SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio couple is showing their support for Ukraine by booking a rental through Airbnb in hopes their purchase will keep business going for a local host during the Russian invasion.
Zachariah and Mariana Castillo booked the rental in Kyiv through Tuesday, but they don’t plan to use it for themselves.
"Obviously, we didn’t check in and we just let the host know that we were supporting them and thinking about them,” said Mariana Castillo.
The couple works in real estate, and own a Airbnb on the city’s west side near Seaworld. Castillo said she knows what it’s like to run a vacation rental – busy and not. The pandemic has proven to be difficult for the vacation rental business at times.
“I know how it feels to go months and months without getting any income on it,” she said. “So after seeing a post from my friend Brooklyn about it I thought, ‘Wow, that is such a neat idea!’ because you know, these business owners lost everything so suddenly, and to support them through real estate was important to me.”
She encourages others to consider using the vacation rental site to show their support for hosts in the embattled country. For her three-night booking, the couple paid about $127, which is at a discount since Airbnb is temporarily waiving additional fees for stays in Ukraine.
“There’s three tips [I suggest] is to make sure they are a local [person] and that it’s not a company so you know the money is going to go directly to them. The second thing to do would be to look for a non-refundable booking meaning that you’re willing to book it, cancel it and the owner still gets the money. The third thing to do is send them a kind message and let them know that you’re thinking about them,” she said.
Airbnb is also doing its part to support Ukraine. According to the company’s website, they are funding short term housing for up to 100,000 people fleeing Ukraine. Hosts, anywhere in the world, can help by offering temporary stays for free or at a discount through their website. People can also donate to fund stays.
For the hosts staying behind to run their rentals, the Castillos hope their money will help keep business afloat.
“I would [rent another Airbnb] and encourage anyone to do it.”