HOW TO BOOK
Which sites to use and the kind of properties you’ll find
AIRBNB HAS BEEN A DISRUPTOR in the travel industry since it was founded 10 years ago and among its key selling points has been the sheer choice of accommodation it has opened up for travellers: as Airbnb guests, we can opt to stay in a whole home, private room, cabin, villa, boutique hotel, bed and breakfast or a unique listing like a treehouse or a converted farm machinery shed. And with 75 per cent of Airbnb listings in Australia falling outside of the traditional tourist remit, it also enables you to holiday somewhere delightfully unexpected – like on Australia’s largest frangipani farm in the hinterland beyond Noosa. You can use Airbnb’s filters to find a stay that suits your needs – whether that’s a pet-friendly place or somewhere that meets individual accessibility needs such as step-free access. Browsing within its family collection will pull up properties with five-star reviews from families. Due to the sharing economy principle that Airbnb is predicated on, the platform can present a degree of uncertainty for some, so if you want extra insurance when you’re booking, look out for properties listed with superhosts – experienced hosts officially recognised by Airbnb – as well as those that fall under the Airbnb Plus banner. The latter homes have been verified for quality and comfort, “to the extent that it provides that extra degree of verification. You’re going to get exactly what you expected,” says the company’s Australia and New Zealand country manager Sam McDonagh. Airbnb Plus was launched in February this year, and its Australian properties so far range from a secluded cabin overlooking Pittwater and the Pacific Ocean in Sydney’s Northern Beaches to designer homes near Bondi Beach. “It doesn’t have to be a huge Queenslander with five bedrooms,” says McDonagh, “it could be a smaller cottage, but what we do know is that it will be well maintained and clutter-free, it will have thoughtful design and will be somewhat unique, and it will be comfortable: whether that be the mattresses or the quality of the sheets and the towels, or the amenities available.” Stayz has been the mainstay of holiday accommodation rental in Australia for years, a domestically-born brand and one of the country’s online travel pioneers. But it’s currently in the midst of change. In 2013, Stayz was sold by Fairfax to US holiday rental brand HomeAway, and now this parent company – which itself was bought by Expedia in 2016 – is phasing out the Stayz name as part of a global brand and technology refresh. For now, users can still head to stayz.com.au, but will find the site merged with HomeAway. From a user perspective, HomeAway feels similar to Airbnb, and travellers can browse properties in trending destinations as well as in groups such as ‘family friendly’, ‘pet friendly’ and ‘pool properties’. Here you’ll find some gorgeous prospects like Aloha Beachfront in Victoria’s Apollo Bay, with its 270-degree ocean and mountain views, or the simple but luxurious Holland House overlooking Tasmania’s Bay of Fires. Sites like Onefinestay and Contemporary Hotels provide the most exclusive offerings (Airbnb is soon to wade into this territory with Beyond by Airbnb). Onefinestay operates around the world with a portfolio of private home rentals including ocean villas, mountain chalets, country piles and city pads. Offering 24/7 service, hotel-quality linens and a welcome on arrival, it launched in Australia earlier this year with properties in Sydney and Noosa; plans are afoot for the NSW Southern Highlands, Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
“One of our key differentiators is that we excel in the art of curation,” says Onefinestay’s Kheireddine Kamal. “We only accept one in 10 homes that apply, looking for the highest quality standards, charm and taste, as well as prime locations.” This can mean an ultra-modern home on the cliff overlooking Sydney’s Tamarama Beach, with multiple living areas and terraces, state-of-the-art kitchen and a heated lap pool; or the architect-designed Waterfront Villa positioned on the Noosa canal, with its own private jetty. Onefinestay also affords the chance to up the ante on your stay with individualised experiences tailored by the team’s travel advisors that range from the practical (like grocery delivery) to the indulgent (like spa services), and from restaurant reservations to private chefs. An Australian family-owned company, Contemporary Hotels offers similar swish benefits including a team of property experts on standby to pair you up with the home of your dreams. You can start wish-listing by browsing the brand’s website according to your interests: beach, adventure, architecture, family, relaxation or romantic, for example. Contemporary Hotels’ roster of over 200 properties are mostly clustered around Sydney and New South Wales, with a handful in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, and several more overseas. These properties combine the best ingredients with extra VIP services on hand if required including butler service, caterers, limousines, spas and superyachts. All, says the brand’s CEO Matthew Fleming, possess “a total sense of place – drop dead beauty.” Among its most jaw-dropping properties, which combine dramatic architectural beauty and an incredible location, are Seidler House in the NSW Southern Highlands and Bedarra Island Villa in Queensland.