Rustic23
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We booked a Holiday Inn Express in Dallas last week. Senior rate: $81, guaranteed rate: $80. I knew we were going, so I saved the buck!
We have traveled extensively, and I'm okay guaranteeing a room with a credit card. I do not like to prepay, however.
We prefer to stay in bed and breakfasts and off the beaten path locations. We also like to have somewhere to stay on our first stop and make reservations via internet as we go along. We do not travel in high season, either.
With a notebook or laptop, there's no reason you cannot find a place to stay on Venere.com, AirBnB.com or Booking.com in virtually every place in the world. In most major cities, I will have checked out the accommodations closely from customer recommendations to online photographs.
I liked a bed and breakfast outside Rome where they just took my name and phone number without deposit or prepayment. We paid upon our leaving. They said you just have to trust people.
I cannot remember anytime I've lost any funds on accommodations.
I agree with what you're saying about AirBnB. Immediately upon leaving the property, they're wanting your feedback on the property and the owners. At the same time, they're getting feedback from the owner on how you kept their property--cleanliness, etc. I appreciate that.