5 Tips for Choosing an Airbnb
Picking an Airbnb in Florida for the first time was a nerve racking proposition. I wasn’t picking just for me. I was picking for my family, and our working vacation was hanging in the balance.
Like many people, we were itching to leave the confines of our home after over a year filled with pandemic uncertainties. Things had improved and we had our sites set on getting a change of scenery, and visiting one of our favorite destinations.
Walt Disney World!
But this time we were going to do something different and take advantage of one of the few pandemic silver linings. Since my husband and I were both able to work from home, we decided to take our show on the road and stay in the Orlando area for four weeks. Three weeks in the general Orlando area, and one week of true vacation on Disney property.
With our Disney stay handled, I instantly knew that I didn’t want my husband, son and mother to be cooped up in a hotel room with zero room to spread out. That left only one option. An Airbnb.
Top 5 tips for choosing a family Airbnb in Florida:
Develop a wish list for the Airbnb of your dreams
Consider proximity to major Orlando area attractions
Decide how much you’re willing to spend on the experience
Book early!
Read the reviews carefully!
Develop a wish list for the Airbnb of your dreams
Take this opportunity to dream big! Want to know what it feels like to have a pool out back? Or that dream kitchen that you’ve always wanted? How about an over the top character themed villa? All of these options and more are possible. The point is, this is your opportunity to pick out the house of your dreams.
Our Florida family Airbnb, must haves were:
A screened in pool
A minimum of four bedrooms
Spacious, modern, clean living space
A character themed bedroom for our son
A first-floor bedroom and bathroom for my mom
Strong internet connection that would allow us to work seamlessly
A location within 20-30 minutes of major Orlando attractions
A private community with amenities (gym, community, pool, restaurant, lounge, etc.)
The Airbnb site allows you to search and filter on location, check in/check out dates, beds, bathrooms, amenities, property type, etc. I used a combination of these filters to isolate the properties that met my wish-list and then saved them for sorting later.
In the end, I did make one compromise and that was on the community amenities. As it turns out, this was a good thing. We discovered on day three of our stay when we went to check out the gym and game room that the community building that housed these “amenities” had been closed due to the pandemic.
Based on my wish-list, we went with Diamond Villa at Tuscan Hills Resort located in Davenport. Even had the community area been open, it would not have been the same as the runner-up property I had my eye on at Windsor Hills Resort. Sacrificing the water park and other amenities was a sacrifice we were willing to make based on having our own private pool.
You can find a full tour and my thoughts on the Diamond Villa at Tuscan Hills by clicking on the video below.
The runner up, 7661 Cheer Townhome is located at the Windsor Hills Resort located in Kissimmee, placing it closer to the attractions we wanted to visit. This property will stay on my radar and lost out only because I wasn’t confident about the wifi after a pleasant exchange with the host. I also wanted a little more elbow room for our family given the length of our stay. A shorter stay would definitely push this property to the top of my list.
Consider the Airbnb’s proximity to major Orlando area attractions
It has been years since I’ve stayed off property when visiting the Orlando area. I remember stays both on I-4 and Kissimmee. I knew that I didn’t want to stay in the I-4 corridor and have to deal with the theme park traffic as we explored the area.
At the same time it was also important to not be too far away from Disney property or any of the other major attractions in the area. The Diamond Villa was on the right side of I-4, just 15 minutes south of the entrance to Animal Kingdom, and 25-30 minutes south of Universal.
Decide how much you’re willing to spend on the Airbnb experience
Generally speaking the prices that you will see are commensurate with the amenities of the community, the condition of the home and ratings of the Airbnb property that you’re considering. You’ll have to take a hard look at the property and determine if the game room and in-home movie theatre are amenities that you are willing to pay for.
In the end, I decided that a game room and over the top themed Airbnb were items that I was willing to sacrifice. However, the screened in pool, and larger home with more space for the family to roam in beat out the three bedroom property with the entertaining community pool area complete with slides and splash pads. I was willing to pay more for the extra personal space at the expense of the community amenities.
Book your Airbnb early!
I can’t say this enough. Book your Airbnb early! When I first began the search for an Airbnb in Florida for my family, I had a huge inventory to choose from. In fact, I could afford to be more choosy as I saved homes for future consideration. As we stalled on moving forward with our plans, the inventory began to shrink and so did our choices. Book early so that you can get the home of your choice.
Read the Airbnb reviews carefully!
This is absolutely the most important tip. The prospect of choosing an Airbnb in Florida for my family sent me into a small panic. After having read a number of horror stories about Airbnb stays, I was hesitant to give it a try. But, if I wanted a month away from home in a private property, there was only one way to get there and this was it.
Once I narrowed down my choices I read through each review carefully. While of course, nothing is perfect, reviews are the only indications you have of the condition of the property you’re about to stay in. The review that sold me on the Airbnb that we went with indicated that both parents were able to work while their kids were online for school with no issues.
I looked to make certain that:
There were recent reviews of the property. And by recent, I mean within the last 12 months. If the reviews went back further than that all the better and I took the time to read each one carefully.
I looked for any concerns that previous renters had, like the casual mention of bugs in a kitchen were enough to eliminate a property.
Cleanliness ratings were important combined with an overall rating as close to 5 stars as possible.
Responsiveness of the host was also a factor. Did they respond to reviews in general? What about the less than pleasant reviews? Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to the host with any questions. How quickly they respond to your question and how pleasant they are (or aren’t) will give you an indication of what you can expect if you have an issue during your stay.
Some Additional Considerations
Airbnb vs. other resources
I researched a number of sites where I could potentially rent a home for my family in Florida. There was VRBO, booking directly with communities like Reunion Resort, Margaritaville, The Retreat at Champions Gate Resort, and Windsor Hills. The list goes on and the possibilities seemed endless.
In the end I went with an Airbnb rental for my family for two reasons. First, someone I know and trust has used them several times and had never had an issue. Second, I was most comfortable with the user experience on their site and my ability to search, sort, filter and save properties from every community I was interested in, all in one place.
Airbnb vs. Disney Hotel Stays
I couldn’t end our conversation without a quick mention of the money you will save in most instances on an Airbnb vs. a hotel. Whether you’re planning a long or short stay, seriously consider giving a rental home a try. When you add up the cost of the hotel room, purchasing most meals daily and the amount of space you don’t have, a private home could be a huge bonus for you and your family.
For instance, if you were to compare the Disney hotel that we actually vacationed in, Disney’s Saratoga Springs, to the same Airbnb home for the dates September 5 - September 25, 2001. The hotel would cost an average of $1,010.38 per night or a total of $23,870.27 with taxes and fees added in for a 2 Bedroom Preferred Villa. The room sleeps 8 with 1 King bed, 2 Queen Beds and 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa Villa. On the other hand, the Diamond Villa’s price for the same time period was $195 per night plus fees for a total of $5,4791.81. The Villa sleeps 10 with 5 bedrooms, 7 beds, 4 bathrooms and a private screened in pool.
The price differential is huge and one you should consider as the numbers stack up similarly even for a shorter stay.
Would I Airbnb again?
Absolutely!
When I started the Florida Airbnb journey, I had no idea how to go about it. Now that I know what to look for I would most definitely do it again.
If you’re feeling hesitant I encourage you to give it a try. Play around with the site and begin to pick the properties that meet your criteria for your home away from home. I’m confident that if you follow these tips you’ll be able to find an Airbnb in Florida or anywhere you travel for your family that checks most of the boxes on your wish list.
Don’t forget to have a look at our tour of the Diamond Villa at the Tuscan Hills. We also have a look at what we brought along with us on our stay at the Airbnb. Is it possible that we brought along too much?
Until next time, Enjoy the Journey!
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