5 reasons why you have to stay at a Bali airbnb

5 reasons why you have to stay at a Bali airbnb

Wednesday, 27 November 2019

My travel styles have been known to hit both ends of the spectrum. When I was in full time employment, my holidays were limited to 25 days a year and consequently, I spent all of my money on them, they were pretty indulgent. Now that I no longer have a limit - or a stable income - and I have discovered a whole new way of traveling; my trips are much longer and cost much less.

As such, I'd never had any inkling to use Air bnb. Unlike your typical millennial, I guess I kind of just found the whole thing a bit mediocre, but that all changed when I switched the location of my searches to Bali, Indonesia and I realised that I could get my over indulgence back at a price I could afford!

I had my first, and second Airbnb experience this summer and while I still have absolutely no interest to use the service anywhere else, I would 100% recommend using it if you plan to visit Bali. Here are 5 reasons why:

Value For Money

Considering just how nice these places are, you'd be surprised at how much they cost. Air bnb prices per property, not per person and between us, our budget was £50. I was there with just one friend which obviously made it £25 per night each but the villa actually slept 4 making it ridiculously cheap per head. It's pretty standard to pay £20 per night for a nice hostel in Bali so this was incredible value for money and we were both very pleased with ourselves.

Facilities

People rent these places out to live in, not just to holiday in and so they have all the everyday facilities you'd need which is not something you often find with a hotel or a hostel. As Schofields points out, having things like an oven and a washing machine makes life much easier for guests and whilst Luke took advantage of the kitchen, if you know me, you'll know full well that I went out to eat at any and every opportunity.

The private pools however, are something I took full advantage of and are where I spent most of my time.

Low Cost Luxe

The first time I went to Bali a few years back, I spent an embarrassing amount of money. I don't regret it because I stayed at the most incredible villas, but as I've become much more aware of life without a travel agent, I've realised that I could have very easily done it myself for a fraction of the price. The villas that I sourced and booked myself through Air BnB were just as good, if not better.

Privacy

Hostels have their benefits and for me, the fact that there are people around all the time is something I like when I'm traveling alone; but privacy is not their strong point.

I loved being able to unpack, to leave things on the floor, to make as much mess as I wanted and know that everything was going to be just where I left it when I got back. As well as privacy from the rest of the world, having a double bed and a room all to myself, plus my own outside en suite was awesome.

Unique Accommodation

A private pool and outdoor bathrooms were all I was after and Luke just wanted modern so our villas were smart and clean cut with a Balinese charm.

Some of them though, were so unique - Air bnb is an amazing place to find something different! Things like tree houses and little huts were a norm among the listings so I'd love to stay somewhere really quirky next time!


For my first experience though, it was very good! I'm glad I did it with a friend but I would be confident to use the service solo now I've seen how it works. Everything looked as the photos showed and our hosts were great when we couldn't find the address and very helpful when Luke forgot all his electronics after we left.

So if like me, you've never used air bnb before, hopefully this'll convince you to give it a go on your next trip! I can't wait to do it again. 

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The cutest pink apartment and why we chose it over a hotel

The cutest pink apartment and why we chose it over a hotel

Monday, 27 February 2017

When I spot a hotel that I like the look of, it goes on the list and we save it for a celebration. For us, staying in London is more about the accommodation because London is home and we are not there to explore, we are there to relax and spend some time together. Going back to our old favourites is still something both of us enjoy but whether its a posh serviced apartment in Kensington or a quirky new place in Shoreditch, nothing beats the feeling of falling in love with somewhere new.

As you know, my eyes have been opened the the world of alternative accommodation recently and with that in mind, I set about finding something different for Valentine's day just gone. I did scout out some hostels but we still wanted our weekend to be relaxing and have an element of luxury to it. I came across alot of quirky hotels (more for the list) but I also came across a few different serviced apartments.

I'd never stayed at a serviced apartment so I didn't really know what I was looking for although I fell in love with the design at Leman Locke in Aldgate; so that we initially picked this one. We really enjoyed our time there so I thought I'd share a few reasons why we will consider them again in the future:

Space

As two people who both live at home with their parents, this was something we both really loved about having an apartment. Hotel rooms can be very small, especially if you aren't prepared to fork out for one of the more expensive rooms but we picked the smallest apartment and it was a similar size to some of the suites you would get at a hotel. We had a bedroom, a particularly large bathroom (we requested one with a bath) and a kitchen and living area meaning there was lots of space to move around and a few different rooms to go in. 

Service 

They are serviced apartments so they still get cleaned, just less often. Rather than every single day, its once ever three days which is probably better if you are looking to stay for a few weeks for example. We were only there for two nights so we didn't see a cleaner but I liked knowing that everything was going to be exactly where I left it.

Amenities  

Unlike when you rent a normal apartment, they are ready to live in and have all all the normal stuff you would expect to find in a hotel room like bath towels, bedding and mini toiletries. Each apartment is fully furnished and the kitchen was stocked up with all the equipment you'll need. Along with the oven, microwave and hob (and a washing machine and dishwasher), there were pots and pans, cutlery and even a recipe book. They left us a bottle of water, some tea bags and some milk but we popped to the shop for the essentials. Friday night fajitas it was!

In the living area, each apartment has a signature Leman Locke pink sofa and an apple TV. With the screen mirroring and the fast wifi, I was able to catch up on a whole weeks worth of Eastenders.
The building also has its own gym but we didn't have time to visit. 

Location

As I mentioned, we popped across the road to the shops. There was a sainsburys and a tesco within a five minute walk as well as a cinema. Leman Locke is just down the road from Aldgate East station so it was the perfect base for a weekend in Shoreditch - more on that in another post!

Price

Obviously this is a very important factor when picking somewhere to stay and in the past we have paid extortionate amounts for a night at a hotel in London. We stayed here for two nights, on the weekend before Valentines day and paid £245. We have paid over that for one night at some other place places so we thought it was a really good deal.

Have You Stayed in a Serviced Apartment?

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