A break from the accommodation mega-sites: the best alternative booking platforms | Self-catering

Accounts of tenants illegally subletting rental properties by listing them on Airbnb and Booking.com, without the permission of their landlords, have hit the headlines in recent months. While there’s no denying that the convenience of these accommodation booking platforms has transformed holidays – making independent travel more accessible and affordable – that convenience often comes at a cost. In tourism hotspots like Barcelona, which banned short-term rentals in 2021 (and will ban all apartment rentals to tourists by late 2028), platforms such as Airbnb are being blamed for driving up rents and house prices for residents.

However, there are alternatives to these search engine and booking monoliths, with an increasing number of smaller websites offering hand-picked owner-run, independent B&Bs, home swaps, or rental properties that are primary homes (rather than fuelling a second home market). With a focus on passionate, local hosts who know their patch inside out, using these platforms can also take some of the pain out of researching a destination. Better for locals and better for your holiday; it’s often a win-win.

Fairbnb

A direct challenger to Airbnb, Fairbnb is a cooperative short-term rental platform that started in Venice with a mission to “redefine tourism”. It claims to do this in two ways: by only listing places to stay that are owned and lived in by local people, and by donating 50% of the commission earned on each booking to community projects chosen collectively by hosts. Today, the platform has about 2,000 listings in 10 countries across Europe. In 2023, Fairbnb launched fairUP, listing experiences that support underrepresented local businesses.

For example, half of the commission earned on bookings for this flat sleeping up to six in Mouraria, a vibrant neighbourhood near the centre of Lisbon (£221 a night), will be donated to local homeless charity Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo.

Socialbnb

Initially developed as a student project in Cologne, Socialbnb connects travellers with social and ecological projects across the world. Many of these projects have rooms to rent, providing travellers with engaging experiences while funding important grassroots projects. It lists over 400 experiences and places to stay worldwide.

Stay in a restored water mill surrounded by 60 miles of hiking and biking routes in a biosphere reserve in Förstgen, Germany, (from £60 a night), or book a room at…