If you continue to actively travel, then you have probably come across limitations of Airbnb and Booking services. The problem is especially acute in trying to find a small hotel or apartment for a day in Belarus. And the point is not that there are fewer proposals from the owners, but that there is no more control and feedback system.

Now you can often find complaints about unscrupulous landlords who cancel the reservation a day or even an hour before arrival. Another not the most pleasant scheme: in exchange for the agreed apartment, they offer a different one in terms of consumer properties. Due to the fact that you often find out about this while on the road, there is simply no choice how to agree.

So what to do and through which sites you can now book an apartment for a day?

airbnb accommodation site

Per diem – to replace Airbnb and short-term apartment rentals

One of the services that has risen very strongly after the departure of Airbnb is Sutochno, which specializes in short-term apartment rentals. In terms of functionality and interface, the site is clear and simple, and most importantly, it makes it possible to book accommodation with trusted landlords.

There are ratings, reviews and various incentive systems for apartment owners. Of course, no one has canceled the fact that you may be offered to drop in without a reservation through the service, agreeing in words, but here it’s up to you.

How to replace Airbnb and Booking in local trips?
This is how the site and available apartments on the map look like

Like Airbnb, Daily has tags Superhost, which relatively guarantee the reliability of the owner of the apartment.

How much housing is available through Daily? It makes no sense to talk about Minsk and regional cities, there are hundreds of options. In small towns, everything is also more or less good.

How to replace Airbnb and Booking in local trips?

From personal booking experience. AT Pinsk 1 day before arrival, a great option was found, the answer waited about 2 hours. AT Soligorsk dozens of different apartments were also available, the booking went through without any problems.

What to see in the city of miners. Attractions Soligorsk

Ostrovok - to replace the hotel reservation system

On the one hand, booking a hotel or inn is easier somewhere, but on the other hand, it has become more difficult. All major hotels, especially chain hotels, have their own booking systems and websites. In addition, they are easy to find simply through the search engine. In the end, it is possible to make a reservation through a call, it is unlikely that someone will try to leave you homeless.

How to replace Airbnb and Booking in local trips?

It is quite another matter with small hotels in medium and small towns. Often they were reluctant to use the services of Booking, and now they are not looking for other intermediary services. One of the likely reasons is a lack of trust, in addition, the owners are trying to save on commissions.

Where to stay in Volkovysk?
Here is an example of a small but cozy hotel in Volkovysk, which, unfortunately, is extremely difficult to book online after the departure of Booking

There are not so many truly big players in the hotel booking market as it seems at once. Most of it is intermediaries among intermediaries (like Hootellook, Trivago, Yandex.Travel and others), they collect offers from all sites and offer the best price. Of those services where you can directly book a room (similar to Booking and Agoda), Ostrovok can be distinguished.

How to replace Airbnb and Booking in local trips?
The site is somewhat reminiscent of Booking, so it will be intuitive

According to the conditions it is quite a working option. By Belarus through it are both large hotels and small hotels, though often not all.

What else can be used for booking?

  1. The old-fashioned option: call on the rental ad and negotiate in words.
  2. Kufar has made its online service for booking short-term rentals, look for options on it.
  3. In many cities, apartment owners create local websites with all the information. The main problem: the actual prices are very different from those indicated, and you can find out about free rooms only by phone.

Read more: impressions from the Hampton hotel in Brest.

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