Ever since the platform launched, Airbnb has changed the way people travel. Tired of boring hotel rooms in congested and sometimes even out-of-the-way locations, travelers turned to Airbnb, which lets homeowners rent out rooms, guest cottages or even their own vacation homes.
The platform offers mutual benefits. Renters get to enjoy the comforts of home, often having access to a kitchen or laundry room, and they can choose homes in hot, hip areas of their destination city, letting them live like locals for a few days. For homeowners, Airbnb offers an additional income stream and the chance to meet new people from all over the world.
So it’s no surprise that engaged couples are ditching the expensive hotels and resorts on their honeymoons and opting for something a little more low-key and intimate. If this sounds like you and your partner, then you may be wondering how you can politely ask wedding guests to help you pay for your Airbnb honeymoon.
The easiest way is to create a honeymoon registry. Much like a traditional wedding registry, a honeymoon registry includes a list of all the gifts you would like as wedding presents. It’s a fun way to help pay for your honeymoon while avoiding asking for home goods that you really don’t need.
Here’s how to add Airbnb experiences to your wedding registry, plus a few tips on other gifts that will make your honeymoon pop.
Why engaged couples are opting for Airbnbs over hotels and resorts
It might seem counterintuitive to choose an Airbnb over a fancy hotel or exclusive resort, but renting a home or guest cottage on Airbnb comes with some major perks that a hotel just can’t match.
For many travelers, the perks of being in a local neighborhood are unmatched. Most hotels and resorts tend to be in touristy areas away from the rest of the city, and resorts are especially known for being somewhat remote and out of town. If you’re looking to explore your destination city like a local, then it’s far better for you to stay in a neighborhood where you can check out dive bars, coffeeshops, galleries, shops and restaurants. You’ll likely find eateries that aren’t overpriced for tourists, and if you’re going to a city with a culture far different from your own, then you’ll probably get to sample more authentic cuisines and really get to learn about it.
Depending on the home you’re renting, an Airbnb may be more cost effective than a hotel or resort, but even if the price isn’t much lower, the money you spend on an Airbnb will mostly go to a local. The money stays in the community, so you can feel better about how the cash on your trip is spent.
Having your own home in an unfamiliar city comes with a ton of small perks as well. You might have access to a kitchen where you can keep coffee, snacks and leftovers and maybe even a laundry room so your clothes go home clean instead of filthy. You also get a little more privacy in an Airbnb than you might get at a resort, and you can look for homes that have amazing amenities, such as a pool, hot tub or private beach access.
How to add Airbnb experiences to your wedding registry
Adding an Airbnb experience to your wedding registry is easy as pie with Hitchd. After creating an account with our platform, you can get started adding gifts right away to your honeymoon registry. Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: Choose an “experience” gift from the list of three gift types.
- Step 2: Create an accommodations gift with a title like “London Airbnb” or “Noosa Airbnb.” If you’re planning to stay at more than one Airbnb, create separate gifts for each one.
- Step 3: Write a brief description of the gift, including where the house is located and what you love about it. Feel free to add a link to the Airbnb itself so others can check out the amazing amenities you’ll be enjoying. Feeling stuck about what to write? Hitchd offers tons of templates to inspire you.
- Step 4: Add a photo. You can screenshot a photo from Airbnb’s site or use any of the free stock photos available on Hitchd.
Pro tip: If your Airbnb cost is likely too high for any one wedding guest to give, break down the gift into smaller amounts. If your Airbnb total is $500, try five $100 gifts or 10 $50 gifts.
What other Airbnb-related gifts should I include on my registry?
Now that you have your Airbnb(s) added to your honeymoon registry, what else should you add to make sure your stay is a good one? Paying for your Airbnb is one thing, but there may be other costs related to your Airbnb that you could use some help paying for on your big honeymoon. Here are a few of those gifts to consider adding to your honeymoon registry.
- Taxi fare or mass transit passes, $20-$40: Once you get settled at your Airbnb, you’ll be ready to go out and explore. Having money for a weekly subway or train pass will ensure you and your partner feel free to travel while on your honeymoon. Research these passes before you go so you know what to expect.
- A round of drinks, $20: Is there a local watering hole near your Airbnb? Add a link to it in your gift description and tell guests exactly where you plan to hang out.
- Groceries, $25: If your Airbnb has a kitchen, then you might want to stock it with a few necessities like coffee, snacks, cereal or milk.
These are all great, inexpensive gifts to pad your registry with so no guest feels that they need to give extravagantly.
What other honeymoon-related gifts should I add to my registry?
Accommodations make up just one part of your honeymoon expenses. There are plenty of other gifts that guests would love to give to ensure that you too have the most memorable honeymoon imaginable. In fact, research from Hitchd has found that honeymoon registries with at least six gifts receive larger contributions.
Here are a few other gifts to consider adding to your honeymoon registry:
- Spa packages: Enjoy a massage for two or spend the whole day getting pampered so you head home feeling totally relaxed.
- City tours: How much do you really know about the city you’re visiting? Take a tour and find out what you’re missing.
- Adventure excursions: Want to go mountain biking or snorkeling? Plan for a day of activity and try something new you’ve never done before.
- Dinners: You’ll have to eat sometime, right? Estimate the total amount you will probably spend for dinners and then break it down into smaller gift amounts, similar to what you did with your Airbnb accommodations.
Take the time building your registry to also do some pre-planning for your honeymoon. You might not be ready to book a spa treatment just yet, but since you’ve built the gift, research which spa you want to visit now so when the time comes, you’re ready to book.
Airbnb has made honeymooning an even more enjoyable experience. No longer will you be restricted to hotels or resorts. Now with Airbnb, you can enjoy amazing amenities and get to see your destination city from a local perspective.
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