We will be going to Ireland in early May 2020 and we plan on exclusively staying in AirBnbs. I feel like it’s a more authentic experience. We have experience staying in them in the US, but we’ve never been to Ireland.
I know sometimes the hosts cancel last minute and there is a chance of other little mishaps that can really turn things upside down. Has anyone had a problem with last minute cancellations? Getting stuck looking for a place last minute?
Also, when did you start booking your stays?
Are you looking to stay in a spare room of someone's main residence (as per original idea of airbnb) or looking for self catering apartments/houses? If the latter, there are many options & websites available that pre-date airbnb so don't restrict yourself to one site.
We stayed in AirBnB’s in Clifden and Dervock (NI) last month. One was a 3 BR townhouse, the other a mother-in-law apartment attached to the owners home. I booked in January for a May trip. Both were super hosts. I mainly was looking for WiFi and washer/dryer. Both places were great and I would do it again. If you’re staying a week in one location, consider renting through one of the Irish cottage websites. I used Sykes Cottage.
We stayed in 4 different AirBnBs (Baltimore, Cahersiveen, Furbogh and Westport) during our trip back in 2015 and all of them were great. We had no problems with cancellations and communications with hosts were excellent. As I remember I booked the reservations in June/July for our September travel.
That being said, I believe that Ireland has recently adopted new laws (I think they went into effect this month) regarding the operation of AirBnB and similar companies. You might want to investigate this--one effect may be fewer rentals available, necessitating a much earlier booking window.
I stayed in several AirBnB’s in June of 2016 and was very pleased with the results. Except for Galway, all were rooms or sections of the hosts’ actual dwelling place.
I checked each host’s online reviews and only booked with those who had lots of positive comments. There were no problems with cancellations or communication. Every place lived up to or exceeded my expectations based on how they were described on AirBnB.
With two exceptions, the hosts I visited were doing it partly for the interaction with guests in addition to the money. The two exceptions were still very friendly and helpful, but after brief interactions and the check in, they weren’t around as much. The others were available at times for conversation, especially at breakfast. In Dublin, my host had a friend over to watch Ireland play in the World Cup, and I had a long and wide ranging conversation with them after the match. Meeting several wonderful local residents and discussing a variety of subjects with them was a highlight of the trip.
The two exceptions still provided an affordable and adequate place to stay in the more expensive cities.
I also stayed in guesthouses and regular B&B’s, which were all good as well. Although I booked my sites in advance (from late March through May), I saw lots of B&B’s with vacancy signs in most places I visited. Except for small villages or if you’re arriving during a major event, you should be able to find an alternate if an AirBnB host cancelled.
It is a good idea to book ahead for some of the more popular places (that includes guest houses as well).
Here’s another site I used when I couldn’t find an AirBnB I liked:
All the best,
Raymond
I've used Airbnb a lot in France and recently in Ireland. I haven't had a cancellation yet. Look at reviews to see if there are complaints of cancellations and only stay places with lots of reviews. People who get bad review, for any reason, often take down their listing then put it back up as a new listing. I only stayed in one Airbnb this trip but the hosts were great - as kind and helpful as you could hope for. I normally don't ask much from the host, which is good as some only want to give you the key and a cursory look at the place. Others will spend time getting to know you. Airbnb, despite the name, doesn't automatically come with breakfast. It helps to know whether it's included, or not, so you don't expect something and are then disappointed.
In the U.S., I've only tried using Airbnb in San Diego area and wasn't at all pleased with the options I found. Fortunately, I can stay with family when I'm there so it's not a big deal.
