Have you noticed how mainstream Airbnb has become over the last several years? For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, here’s the lowdown: It’s a website where individuals list their property for rent. Sounds like VRBO, right? Except the owners can rent anything from a travel trailer in their front yard to a spare bedroom in their home. And everything in between. It’s VERY cool for anyone who loves to travel. While we’ve done vacation rentals through VRBO (vacation rental by owner) in the past, this last vacation was our first experience with Airbnb. And let me tell ya- it was way too awesome!
Although I REALLY wanted to go to Spain for my 40th birthday, that wasn’t an option, so I settled for Taos, New Mexico, and it was fantastic! We booked places on Airbnb instead of camping (too cold this time of year-in MY opinion) or staying in a hotel. The price was a little more than a hotel, but the “hot tub all to yourself” and “farm fresh eggs for your morning breakfast” were totally worth it.
The first night we stayed in a tiny, funky home on property that was in town, but also kinda’ out of town.
There were many dwellings on the property, yet it was oh-so-quiet. (Well, except for the rooster in the morning…haha)
The main house was super funky. After booking this night, I realized that I had bookmarked the main house several years ago on VRBO when we were planning a trip to Taos with friends. I guess the property really spoke to me.
The inside of our rented dwelling was little-perfect for 2 people! The owner left us snacks on our table for our arrival. (Goat cheese, crackers, M&M’S, almonds)
All of the little details caught my attention. I loved the simplicity, and I loved all of the natural light, especially in the kitchen. They had everything we needed from a tea kettle and blender to a mini fridge and wifi. We gathered lots of good ideas for our own projects down the road… (Also, we were super-inspired by the bedroom wall color. We are thinking of doing a “cantaloupe” in our own bedroom!)
The owners were very nice; they let us know they were there if we needed anything, but left us to ourselves. The notebook with “house rules” and “things to do” was a nice touch as well.
The second and third nights we stayed in a different house, which was built just last year and had a hot tub! (I should mention that both places had radiant floor heating and my fear of being cold were perfectly squelched upon arrival.)
Casa Maravilla had it’s own charm as well. I love modern buildings, so this home spoke to me through architectural details like the wood ceiling, concrete floors and single-pane windows. It was still cozy without being cluttered.
I admire people who consider the environment when building a structure, like where the sun sets and rises for the best solar heat and how they can collect rain water.
This house was also very close to town, so we were able to walk to the square-no problem! The hot tub was right outside the french doors in the bedroom…
Our morning was greeted with goodies in the fridge!
And the shampoo and soap in the bathroom…wow! Seriously the best-smelling stuff I’ve ever used! (You can go to the Aroma Land website here)
While Matt and I cruised the Taos streets, we found a gallery that had familiar paintings to us…we realized that the bedroom in Casa Maravilla had an Ed Sandoval painting hanging in it! We walked away with a greeting card we will frame for our house to remind us of the trip.
If you’ve never booked anything with Airbnb, I suggest giving it a whirl. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. I’d love to hear any tips you might have regarding Airbnb-leave them in the comments below. We’re going back to Taos with friends at the end of Summer, and we’ve already booked our next casa 😉
Are you interested in Airbnb? Here are some links and other info for you:
My mom’s Airbnb along the coast of California (I’ve stayed here too and it’s super cozy!)
My friend’s Airbnb in Cayucos, CA (that tiny trailer in their driveway is so cute you guys!)
kineticheart 
Loved every bit of this story, Amber. The photos are wonderful and inspiring. And you are not 40. GEt Out!! Love you always…
Haha, MJ. Unfortunately I AM 40. But it was the best b-day yet. Well, actually, 30 was pretty awesome too 😉