Airbnb

With the recent recession a new breed of travelers have rewritten some of the rules on the right way to travel. Instead of staying at pricey hotels they stay with locals; instead of booking vacations through travel agents they cut out the middle-man and go solo; and instead of using old media outlets they use new websites that integrate the latest advances in technology. Today we will be profiling a new company -- Airbnb -- that has changed the way people travel.

Airbnb is a company founded by young, technologically oriented people who found a travel niche to exploit. By utilizing the best ideas of other travel websites, they have created a community of like minded people who enjoy traveling.

In order to truly understand what they do you should check out their website. http://www.airbnb.com/
Navigating through the website is intuitive. A simple search engine -- embedded on the homepage -- allows you to quickly search through all of the listed properties. After a cursory search of Washington D.C. accommodations I found that prices ranged widely: from $25 to over $1,000 a night. After viewing a few of the properties I started to become curious, what was it that led people to rent out their homes to complete strangers? Money? Loneliness? Excitement? This excerpt from one renter explains her motivation for renting out her room:
"I don't really need the $$$ to be honest, but thought it would be cool to host and meet people from all over. I traded my place for Obama inauguration tickets and it worked really well. Looking forward to hosting again!"

Safety, at least for some, is a concern: living with a stranger can sound kind of crazy. To help assuage any anxiety a review system is set in place that allows you to see what other people have to say. There truly is safety in numbers. On the flip side, if you would like to earn a bit of cash, or enjoy meeting new people, you can also become a renter. Posting a room is simple and easy.