I paid someone to find me the perfect Airbnb – it was heaven
I called my sister. “Forget our trip to Seville; I can’t cope with Airbnb -– it’s driving me mad trying to find the right place for the right price at the right time. I feel out of my depth… in fact, I give up.”
To be honest, I wasn’t that enthusiastic in the first place. After a lifelong fascination for hotels, I’ve always preferred that form of accommodation – and felt confident finding good places. Disappointments I’ve had with Airbnb in the past have not helped. But we had made our plan to spend a week this February in Seville only a couple of months in advance, we were on a tight budget and my favourite characterful, inexpensive hotels in the city were booked up. And, anyway, on this sororal trip we thought it would be fun to shop in the market and cook paella together in a Sevillian kitchen.
I set forth online. My sister Caroline couldn’t help with the search owing to declining eyesight and for hours I went round in circles, trying and failing to match location, price, reviews, decor and availability. That’s when I phoned her to pull the plug – and when she mentioned a website her daughter had used.
BookitBecki is Becki Wallington, a one-woman operation who has turned her love of travel and organisation into a small business. “I have concluded your search and enclose your shortlist here” read her email, 48 hours after I had contacted her with my requirements. I had given her a budget limit of ￡130 per night and told her that we would like two bedrooms if possible, that we preferred “stylish but homely” and that we wanted to be central, preferably in Santa Cruz.
Her list, I noticed, was mostly culled from Airbnb but also other Seville rental companies not using that platform (most do these days, both private owners and professional letting companies, but there are of course other sites such as Booking.com, Expedia and Vrbo to explore).
I examined her suggestions. One compact apartment leapt out: rustic-chic; two en-suite double bedrooms; sitting area with a fireplace opening onto a sleek kitchen with dining table and four chairs. Had Becki found gold? We would discover soon enough; in the meantime, I booked the apartment through Airbnb and paid Becki ￡55. For that price she will research up to four places according to her clients’ requirements, which could, if requested, encompass different locations; for ￡70 she will produce seven finds; for ￡85, she’ll source 10. For an extra ￡10, she’ll research your flights as well.
Of course, the idea of paying someone to help you book your holiday isn’t new. Traditional high-street travel agents, for decades (until the advent of the internet), acted as intermediaries to do the legwork when booking a holiday. With these making a comeback, Becki has found a niche somewhere between those wanting full travel agent service and independence.
She has clients of all ages, but most are busy mid-lifers, often with families as well as jobs and other commitments to juggle. Obviously if you are willing to put in the hours of research yourself, are good at it or even enjoy the process, this isn’t for you. But if like me you find it overwhelming and a chore, you might find this is money well spent.
Our trip to Seville was upon us; it was time to put Becki’s find to the test. She says that in nine years she has rarely (“in fact, to be honest, never”) had a complaint about a place she’s found. Would I, with 30 years as a picky hotel critic behind me, be the first? And would I, after years of standoffishness, finally come to appreciate Airbnb?
We arrived in Seville – cloudless blue skies, a balmy 23C, streets lined with glossy orange trees bulging with fruit – in time for lunch. Afterwards, we found our way through the neat, narrow alleys of the Judería until we reached a beautiful, almost hidden church and a street of elegant pastel painted houses.
Converted into six apartments five years ago, our 18th century merchant’s house, its woodwork picked out in pale green, was lovely, with a central atrium and a lift to our first-floor apartment. Inside, it was just as the pictures had described, only better because it was so clean, so cosy and well-equipped, with bedrooms and bathrooms that would not disgrace a boutique hotel, plus – and this we had not registered – a private sun trap of a roof terrace with deck chairs. It was heaven, it was home and, at ￡65 per night per person, brilliant value for money.
“I did think yours was a particularly good apartment for the price,” Becki told me when I joyfully reported back, “but generally I believe that Airbnb has got much better and standards are higher than in the past.” Charming hotels still come first for me, but when I next need an Airbnb, even though I’ve gleaned some of her tricks of the trade (“only go for a superhost and a long list of positive reviews; start with places that catch your eye, then drill down through location, budget, dates, decor, equipment, extras”), I’ll turn to Becki.
How to do it
Visit bookitbecki.com or call 0779 095 9362. EasyJet offers daily flights from Gatwick to Seville from ￡144 return.