For ages, hotels, and the level of service and posh amenities they provide, have been an essential part of everyone’s holiday planning. But with hotel rates on the rise, the more Bohemian yet very convenient option for vacation rentals are getting more popular; offering more space, no crowd of tourists and the pleasure of enjoying a whole house or apartment to yourself – for half the price of a deluxe suite.

AirBnb, a trusted community marketplace for unique accommodations, lets people book homes literally anywhere in the world, with more than 230,000 accommodations in 192 countries and 30,000 cities. And when they say homes, they don’t just mean a house or an apartment flat.

You can stay in a spare room in New York for R4,043 per night, charming bed and breakfast in California for R3,471, a forest tree house in Vermont for R5,000, an ancient British castle in the United Kingdom for R6,120, or a beach house in Puerto Princesa for R1,021.

 So how does it work?  According to JJ Chai, director of operations of Airbnb Southeast Asia, guests can do a quick search on www.airbnb.com to find a clean, affordable place to stay in the destination the are visiting. Each listing has photos of the available places along with a profile of the host (owner of the home). Before booking, guests can read the reviews of previous guests or message the host directly for any questions through the website.

“When you’re ready to book, just put in the request and Airbnb holds on to your payment until 24 hours after you checked in, just in case something is wrong with the place and you change your mind. You can stay a night, a week, or a month if you want. Airbnb also has mobile apps so guests can book from anywhere through their phones,” Chai said.

Recently, Airbnb announced its continuing expansion in Southeast Asia with the beginning of focused efforts in the Philippines. The company will focus on engaging with its rapidly-growing community in Manila and throughout the country, as it has seen over 400 percent growth year-on-year in the Philippines in 2012.

In 2012 alone, Filipinos have booked 26,000 nights of travel on Airbnb. Most popular destinations include: Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Manila, Rome, Seoul, Barcelona, Florence and London.

“Airbnb is all about creating unique, memorable experiences, and we’re seeing a huge increase in demand in the Philippines and across Asia,” said Chai. “Manila is a growing travel destination, and Filipinos are traveling abroad at increasing rates, so we believe it will be a crucial market for us as we continue to grow.”

 The year 2013 proves to be an exciting year for Philippine travel as a number of magazines listed its tropical beaches and dive sites as ‘destinations to watch’ for the coming travel seasons. According to Airbnb’s own statistics, in 2012, guests from 67 different countries around the world have booked accommodations in the Philippines through their website and guest nights booked increased 345 percent and are likely to grow more this year.

Airbnb has over 975 listings in the Philippines, including 530 in Manila. “Manila and Cebu are our top destinations in the Philippines as business travelers are noticeably our top market here,” Chai said.

To support the rapid growth in the Philippines, Airbnb has tabbed Ole Ruch as manager of the Southeast Asia region. The team focused on the Philippines will work to better support the hosts and guests in the market, assisting in managing listings, bookings, and educating users about the Airbnb process.

“We connect two sides together,” Chai added. One is the host, average people, like you and me, who rent their extra space. Whether an extra bedroom in Makati, or an entire villa in Boracay. On the other side is the guest, a traveler looking for unique places to stay, somewhere in the world.”

For more information, visit www.airbnb.com.