Say what you will but in my own anecdotic experience (I travel a lot) I do feel like I’ve lived in these cities for a bit when I airbnb there. And I still remember all these airbnbs even after many years.
Your credential signaling - "I travel a lot" adds no weight at all. I too travel, most of the year and have been around the world more than a few times at this point in my life. Living like a local is about many things - establishing friendships and relationships with people that live there, its about establishing a routine, its about having life experiences there. But it most certainly has nothing to do with staying in a hotel vs staying in an Airbnb.
Well I'm glad I did then, because I truly feel at home when I stay in an Airbnb, and I don't feel at home when I'm staying in a hotel.
Of course living in a city is about more than just having a home, but it gives you that feeling, for a bit.
> "I travel a lot" adds no weight at all
Of course it adds weight. I have the actual experience of living in different cities (and different continents) and I've been staying at airbnbs and hotels enough to understand the difference. Now again, these are just my personal anecdotal experiences, but saying that it is absurd is absurd. You can't objectively think that living in someone's "home" is not more homely that staying in a hotel.
Yes I've stayed at people's houses whom I didn't know very well. I don't think paying for the experience would have made me feel any more "at home."
>"When you're coming back to a hotel after a dinner or a night drinking it just doesn't have this feeling."
Exactly but it has the feeling of "wow someone came in and cleaned, there's fresh towels, toiletries, water and the bed is made." And I don't have worry about playing games with reviewing people or being reviewed.
Lots of people just go home when they want to feel at home.