strip the beds of their sheets, do so.
Clean up.
Put the furniture back in place, empty the trash, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
#2. Always, always, always ask for a discount.
Since I work in sales and love personal finance, I am somewhat desensitized to talking about money.
Even if talking about money makes you uncomfortable, I encourage you to give this a try. The stakes are low and the worst they can say is no.
Here’s how to respectfully ask for a discount, plus screenshots of my actual messages that resulted in lower prices.
Check to see if the host offers a weekly or monthly stay discount. Even if you are not staying for that length of time, you can proactively ask if they will honor the discount for your stay. If you are staying for that length of time, you can ask if they will increase the discount amount. The existing discount gives you an anchor point.
Use odd percentages. Take a lesson from the negotiation book Never Split the Difference and use odd numbers when having the discount conversation. A 9% or 11% discount is more likely to get approved than a 10% ask.
Don’t forget about fees. Remember that the percentage discount is applied only to the nightly rate, excluding fees. Be careful not to underestimate the total cost, even with the discount.
#3. Last minute booking = huge discounts.
When I thought I would have to find a new Airbnb for Mallorca just one week before leaving, I went wild messaging the remaining child-friendly Airbnbs in town.
I asked for 30% last-minute booking discounts because the remaining options were more expensive than the one I had booked and to my initial shock - I was granted them.
These hosts are sitting on the unsold inventory of empty Airbnbs so for a guest to book a stay this late in the game, even at a discount, the hosts come out on top.
Luckily, I did not end up needing to change lodging for our Spain trip next week but this experience did give me a new perspective on Airbnb booking timing.
If you have the flexibility to book closer to your trip, and if you are confident there will be enough lodging options available, consider asking for a significantly higher last-minute discount.
^This one got a yes.
For more on staying in Airbnbs with infants & toddlers…
Another family on the rental-booking mistakes they’ve made.
A beautiful round-up of family-friendly Airbnbs.
Thanks for reading!
p.s. you can always see all posts on the website