Airbnb.com offers affordable homes, rooms to stay in

If you’ve ever thought of making a little extra dough by renting out a room in your house or considered staying in someone’s house when taking a quick trip, Airbnb.com is an easy-to-use (and understand) website that matches people and extra space.

What’s hot: This site provides a more down-home and afforable option to a night in a hotel chain. Stay in a private room, or take over an entire empty condo or house. There are user reviews just as you would see on a big travel website featuring hotels. Reading about a previous traveler’s experience can boost the confidence of a traveler who’s new to the system. Airbnb even featured a whole section on rentals available for the Olympics. Keep it in mind for your next work meeting or family vacation.

What’s not: Because there are interesting nontraditional spaces such as yachts, castles and treehouses, I’d love to see a search option for that, instead of just searching a destination. To find the unusual gems, click on “Airbnb Top 40” from the home page and start daydreaming about a night in a lighthouse in Canada or a medieval farmhouse in Spain.

-- Jen Leo