b0arding.com is a booking platform for hotels and holiday stays built around video reviews from travellers. So you see a place not only in photos but through clips from other guests. It is worth a look if you compare prices and like to get a better feel for a property before you pay.
What you can book
The site lists around three million hotels and vacation rentals and advertises discounts of up to 70 per cent. You search by destination, dates and guests, and the home page shows cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo. You can sign up as a guest or list a property as a host.
- Hotels and vacation rentals worldwide
- Video reviews from guests on the listings
- A pay later plan powered by Affirm
- Messages to the host through the built-in messenger
What a booking really costs
According to its terms of use, b0arding takes a 10 per cent service fee from hosts and no commission from guests. Guests do cover transaction fees, such as those of the card or the payment provider. Prices are shown in the site currency, so allow for a possible foreign currency surcharge from your bank. Check the total in the last booking step before you confirm. Taxes and local charges depend on the property, and whether anything is due on site is shown on the individual booking.
The site advertises no hidden fees. Still, compare the final price with the price of the same place at other providers. A discount only helps when the final price really is lower.
Cancellation and payment
Each host sets their own cancellation rule. There are three basic models: Strict (half back when you cancel 14 days before check-in), Moderate (half back 7 days before) and Flexible (full refund up to 48 hours before check-in). If you miss the rule, b0arding may require you to pay all fees. Read the rule before you confirm and note the date. Hosts have 24 hours to approve a booking, so do not expect everything to be settled instantly.
How to save
The special feature is video credit: if you upload a video about a stay and it is approved, you get 20 US dollars of travel credit. The credit can be used on future bookings. The provider page at TripPrice shows whether another coupon is running. For cashback, only use coupons listed there for this provider.
Booking with cashback
The cashback runs through daily cashback. Here is how to do it:
- Open the daily cashback store page for b0arding.com and click through to the provider from there.
- Pick your booking and pay as usual with b0arding.com.
- Finish everything in the same browser tab, without visiting other sites in between.
With this provider, pay for the booking right away, because unpaid or cancelled bookings earn no cashback. Do not close the store tab and reopen it later from a bookmark or search result, and finish the purchase in one session without visiting deal sites in between. The reward is credited once the trip is confirmed. You can see the current rate on the b0arding.com provider page at TripPrice. You book directly with b0arding.com.
Who b0arding suits
The platform is interesting if impressions from real guests matter to you and you are willing to check the price and cancellation rule of each place individually. If you want maximum flexibility, pick offers with the flexible rule. If you rarely need to cancel anyway, a stricter rule can often save a little. Read the terms and compare the price with a second provider.
Tips
- Watch the videos and read the host cancellation rule before you book.
- Watch the currency and include your card fees in the comparison.
- Ask questions before booking through the chat with the host.
- If you pay in instalments, the terms of the payment provider apply, not those of the platform.