A More Authentic Travel Experience Through Homestay.com
Meeting new people and creating memories together is one of the most important things that I look for when traveling. Among other things like architecture and natural landscape, I believe that people make destinations unique. So deepen your understanding of how people live around the world by booking your next stay through a homestay. Offering over 50,000 homestays in over 160 countries, Homestay.com is an accommodation marketplace that allows travelers to live like a local by living with a local (in his or her home).
Co-founders and industry experts Tom Kennedy (Hostelworld.com co-founder) and Debbie Flynn (Irish Education Partners & A Star Hostels Group) launched Homestay.com in 2013. It’s now one of the leading websites that make homestays a popular accommodation option for travelers. Through homestays, travelers connect with host families and rent spare rooms in their homes.
The Value of Booking With Homestay.com
Homestay.com encourages travelers to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery. Instead of booking bundled travel deals, explore the world at your own pace. Set your travel budget and create a culturally immersive itinerary.
Live Like A Local
Want to do what locals do or learn the local lingo? Through a homestay, enjoy your new “home away from home”.
Unlike other popular sites, Homestay.com encourages genuine interactions between guests and hosts. In fact, hosts have to live in their homes during guest stays. This sets Homestay.com apart from other accommodation-based websites.
Enjoy Light Breakfast Together
Another big difference is that guests and hosts eat breakfast together. Gather around the dining table and chat with your host over a delicious meal. Share personal experiences or ask your live-in host for recommendations. Ditch the guidebook and instead plan your day by getting the scoop on the best things to do in town.
Some hosts even plan activities for you to do together!
Related: Sygic Travel App: Create Itineraries And Plan Trips
Breakfast usually includes cereals, pastries, juice, coffee, and tea.
Complimentary breakfast saves travelers money on at least one meal a day. Some hosts offer other meals too. Talk about cost-effective!
Affordability
Homestay.com is great for travelers who are looking to save money on quality lodging around the world. The average homestay costs $31 USD a night.
Guests pay a 15% booking deposit upfront and pay the remaining balance on arrival. This alleviates the burden of having to dish out a ton of cash all at once.
Homestay.com also conveniently provides nightly, weekly, and monthly cost estimates which help travelers set accurate travel budgets ahead of time.
Genuine Homes For Less
For €26 a night, stay at a beautiful home in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. Nørrebro has a multi-cultural feel and a great nightlife northwest of the city center.
Or stay at homestays in Thailand from £12 a night.
Become A Host
Host with Homestay.com and earn extra income. On average, hosts earn $1,500 per year by renting their spare rooms.
Set the dates you’re available and unavailable. There is no long-term commitment.
Hosts have control over which guests to host as well as the length of their stay. Hosts can also get to know guests through video chat and instant messaging.
Hosting is a great option for families who enjoy meeting new people and learning about other cultures. Homestays promote inclusion and foster positive relationships through cultural exchange.
Want to join the Homestay.com host community? Check out the beginner’s guide to hosting to get started.
Solo Travel-Friendly
As a solo traveler, one of my favorite things about Homestay.com is that it encourages independent travel. According to Homestay.com, “Travelling alone is the best way to see the world.” And I wholeheartedly agree!
Despite this, I’ll admit that I get lonely sometimes. So having a familiar face to share a meal and chat about my day helps a lot.
Homestays are great for city breakers, those looking to move or learn another language. Many study abroad students and long-term travelers also choose homestays as an alternative accommodation option.
Ready for your next adventure?
Create a free profile and enjoy a discounted 10% booking deposit when you book your first stay with Homestay.com! The deposit fee is usually 15%.
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Danielle Desir Corbett paid off $63,000 of student loan debt in 4 years, bought a house at 27, and has traveled to 27 countries, including her favorites, Iceland, China, and Bermuda. Go here to learn Danielle’s incredible story, from struggling financially and in debt to finding creative ways to earn more and live on her terms. Listen to The Thought Card Podcast, where Danielle shares how you can creatively travel more and build wealth regardless of your current financial situation. Reach out to Danielle by contacting: thethoughtcard (at) gmail (dot) com.
This is really amazing. I would like to experience this on my next trip to ake it more interesting and of course budget friendly. Keep sharing such unique and interesting ideas with the readers.
What a great way to really experience a country! I’ll absolutely be looking into this for my next trip :)
This is like Couchsrfing, but you need to pay the host. The idea is pretty good. Unfortunately, Homestay.com isn’t popular in my country. :(
Homestay seems like a very interesting travel concept. I love that you can get a total great experience that is inexpensive. Thanks for sharing!
Homestay is an interesting concept. I can certainly see why this would be a good option for lots of travelers. Plus it’s really nice to meet people and experience an area the way the locals do.
The live like a local experience is always what I search for on my travels! I’ll definitely look into this, thanks for sharing :)
I would love to stay with more families on my travels, but had no idea how to find places to stay – this is awesome! I’m going to check it out, I much prefer paying money to families than big hotels!
I’ve never heard of Homestay.com but I’m really glad I do now! I love that the cost is so low and you can get meals free as well. However, the thing that sounds best – a great, cultural experience! Thanks for sharing this awesome website.
Thanks so much for posting this as this is something I would love to do. When I travel I really enjoy meeting locals and this sounds its a great way to do that and save money.
I’m definitely into ‘going the local way’, but I didn’t know Homestay at all! Would love to try it ones, especially to get in touch with the locals and to experience some typical dishes, homes and activities from the destination that I’m at, I love it! And in my opinion also a good alternative for the budget traveller.
I totally want to check this out, one of our most memorable trips thus far is actually when we did a homestay in Sapa. I would love to try this all over the place! We’ve done Airbnb where we just share a room in a house, but typically the owner of the home has their own thing going on and there’s not much interaction. There are some places it would be especially fun to interact with your host and experience the locals way of life.
I agree, although some trips I enjoy my independence and little interaction with my Airbnb host, some destinations are perfect for more involvement and engagement!
This seems like an awesome alternative to Couchsurfing or Airbnb. I think it’s so cool how the hosts are so welcoming and get involved to ensure the visitor feels at home. I’ve not usually met my hosts when I’ve booked with other popular websites. This is definitely a company I’ll keep in mind going forward! Thanks for the heads up!
Thinking back to my Airbnb stays, I’ve met my host also a handful of times, great point!
Sounds like a great affordable option for solo travelers or someone looking to really live like a local.
We haven’t tried Homestay yet but I enjoyed hearing the difference between them in Airbnb. We’d definitely enjoy meeting new people and learning first hand from the locals.
I’ve booked through homestay.com once several years ago and totally agreed with your points. I think compared to Airbnb, hosts from Homestay.com seem to be more willing to exchange cultural experiences with you and also to welcome you as a family member, not just a guest. Of course it depends on the host but that’s my personal experience from both of these platforms :)
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I’m happy to hear that your host was so welcoming!
It’s a lovely idea, spend time in a foreign country, meet the locals and live with them. It also gives the feel of being safe I guess, since people have someone to turn to if they need something promptly. Of course, we all like the fact that it is more affordable, right. :)