How to use housing apps and impress friends

Experiencing home away from home has never been more cost-efficient for Chinese travelers.

China’s booming shared accommodation services, which offer short-term lowcost lodging, reflect domestic tourists’ disenchantment with traditional holidays.

Hotels, it seems, are passe. Curiosity, adventure, unique experiences that cost a fraction of conventional holidays are in.

I can vouch for that. During the International Labor Day holiday in May, I decided against trodding the beaten path. Who wants to pay big money for the stress of booking the boring monotony of 30-square-meter hotel rooms?

So, instead, I booked a short-term stay in a relatively spacious — 90 square meters — house listed on Tujia, a home-rental service provider.

The place was equipped with almost everything a modern home would have these days. It offered me a totally new experience.

During the vacation, conveniences like the well-stocked kitchen, washing machine and extra space for entertainment and leisure proved to be a huge blessing indeed.

My companion on the trip was my friend. This meant, instead of being cooped up in identical hotel rooms like we used to do in the past, we could drink some wine on the balcony, cook breakfast and chat, chat, chat. Oh yes, we had a bonus in the form of separate en-suite bedrooms.

That kind of suite in a big hotel would have cost us some 2,000 yuan ($289) per night. In contrast, the homestay costs us just 454 yuan per night.

Another contrast: just a few years ago, personalized trips and special accommodation like the one we had, were considered a privilege for the wealthy.

The scene has changed dramatically, thanks to a new wave of travelers comprising the millennials and the influential middle class. They yearn for something different.

Unlike their parents, the younger generation demand more personalized and wideranging experiences. They love offbeat destinations and memorable experiences they could treasure and cherish.