Part of my job for a few years was to help groups coming to party in Thailand to find the right place to party-friendly listings on Airbnb for their stay.
And even though finding a party-friendly house or apartment on Airbnb isn't as hard as it might seem, following a few rules will make it even easier.
But before I share with you my best tips, let me clarify one thing:
🐵 Disclaimer
When I say "party-friendly" listings, I'm talking about villas, apartments, or resorts on Airbnb that allow a group of friends to "party", or in other words, to have drinks with a few guests, and some music without getting kicked out.
I'm not talking about finding a place on Airbnb to organize an open-invite party with a bunch of strangers, which is against Airbnb guidelines.
If you're not (yet) familiar with Airbnb rules on parties, have a look at them.
That being said, here are some tips to help you find and book a party house on Airbnb.
Contents
1. Pick an Airbnb that is Suitable for Events
When you search for a place to stay on Airbnb you have access to filters that help you find listing according to your criteria.
One of these filters under "House Rules" is called "Suitable for events" (here's how to find it).
It means the host of this listing is fine with guests having some kind of events or parties at their place.
I know it leaves you with a limited number of options because the majority of listings aren't suitable for events.
But the point here is to find the right place for your party and to make sure everything goes smoothly.
We don't want to piss off the host or to be banned from Airbnb.
So follow Airbnb rules, stick only to places that are listed as "suitable for events".
2. Tell the Host What your Plan is
I know it’s tempting to hide that you’re gonna host a party because that would make it easier to find a place to book.
But there are only benefits to tell the owner what your plan is.
First, if he says yes, he knows what you're up to, and he’s less likely to complain or to leave you a bad review if anything goes wrong (and as we all know, sh*t happens).
Second, he can let the neighbors know there's gonna be some noise or at least tell you the rules to stay out of trouble with the neighborhood, like keep the volume down or keep the party inside after a certain time.
For example in Pattaya (Thailand), the "rule" is no music outside after 10 pm in residential areas. So you know that past this time you need to move the party inside and keep it low key.
Because the last thing you want is to have the neighbors calling the cops on you. Been there, not fun. 🙈
Last but not least, some Airbnb hosts are super cool and can help you plan your party.
That's often the case in destinations popular for parties like Pattaya, Phuket, Ibiza, Barcelona, Bali, and many more.
I know people who had their host on Airbnb helping them to find the staff to get drinks and food, even suggest local companies that can help with entertainment.
I remember when I was organizing parties we had a few Airbnb hosts reaching out to us to help their guests to plan entertainment and activities during their stay.
3. Keep the Discussion on Airbnb
That's the only way for you and the host to be protected if anything happens.
This way you both got a record of what was said and what limits were set.
If any problem occurs, if there's an argument between you and the host, that will help you big time.
4. Don’t Get Too Much into Details
You’re gonna host a party. Period.
Even if the host is cool with you having a party at their place, you probably don’t need to go too much into details.
We often organized parties with Bikini Models, DJs, Sexy shows... all we said was, we're gonna party and have some music, what are the rules?
That's it.
Just ask for the rules so you know what you can and can't do and how to stay out of trouble.
5. Don’t Force It
If you don’t find any party-friendly villa or apartment where you want, don’t push it.
Book a party-friendly hotel or hostel instead.
It’s the best way to avoid any trouble during your stay.
Most cities have a nightlife district where some of the hotels are party-friendly, or at least fine with some level of noise and guests in the room.
It's 100% better to book one of these hotels instead of lying to the Airbnb host and getting the cops to knock on your door at 2 am and being kicked out of your Airbnb. (I've seen it happen, it's not pretty)
6. Have a Great Airbnb Profile
It's not a secret anymore, Hosts also rate Guests on Airbnb. 😲
They can leave a star rating and comments about how you left the place for other hosts to see.
So make sure you've got the best Airbnb profile possible.
Leave your Airbnb clean, don't break anything, don't disturb the neighbors... follow the rules and use some common sense.
Treat that place as if it was yours.
And if you're new on Airbnb, build your profile before you book an Airbnb for a party.
Use Airbnb for a few weekend gateways and get a few positive reviews on your profile.
That will help you big time for your future bookings and help hosts to trust you.
7. Book With A Discount
I used to have a $55 discount for Airbnb, but they closed their affiliate program.
Now if you want to use your crypto (or fiat) to book a house for your next holidays, you can use Travala and get up to $25 off.
Book hotels, flights, and activities with crypto (or fiat) on Travala
FAQ
As long as the Airbnb is listed as "suitable for events" and the host is fine with your plans, there's no restriction from the platform. Make sure you share your plans with the hosts and ask for rules and restrictions regarding parties before you book.
No, some of them are fine with parties. But by parties we mean an event with friends and families. Open-invite parties are banned on Airbnb and most hosts will refuse them for obvious reasons.
In my opinion, Airbnb is still the best platform to find original places to stay for a party, especially villas or resorts.
Even though they had problems with house parties organized at some of their listings in the past and they're slowly tightening up their rules.
For now, at least in Thailand, there's no shortage of awesome villas and apartments you can rent for an event on Airbnb.
So far I've organized close to 100 parties in Airbnb's and it went fine 99% of the time.
If you're looking for an original place to stay for your next party trip, Airbnb is still the best booking platform to use.
Now, if you're about to plan your next party trip, check my travel and party guides here.
And as always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.