Bye Felicia: The best European Airbnb’s to escape to this January

Jan 9, 2019

January is really a month for the winter blues. Christmas is a hazy memory, you can't quite shake that cold that's been bothering you, and summer seems like an eternity away.

Why not escape for a weekend to see some of Europe's most incredible sights, and stay in the best Airbnb's you can find. Treat yo'self, gowan.

Luckily for you, we've curated a list of some of the continent's best apartment finds.

We've already booked our flights straight out of Dublin airport, ASAP….

1. Zagreb, Croatia

This new stylish apartment is in the perfect location in the centre of the beautiful Zagreb, on Križanićeva street.

For a quiet and safe space which is still central, this is one of the best areas to stay in. Close to the main city square, central bus and train station, everything is easily within walking distance.

A modern, contemporary apartment with a monochromatic décor theme, yet still so comfortable, this apartment is perfect. It can host three guests, and has two beds and a bath.

New stylish central apartment
Price: €37 per night

2. Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is an incredible city to visit, the Old Town is stunning and has a huge amount of history, and most of the town is within walking distance.

It also is home to some of the best pub crawls in the world, just sayin'. This gorgeous boutique apartment has us DROOLING.

The spacious design, the window panels allowing light to stream in, we just need to stay here ASAP.

The boutique apartment is located in the Bohemian Zizkov district, packed with unreal cafés, bars, restaurants and bars with some amazing views of Prague.

Boutique apartment in central Prague
€74 per night

3. Paris, France

We have found a sunny, cosy studio apartment LITERALLY just down the road from the Eiffel Tower. What more would you need?

The charming apartment is ideal for an escape to the Parisian life; it's both residential and family-oriented.

There are windows throughout the apartment to let in the French sun, and the location is absolutely perfect; the seventh district of Les Invalides

Just picture yourself having a coffee and croissant downstairs, looking out the window at the Parisian aesthetic. We can.

Cosy studio in central Paris
€79 per night

4. Berlin, Germany

A 'superhost' owns this GORGEOUS Berlin apartment, which can house four guests and his also an absolute bargain of an offer for what you're getting.

The apartment is a short walking distance away from some of Berlin's top spots, with restaurants, shops and bars surrounding the area.

The subway station is only a seven minute walk away, and the location is both safe and central. You'll be prancing around Alexanderplatz in no time…

5. Barcelona, Spain

This spacious loft is on Airbnb Plus, and for a good reason.

The stunning studio apartment has an actual JETTED TUB. Be still my beating travel heart. The location is extremely central; with the city's main sights within walking distance.

The New York-style space has exposed brick walls, high ceilings of rustic Catalan wood and bold modern art.

Catch some rays on the balcony and make use of the space's incredible amenities.

6. Rome, Italy

This 'superhost' certified apartment in the centre of one of Europe's most renowned cities is GOALS.

The apartment can house up to four guests, and is located on the first floor of a beautiful palatial residence just minutes from the Piazza Della Repubblica.

The studio home is freshly renovated, filled with light and more luxurious than our future. We LOVE.

Beautiful city centre apartment
Price: €90

7. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This stunning Georgian apartment in Edinburgh's New Town is one of the best Airbnb's on the market.

The loft is a ground floor flat in the famous area, with absolutely every part of the city within walking distance. The apartment is spacious, has fantastic amenities such as a bath, and even an indoor fireplace for those cold January months.

The beautiful home as Wi-Fi, free parking down the road and houses two guests easily, with comfort being the essential promise.

8. Vienna, Austria

This sunny apartment is extremely sought after, for it's dedication to space and light.

It can house four guests, and they can each experience the unique, warm decor of the apartment while being close to the most famous parts of Vienna.

The metro station at Ober-St. Veit is only a seven minute walk away, with the home featuring a spacious living room with a kitchen, one bedroom and a bathroom.

The terrace can be used in summer to soak in that European sun that we Irish can never seem to get.

Sunny apartment in Vienna
Price: €69 per night

9. Krakow, Poland

Poland is a great country to escape to, especially because of how affordable it is.

This chic loft apartment in central Krakow is only €18 PER NIGHT, we cannot believe how great it is.

Beautiful, modern studio for one or two people has air conditioning for the hot summer months, and is located on Bonerowska Street in Krakow city centre.

The space is less than five minutes walking distance away from Krakow's main historical sights including main square, Wawel Castle, the Jewish Quarter and more.

10. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The hosts don't call it the 'stairway to heaven' for no reason. Amsterdam is one of Europe's most interesting cities, with a huge amount to do and some immensely picturesque locations to visit.

Little loft apartments near the canals and boats are such a dream come true, and this luxury apartment with warm, modern décor is perfect for a weekend away with someone special.

The private trendy studio is built in the attic of an authentic 1880 Amsterdam house, and is located in the cool neighbourhood near the food hall and outdoor markets. I wouldn't book this if stairs aren't suitable for you, however, it's a steep climb up.

You all deserve a holiday, and January is the perfect time to escape the winter blues and catch the travel bug.

Taylor Swift uses special software to detect stalkers at concerts

Dec 13, 2018

by Amber Saunders

Taylor Swift is one of pop's biggest superstars, and has a rake of security on her team whose sole job is to protect the Reputation songstress.

Her tour has attracted millions of people, and after the attack on Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester last year, the use of facial recognition technology is on the rise at stadiums and areas.

It has now emerged that Tay Tay uses special software to detect stalkers at her ground-breaking shows, and that fans who were mesmerised by her May 18 Rose Bowl rehearsal clips were unaware of this detail.

The Rose Bowl is an annual college football event, and used hidden cameras to capture images of guests in order to transfer them to a command post based in Nashville.

These snaps were later cross-referenced with a database of the musician's well-known stalkers, of which there are HUNDREDS.

According to chief security officer of Oak View Group, the advisory board for concert venues; “Everybody who went by would stop and stare at it, and the software would start working,”

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A post shared by @dakotajohnson_taylorswift on Dec 13, 2018 at 1:39am PST

A man who had broken into Swift's New York townhouse and stopped by for an actual NAP made a plea deal last week and as a result, he will only serve a mere six months in prison.

The stalker, full name Roger Alvarado, gained entry when he “allegedly climbed up a ladder and smashed a window with his hand”

While Taylor needs to make sure she is safe at all times, whether in concert or in her home, there are clear privacy concerns of the photographs.

Issues of ownership and the length of time for which they can be kept on file are the obvious queries…we wonder if Taylor ever has a sneaky peak at them?

More and more arenas and stadiums are turning to facial-recognition technology; this year, Ticketmaster invested in a start-up named Blink Identity.

This company claims that its sensors can identify anyone walking past its cameras at full speed in just half a second… whoa.

The veteran ticketing corporation intends to use the technology to help fans pass through the turnstiles faster and in a more practical way.

Ticketmaster’s chief product officer Justin Burleigh commented that: "It holds a lot of promise. We’re just being very careful about where and how we implement it."

We want our snake-obsessed icon to be safe, but does anyone else think it's a tad 1984?

This Harry Potter apartment is the perfect location for Hogwarts fans

Oct 11, 2018

by Staff Writer

If you have a group of friends who are all mad fans of Harry Potter, now is the time to assemble them for a quick weekend break.

Nestled away in the Scottish city of Edinburgh lies an oh-so tasteful homage to the wizarding world.

Canongate Luxury Apartment is the stuff of muggles dreams, with each room decked out in Harry Potter themed decor.

Booking.com

There is even a desk in the apartment that once belonged to JK Rowling herself – who knows, maybe a few chapters were even drafted on it.

Much like Hogwarts, the walls are decked out in painting-printed wallpaper (though sadly these painting donts move) and the apartment entrance is hidden behind a brick door with a Platform 9 and 3/4s sign printed on it.

The apartment boasts two double rooms, one of which is decked out to resemble a compartment on the Hogwarts Express (minus the Bertie Botts Beans and occasional Dementor visit).

Booking.com

The apartment costs €330 for two nights for two people, but it's dependant on what time of year you go at.

Be warned – the apartment is seriously popular, so you may want to get booking ASAP.

Booking.com

Dublin apartments more expensive to build than houses, report shows

Oct 24, 2017

by Staff Writer

A new report has today said that the construction of new apartments is not viable.

The development of affordable apartment living structures is more expensive to build than free standing houses.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors analysed the cost of building, and found that apartments will not be the answer to the housing crisis.

Low rise apartments in the Dublin suburbs start from €293,000 to build.

'Height in terms of very high rise or tall buildings isn't really the solution, the higher that you build, the more expensive it costs,' Paul Mitchell, one of the authors of the report said.

'Buildings become less efficient and you have to spend a lot more money on structure.'

This is due to the fact that high rise apartments 'have a more complex structure and require a wider range of mechanical and electrical services, sophisticated facades, basement parking and much more,' reads the report.

However, according to the report one category of apartment building – low rise in the suburbs – could be commercially viable to build, and would be affordable to average earners.

20 things from Zara Home we NEED for our apartments this summer

May 23, 2017

by Staff Writer

Summer is here, and we're ready to give our interiors a little bit of a lift to go with the bright and airy season.

Luckily, one of our favourite homeware havens Zara Home is giving us just that with their new collection.

Check out a few of our favourite pieces:

Pillow covers €22.99, Place settings €15.99, Mug €6.99, Rug €279.00

Pink cushion €22,99, Bed set €45.99, Rug €99.99, Green cushion €22.99

Candelabra €39.99, Chalice candle €9.99, Elephant candle €19.99, Floor cushion €69.99

Photo frame €17.99, Wall mirror €69.99, Glass pot €22.99, Ceramic vase €29.99

Tree candle €11.99, Bell bulb lamp €59.99, Coral lamp €99.99, Round table nest €149.00

Take a look inside Gigi’s INSANE $4 million New York City apartment

Jul 30, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Gigi Hadid is one of the biggest models in Hollywood at the moment. And with her ongoing romance with Zayn Malik, it's safe to say that many are envying her lifestyle.

Well now, thanks to Teen Vogue, you can envy her New York apartment because it is GORGEOUS.

Coming in at $4m, it's certainly not too shabby:

From the outside

The living room

The kitchen

The master bathroom

The regular bathroom

Ah, the lives of the rich and famous.

Kendall Jenner can’t fit ALL her clothes in her million dollar gaf

Jun 9, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Kendall Jenner has proved that she’s just like us – no matter how much wardrobe space we have, it will never be enough.

The reality star revealed on her app that there just isn’t enough space in her $1.39 million dollar apartment for all her clothes.

She said: “It’s hard at my condo because I don’t have enough closet space. I also have a rack [of clothes] – it’s so messy, I hate it.”

But not to worry – Kendall has a bi-monthly routine which she uses both to clear out her clothes and help others.

She explained: “I clean out my closets once every two months. I’m not a hoarder! If I haven’t worn it, then it’s time to go and that’s that.”

“The piece has to be really special if I keep it. Whatever I don’t auction for charity, I give to Goodwill. It’s a constant process to keep the clothes from taking over my place.”

Remember Kendall – any spare clothes can be sent our way!

Think your rent is expensive? This is what €900 gets you in NYC

Lifestyle

Aug 21, 2015

by Amber Saunders

If you reckon your rent in Dublin or Cork is bad, chill for a second because this guy renting in New York might just have it worse.

As you can imagine, rent in the Big Apple is extremely pricey, especially if you want to be anywhere near Manhattan i.e. less than a ferry and two trains away.

But this apartment on the Upper West side just takes the p*ss altogether. It certainly has a great location as it's only around the corner from the iconic Lincoln Centre, but what you gain in location, you REALLY lose in space. The apartment was widely ridiculed when it was put up for rent earlier this year, but it seems one renter didn't mind moving in.

Grayson Altenberg, a Wisconsin native, recently took up residence in this tiny studio apartment and is paying a huge €900 a month (or $1,100).

The "apartment," which is basically just a bedroom, consists of a bed, a shower, sink and toilet and a tiny area for preparing food. This place doesn't even have a window, but the new tenant doesn't seem to mind.

Grayson is a chef at the Lincoln Centre and says he is willing to sacrifice space and comfort for the sake of a much shorter commute.

"I don't need a living room, I don't intend on spending that much time at home. My living room is Central Park," he told the Village Voice.

As a chef, he does admit to missing his big kitchen he had at home, but it seems he's adjusting to living without some things… "like a chair." Righto.

The tiny room has what is basically just a hole in the wall for the bathroom and he has a rack hanging from the shower for hanging his clothes.

Could you live here if it meant being in the heart of NYC? We're not so sure we could..

Want to live like Kirsten Dunst? It’ll cost you….

Lifestyle

Sep 15, 2014

by Amber Saunders

We’ve always loved Kirsten Dunst’s style, and it turns out it’s not just her wardrobe that oozes vintage class and elegance. Her home does too, and it’s up for rent! At a whopping $12,500 a month….

That studio flat in Ranelagh isn’t looking so extravagant now, is it?!

If you were lucky enough to be able to afford to have Kirsten as your landlord, you’d find yourself with a view of the Hudson River, a large library and sitting room, a brand new kitchen and a master suite. Oh, and your neighbours would be Casey Affleck and director Gus Van Sant. Sound good?

You can rent the apartment furnished with Kirsten's vintage furniture, or you can have her stuff removed. After forking out for the first month's rent, we think we'd be holding onto the furniture!

Kirsten spent $3.09 million on the place back in 2007, as she wanted a break from Los Angeles after a stint in rehab. We don’t know why she’s putting it up for rent seven years later, but what we do know is that whoever gets it is one lucky tenant!

The 9 stages of finding somewhere to live

Uncategorized

Aug 13, 2014

by Amber Saunders

There is nothing more irritating than looking for somewhere to live. Here is the emotional cycle of trying to find a place to rest your weary head:

1. Optimism

There are thousands of houses, hundreds of thousands, you reason with yourself. It’ll be a mere doddle, a walk in the park, a breeze. You’ll have your pick of the best there is to offer. In fact, as far as you can see, the only problem will be too much choice. First world problems, if you will.

2. False Hope

So you’ve done a little research and you’ve sadly discovered that all is not as it first seemed. To say it’s grim out there would be an understatement, but never fear, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s something out there for you, in fact there’s probably a few things out there for you. You’ve got this all under control.

3. Shock

The full blown madness of rent prices, combined with the quality of the properties out there has finally hit you smack bang between the eyes. This is shocking, quite frankly. Nobody prepared you for this travesty. A cunning ploy then springs to mind. Maybe if nobody else is prepared to pay these ridiculous prices, then the rent charges will drop dramatically? Doesn’t really seem to be the feeling of the huge queue of people waiting to view that crummy bedsit though, does it?

4. Panic

After a week or two of being a tad too laid back about the whole thing, you’ve quickly come to realise that it’s time to take things up a notch or five. What happens if you don’t? Well, you calmly understand that you’ll have to end up pitching a tent somewhere on the side of the M50, that’s what. Cue six hours a day spent trawling rent websites and ringing false numbers in a desperate bid to speak to whatever cowboy is charging seventeen times the appropriate amount required to inhabit a box room.

5. Desperation

That Friends style apartment overlooking the canal with the hot neighbours and nine bars next door is probably not within your reach, you can accept that now. Acceptance is key. You can now move onto smaller and lesser things. At this stage you plan on taking anything that comes your way. However small, damp and inconveniently located that it may be.

6. Denial

Yes, you’re aware that your lease is up/ college starts/ work begins in just a matter of days, but all is not lost. There are at least three new properties appearing online every single day and the fact that there are thousands of people viewing them, does nothing to deter you. You flinch every time someone mentions the words ‘commute’. This will not happen. You keep on telling yourself that.

7. Hatred

You have now begun to hate the property market, landlords, leasing agencies, yourself, your housemates to be, your parents, more landlords, money and life itself. You are filled with so much hatred that it is bursting to escape from your poisonous self. At this stage you are beginning to consider hibernating in hedgehog style, under a garden shed. It’s beginning to look like the only feasible option.

8. Hopelessness

You’ll never find anything. This is it. You’re screwed. It’s hopeless. You keep on trying to resign yourself to the fact that living with the parents won’t be all that bad, but really, whenever you actually try and imagine it, you come close to tears. Meanwhile, numerous thoughtless, selfish idiots insist on putting up ‘feeling relieved’ statuses about their amazing house success and it’s doing nothing to help keep your rage under control. NOTHING.

9. Relief/ Ecstasy

Just when you thought it was all over, that phone call comes through. You’re being offered that mouldy, out of the way, cramped, dusty kip and you could NOT be any more excited about it. Who needs food, alcohol or heat when you’ve got a bed and four walls anyway? House warming!

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