THREE NIGHTS IN STOCKHOLM

Many people in my peer group (I am in my mid-30s) use Airbnb both for holiday and work, so I decided to try it on a recent trip to Stockholm. I was going for three nights – two days’ work plus the weekend for sightseeing. I wanted somewhere well located and with attractive Scandi interiors. It also needed to be cheaper than an equally attractive hotel room.

THE SEARCH I created a profile on the airbnb.co.uk/ business-travel portal and verified my ID by uploading a photo of my driving licence. At first I thought all the properties in this part of the site had been curated by Airbnb, but in fact only about 10 per cent of the 300-plus listings had a suitcase icon to indicate it was “business travel ready” (BTR). This status is self-declared by hosts when properties have 24-hour check-in, wifi, clothes hangers, a hairdryer, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, shampoo, an iron, a laptop-friendly workspace, towels and sheets, and do not allow smoking or pets. BTR hosts must respond to at least 90 per cent of booking requests within 24 hours and offer the entire home for rental. They cannot cancel reservations within seven days of check-in. Airbnb relies on user reviews to flag up dishonesty or inconsistency.

I spent a good couple of hours going through the listings and reviews. You can narrow your search in terms of district, price, whether it has an “instant book” option (handy) or the owner is a “Super Host”, but there was no way to search for BTR residences only.

I was torn between apartments that looked nice but weren’t BTR and those that did tick this box. Finally, I found a gorgeous-looking 61 sqm one-bedroom place in desirable Sodermalm, with 56 five-star reviews. At £182 (US$230) a night, it was more expensive than I wanted but was “business travel ready”.

BOOKING I requested to book (it was listed as available on my dates) but after about five hours was declined – it wasn’t free after all. I returned to my “wishlist” of plan B options – click the “heart” icon and your selections will be saved – and settled on a 30 sqm studio with a balcony in Vasastan (quite central). It had eight positive reviews and was £99 (US$125) a night. Owned by a local shoe designer called Jennie, it had white painted floors, an Eames rocking chair and stacks of art magazines. It wasn’t BTR but seemed to offer everything I needed. There was a box I could tick to say this was a business trip and to “share my reservation details with my company”.

The booking went through, and Jennie advised that as she was away travelling, a friend who ran an Airbnb management business would hand over the keys.

CHECK-IN Frederic emailed to check my flight details and swap numbers. He was waiting outside at 1.30pm, as promised. The apartment was exactly as it looked in the pictures, was clean and had directions to the local metro station and supermarket. Frederic told me I could leave when I wanted on the Sunday, and put the key through the letterbox. I could call if I had any questions.

THE STAY The property was quiet and set back from the street in its own courtyard. The bed was comfy and there was a large table for working, speedy wifi and a coffee machine, but no kettle. I couldn’t get the grill to work. The location on Gastrikegatan was a 20-minute walk from the central business district of Norrmalm.

VERDICT Overall, I loved the flat – it had a good vibe and made me feel more like a local. In some ways I missed the support you get in a hotel – I had forgotten my toothbrush, for example, so had to go out and buy one. Being able to cook for yourself also saves money. First-time users of Airbnb for Business Travel get £38 (US$50) off their next rental.