What is the current hospitality exchange network of choice?

June 19, 2013 5:53 PM

Around 2007 and 2008 I was quite active on couchsurfing.org (now couchsurfing.com), both in staying and hosting, and I loved it. In the next few months I may have the opportunity to start hosting again but I've found a lot of not so nice commentary of the couchsurfing organisation (particularly their terms of service, which do make me very uncomfortable), the website has gotten much harder to use and most of my contacts there are no longer active -- and there seems to be an issue with dormant accounts generally. Can any hospitality exchanging mefites give me the up to date low down on couchsurfing and its alternatives?

I am aware of BeWelcome and to me it looks like the most promising alternative. How robust is it? How active is it? Are there any other alternatives I should be looking at?

posted by deadwax to Travel & Transportation (2 answers total)

The folks in my area are still doing CouchSurfing or they've gotten a little more fancy and do AirBnB. The hospitality sites I know and am engaged with are Hospitality Club, Servas (now part of HC?), CouchSurfing, Warm Showers (for cyclists) and Be Welcome. I've only ever heard from people at Warm Showers and Couch Surfing and I rent out my place via AirBnB more than either of those. I'm also not thrilled with the management at CouchSurfing but they generally don't seem to be in my way so they're the site I tend to engage with more.
posted by jessamyn at 6:10 PM on June 19, 2013

I have been both a host and a guest with Warm Showers. I think it's pretty cool.
posted by adamrice at 6:15 PM on June 19, 2013