What is it like to stay in a shared room?

Gabrielle1
Level 2
Oakland, California, United States

What is it like to stay in a shared room?

What's your experience like staying in a shared room?  I've stayed in entire listings before and want to know what other people's experiences have been like.  Thanks guys!

4 Replies 4
Brie0
Level 2
San Francisco, CA

Hey Gabrielle, I've had really great experiences meeting hosts and new friends this way! I think it really depends on the type of trip that you are taking - if you are traveling alone and looking to meet people and be very social during your trip, this can be a wonderful way to make good connections. If on the other hand, you're traveling for work or have a specific agenda lined up for your trip already, this might not be the best option as sometimes you just need space or alone time during your trip. 

 

As with any booking decision, reviews can help the most and use the "contact host" option to start a conversation with your host so you get all your questions answered before the reservation is final. 

 

Cheers!

Stan1
Level 2
Fremont, California, United States

Hey Gabrielle,

 

I admit, I was a bit worried at first but after a great 1st experience with a host in San Francisco, I am now a big believer in Shared rooms! He was nice and respectful of my space. Also, the shared rooms fit my budget much more so than the private and entire places.

 

The thing that helped me out the most was thoroughly reviewing potential hosts and their reviews. After that, I reached out to them to chat and clarified how things are going to work. After I felt at ease, I booked and never looked back.

 

Happy travels! 😃 

Till-and-Jutta0
Host Advisory Board Alumni
Stuttgart, Germany

Airbnb offers three categories: 1) entire home  2) private room 3) shared room.

Guess you were asking for 2), as 3) is very rare. A "private room" means, that you share the apartment with your host, usually with kitchen and living room; but you have your own private bedroom. Here you find two types: 2a) with private bathroom 2b) with shared bathroom.

We are hosts of the 2a) type. Our guests love it (we too): They experience authentic local live, get lots of free information, and can choose between privacy and socializing.

And when we travel, we choose either 1) or 2a). We don't prefer a shared bathroom. When you are looking for a private room, you have to check very carefully what type of bathroom is offered. There is a number of listings with incorrect or uncomplete information. "shared bathroom" should be 0.5 number of bathrooms; "private bathroom" 1.0 ore more. Better ask explicitely!

During the AirbnbOpen 2015 we had a private room with private bathroom in San Francisco, in a shared house, and it was a great experience; we even were invited to join the hosts private Thanksgiving party! Never want to miss such a warm welcome!

Never tried 3).

Hi Gabriella,

I hosted like Till and Jutta do, my whole apartment in my absence. I offered a shared room a few months ago, intended for a short while as I had to stay in town. In Paris, Europe, I was completely surprised to have so many guests and the experience is different from what I expected. 

I met different guests and they are not all budget travelers even if the bed I offer is cheaper as a private room or a private room with private bath or a whole apartment.

Who likes shared rooms? Usually people who hate hotels, people who have to go to a country where they don't speak the language or don't speak it well, people who feel reassured that there will be a person there when they come home at night, that they can chat with over breakfast, get advice what to see, where to go, what parts of the town are dangerous or where can a single female walk at midnight without fear, what do the locals eat etc. 

Shared room is more like staying with family: you have to clean up after yourself without delay, you'll have to make your bed daily, because the bed might be someone's living room couch during the day or your hosts normal visitors would see it rumpled otherwise. You'll have to listen to rules a bit more carefully then in an entire apartment, like who can use the bathroom when or how long - but that's usually a question of organising. Imagine living with a cousin and his family when you are on holiday and they work. You could not block the bathroom for two hours at the time when everyone gets up and needs to go to work. 

There might be advantages too, like your host inviting you to share (a not included) breakfast or a cup of coffee now and then. 

And surprisingly, there is another category of guests I never expected: business travelers. In my cheap and tiny room I host a lot of business travelers who arrive very late - easier to accept for a night owl like me living there, they want to chat on a fast Internet connexion with their family, sleep in a good bed, take a shower in a clean bathroom in the morning, take a cup of coffee or a glass of orange juice and are out of the house before I even wake up. Privacy enough for some. 

But as said by others, check your future host's reviews. People are very diffeent and living in close quarters, personality is more important and you need to look for a host which would be a good fit with you.