Homestay Reviews
Homestay Customer Reviews (13)
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Homestay Customer’s Q&A
Homestay Features and Benefits
Key Features and Benefits of Homestay.com:
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Unique Cultural Experience:
- Cultural Immersion: Guests can experience local customs, traditions, and daily life by staying with a host who lives in the community.
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Personalized Interaction:
- Host Interaction: Guests can build meaningful personal connections with their hosts, who provide insider tips and assistance during the stay.
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Affordable Accommodation:
- Cost Effectiveness: Homestays are often less expensive than hotels or rental apartments, including utilities and sometimes meals and laundry services.
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Language Learning:
- Language Practice: Guests can practice speaking a foreign language in a real-time environment, improving their proficiency and confidence.
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Instant Accept Feature:
- Convenience: The Instant Accept feature allows guests to book a homestay immediately, saving time and effort for both guests and hosts.
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Local Knowledge:
- Host’s Local Knowledge: Hosts provide guests with local knowledge, helping them see beyond the usual tourist trail and experience the authentic side of the place.
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Customizable Amenities:
- Tailored Amenities: Homestays often offer customizable amenities such as home-cooked meals and personalized services, catering to individual preferences.
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Global Reach:
- Wide Availability: Homestay.com offers a selection of over 63,000 rooms in over 176 countries, providing a global accommodation option.
Homestay Pricing
Homestay.com Pricing:
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Room Pricing:
- Nightly: The price is for a 1-night stay.
- Weekly: The system calculates the average nightly room price based on the weekly price divided by 7 nights.
- Monthly: The system calculates the average nightly room price based on the monthly price divided by 30 nights.
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Booking Fee:
- Guests pay a 15% booking fee to Homestay.com to secure the booking (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings).
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Payment Methods:
- The booking fee can be paid using various methods such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB, and PayPal.
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Payment to Host:
- The total price of stay is paid directly to the host, either on arrival or in advance, as specified by the host.
About Homestay.com Payment Method?
On Homestay.com, once a host confirms availability, a 15% booking fee is paid to secure the booking (maximum fee of 250 $£€) using a choice of payment methods. These methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal. Some hosts avail of the Deposit payment option where a 25% deposit of the price of stay is paid in advance at the time of booking. This deposit payment is transferred to the host directly, if cancellation occurs less than 7 days in advance. For a refund of this deposit payment, cancellation must be made at least 7 full days prior to arrival. The balance of the price of stay is paid to the host on arrival or as stated by the host on their profile and agreed by the guest on booking. Each host should inform the guest how they would like to be paid, for instance by cash, bank transfer, PayPal or another payment method. It is strongly advised that if a guest is asked for part or full payment of accommodation prior to arrival, they should contact the Homestay Support Team BEFORE actioning any payment. The total accommodation cost owed is paid directly to the host, either on arrival or in advance. The host will let the guest know how they want to receive the balance when the booking has been confirmed. The online booking fee is currently charged in either EUR €, GBP £ or USD $. The outstanding amount is paid to the host in the host’s local currency.
Homestay FAQs
Homestay Alternatives
Based on the provided sources, here are the top 10 homestay.com alternatives:
- Homestayin.com - Similar to homestay.com, with a focus on international exchange and host families.
- Homestayweb.com - Another platform for finding host families and exchange students.
- Likibu.com - Offers dorms, hostels, and coworking spaces for students and travelers.
- Dorms.com - Specializes in safe student accommodations and cheap hostels.
- Homestaykorea.com - Provides online bookings for backpacker hostels and offers city guides.
- Hostelworld.com - A popular platform for booking various types of student accommodations and hostels.
- Gomfy.com - Helps find student housing and residences at the lowest possible price.
- VRBO.com - Offers entire homes and apartments for rent, with a focus on extended stays.
- HomeToGo.com - A metasearch engine for vacation rentals, offering a wide range of listings from various providers.
- Plum Guide - Curates high-end vacation rentals, ensuring only the best properties are listed.
These alternatives offer a variety of options for finding homestays and student accommodations, catering to different needs and preferences.
How To Open A Homestay Account?
To open an account on Homestay.com, follow these steps:
- Log on to the Homestay.com website.
- Click on 'Become a Host' at the top right side of the page.
- Sign up directly using a Facebook profile or enter name, surname, phone number, email address, and password.
- Accept the Terms and Conditions and click on 'Create Account'.
- Follow the 7 step wizard making sure to provide accurate information about the house, family, location, rules, and upload photos, especially of the bed and room.
- The support team will review the profile and notify by email if it is completed correctly and ready to be set live. If there is something missing, they will go back explaining the best way to improve the listing to become a host.
Once the profile is in tip-top shape, start to receive requests and be ready to make online bookings. As a host, set and manage own rates, availability, and requests from potential guests. Changes in the profile can be made from the Homestay.com account. Note: Each section should be completed before going back and editing any information in the profile. It’s free to create an account on Homestay.com. Homestay.com welcomes people from everywhere in the world to become a host. The platform is all about the host being present during the guest’s homestay experience to make it as local and unique as possible. So, if having one or more spare rooms, simply become a host by registering the details.
What are the benefits of using Homestay.com?
What is the cancellation policy for Homestay.com?
What is the payment process for Homestay.com?
Can I request specific accommodations or preferences through Homestay.com?
Homestay.com Return Policy?
Homestay.com allows guests to cancel a booking before arrival. However, the booking fee paid at the time of booking is non-refundable as per the terms and conditions agreed upon booking. If the host must cancel the booking, the booking fee will be refunded. For any issues with the accommodation or the host, contact must be made with Homestay Technologies Limited within 48 hours after check-in-date for a refund of the booking fee to be considered. Failure to make contact within this timeframe means a review into the issue cannot be undertaken.
If any balance owed has been paid directly to the host in advance of arrival, this cancellation is subject to the cancellation terms stated on the host profile and agreed upon booking. If the host cancels a booking on behalf of the guest, the Homestay.com booking fee is non-refundable as per the terms and conditions agreed upon booking a homestay.
Some hosts offer a Deposit Payment option. For these hosts, 25% of the booking price and the booking fee must be paid to confirm the booking. For a refund of this deposit payment, cancellation must be made at least 7 full days prior to arrival. If cancellation occurs less than 7 days in advance, the 25% deposit payment is made to the host 2 business days after the scheduled arrival date. However, the booking fee is non-refundable.
As for a shipping policy, no relevant information was found. Homestay.com is a platform for booking accommodations with local hosts, and as such, a shipping policy may not be applicable.
Are there any additional services offered by Homestay.com?
Homestay.com offers a range of services. It connects host families with students and independent travellers looking for accommodation. The platform provides the opportunity to live with a local and truly discover the destination. It offers a wide selection of rooms for both long and short term accommodation. Hosts can monetise their spare room by renting it out to international students, tourists, and professionals. The platform promotes sustainable local tourism by ensuring spending stays within local communities. Additionally, it provides support and answers to any questions about the homestay sign up or booking process. Hosts can also request an additional deposit, which must be made explicit in their profile.
How do I contact Homestay.com support?
For booking or guest enquiries, or if further assistance is needed after making a booking, the contact email is support@homestay.com. For host enquiries, the contact email is hosts@homestay.com. For partner enquiries, the contact email is partners@homestay.com. For general enquiries, the contact email is info@homestay.com. The Homestay.com Head Office can be reached at phone number +353 (0)1 6753010. The office is located at 77 Camden Street Lower, D02 XE80, Dublin 2, Ireland. Remember, Homestay.com is a global website that lets you book accommodation in a local person’s home for an authentic travel experience.
How do I become a host on Homestay.com?
To become a host on Homestay.com, follow these steps:
- Log on to the Homestay.com website.
- Click on 'Become a Host' at the top right side of the page.
- Sign up directly using your Facebook profile or enter your name, surname, phone number, email address and password.
- Accept the Terms and Conditions and click on 'Create Account'. By accepting the conditions, you agree that you are living in the property.
- Follow the 7 step wizard making sure that you are providing accurate information about your house, your family, your location, your rules and, last but not least, upload the greatest photos of all you mentioned, especially the bed and room.
- The support team will carefully review your profile and notify you by email if it is completed correctly and ready to be set live. If there is something missing, they will go back to you explaining the best way to improve your listing to become a host.
- Once your profile is in tip-top shape, you'll start to receive requests and be ready to make online bookings. As a host you set and manage your own rates, availability and requests from potential guests. You can also make changes in your profile from your own Homestay.com account.
Remember, it's free to create an account on Homestay.com and they welcome people from everywhere in the world to become a host. Their platform is all about the host being present during the guest’s homestay experience to make it as local and unique as possible. So, if you have one or more spare rooms, you can simply become a host by registering your details with them. Good luck!