when we made the last minute decision to head to myrtle for the 4th, i was practically out of options for a place to stay. and when i mean last minute, i mean one week before we were leaving. how's that for spontaneity?
i checked expedia with hopes that something would be available. we had better chances of creating a beach in our backyard than we had getting a hotel for 3 nights one week before the 4th. stupid. stupid. stupid.
the cheapest hotel was some run down "resort" for $189.00 plus taxes a night. thinking that we wouldn't be in the room for long, i took down my previous hotel experience pride & tried to book... only to find out someone grabbed the last room literally mintues before i could get my debit information in there.
the only other option was a super 8 motel for over $200 a night that was over 10 miles from the beach. no go. i don't like cockroaches as a free amenity when checking into a hotel.
i then remembered reading about airbnb. originally deemed as air bed & breakfast, this is a service that lets you rent out either a whole house, a room in a house, a condo, or an apartment from other people using the site. i checked our dates, found a highly rated review for a place 5 miles from the beach, 10 minutes from barefoot landing & broadway at the beach for only $79 a night.
yes, the owner of the house is there while you are. i'll admit, it was kind of awkward at first. you're busting up in the house of someone and sleeping in their guest bed. but our experience was awesome. our room was located about the garage (with a key for locking) with our own temperature gauge, tv, closet, and a guest bathroom & shower.
we even were able to hook up mario party one afternoon after the beach!
we even were able to hook up mario party one afternoon after the beach!
we basically were only there to shower before heading out for the night & sleep because we were too busy at the beach or exploring. lori, our host, was amazing and made sure our stay was comfortable with fresh towels everyday. breakfast was not available, which was kind of weird for something deemed as "bed and breakfast" but we grabbed some fruit from the local grocery down the road. that didn't make or break it for us as we rarely saw the host.
it was like we had our own house to ourselves with access to a living room, kitchen, outdoor patio and community pool - if we wanted.
it's not for everyone, but i think if you want to save cash (we saved over $350-400 in accomodations alone), then you should give it a try. word of advice: read the reviews because you don't want to show up and your seaside mansion that was advertised on the site is actually a run down shack.
and be aware that your host reviews you to which could affect someone from accepting your reservation in the future if you're a crazy maniac and screw up their house. our host said lee and i were " a great couple. personable. would highly recommend."
if you can get past the initial awkward-ness, hey i'm in your house even when you're not because i have a key and you trust me and i trust you as a total stranger, it's totally worth it.
