Review: Roomorama

With 425 destinations covered (including several destinations in Korea) and counting, Roomorama is a website offering short-term rentals, hotels, etc. Much like Couchsurfing and craigslist matches up traveler and host, Roomorama brings security, transparency, feedback, and a sense of professionalism to the ‘rent-someone-else’s-place’ world.

From Roomorama’s home page, watch a video that explains the service in 60 seconds, or start typing where you want to go and watch the auto-complete function work. Payment is made online in the standard online way, but the twist is that the money isn’t immediately received by the host. Instead, you get an alphanumeric code to give the host, once you’ve checked out the place and determined all is well. The host then logs on to the website, types in the code, and collects their money.

One of the properties available in Phuket, Thailand (photo credit: roomorama.com press photo)

While looking at accommodations, pictures of the spaces, and information about your host, you might also notice the Google map showing you the exact location in relation to the surrounding area. The feedback can also be helpful, although the current ‘thumbs-up’ or ‘thumbs-down’ model lacks fine-grained control. Be sure to read the comments on any negative comments to understand the issue – in some cases I read, the main complaint was a miscommunication or something out of the host’s control.

Some accommodations in Bali (photo credit: roomorama.com press photo)

Renting is simple, although you may have to do some mental currency conversions – the amounts are only shown in a major currency (US dollars abound, but yen and euros are also frequently used – Korean won apparently gets translated or inputted into US dollars). Technically speaking, the three accommodation options are ‘bedroom’, ‘apartment’, and ‘house’ although some guesthouses and hotels still appear in search results.

To be clear, this website offers locations across the world. The next time you’re traveling overseas, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the range of options. While many large American cities have hundreds of options, the only options that exist in Korea thus far are dorm rooms and a few hostels or Korean hanok. By comparison, Japan features a number of house stays and Beijing has a wide selection of studios. Use the checkboxes on the left sidebar to refine your search by amenities or specific locations. If you prefer to be offered something, the ‘Shoutouts’ section lets you share some basic information about your trip (your destination, dates, and how many people) so hosts can contact you. This feature will pick up momentum as more people in Asia get on board.

There’s enough options that finding a place on a preferred date shouldn’t be a problem. The prices themselves are typically cheaper or about the same as a generic hotel room reserved online – what you’re getting for the same price is a homier place, a larger space, and likely a better location. There aren’t too many rock-bottom prices here, but there are plenty of comfortable short-term accommodations available through the site, no matter where you go in the world.

Author’s note / disclaimer: this sponsored review comes to you courtesy of Roomorama. Not all sponsored review / advertising requests are accepted, in case you were curious. Only companies worthy of your attention are accepted, written about, and eventually published. All words and opinions published here are my own, and yes, I plan on using this service on my next international trip.

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe – 2011
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