FAQs

About Us

HostaTourist.com is a worldwide social networking website that allows:

- Homeowners’ to earn extra cash by renting out their spare room, couch, sofa or air bed to tourists and visitors.

- Tourists and visitors to find cheap accommodation that is less expensive than hotels. The site also appeals to tourists and visitors who prefer staying with locals.

- Visitors to find accommodation when hotel rooms are in short supply during major sporting and music events.

- People in-between tenancies to find a crash pad for a few nights before the start of their new tenancy agreeement.

The only way to get under the skin of a place is to stay with a local. Backpackers have known this for decades – if you’re seeking an “authentic” travel experience, a chance to mingle with the locals on an equal footing, to share their stories and sample their cuisine, you need to go native and move in with them (The Sunday Times – November 30, 2008).

Contacting Us

You can contact us by emailing: admin@hostatourist.com

What about Safety?

Thousands of homeowners around the world already provide bed and breakfast facilities in homes that have as little as 3 bedrooms. Members should view each others profiles and exchange emails or use the Chat facility provided before agreeing a hosting. Please use common sense. Ensure your friends and family know where you are staying or who you are hosting.

How to Search and Book a Room

Use the "Search" facility on the top right hand section of the website to search for a room in the Town or Country that you are travelling to. You can also search using "Advanced Member Search" that can be found under Members tab.You can contact a host and request a room by either:

a) Leaving a comment on their wall, or

b) Adding them as a friend and then emailing them using the email facility provided on the website, or

c) Using the Chat facility to communicate with homeowners who are online.

Advanced search: http://www.hostatourist.com/profiles/members/advancedSearch

Tourists and Visitors

It is FREE to become a member of HostaTourist.com. We do not charge a booking fee.

If your host has not uploaded a profile photograph and photographs of their home please ask them to do so. This will give you an idea of the person and home you will be staying in.

Let your host know as soon as possible if you are unable to make the booking.

Please do not pay for a room in advance by Western Union or other money transfer services. Such members do not have a room and are not genuine. Payments made by via Money Transfer Services such as Western Union cannot be traced. Payments should only be made by Paypal and Credit Cards. Please report members who are asking to be paid in advance by Money Transfer and we will ban such members from this network.

Homeowners

It is FREE to become a member of HostaTourist.com. We do not charge a commission on the money you receive from people you host. You get to keep 100% of it. It is entirely up to you to decide who you wish to host after you have seen their profile and exchanged emails.

Remember to change your profile when the room is not available in order to avoid receiving booking requests from other members. Make your price attractive. The lower the price the more booking requests you will be likely to receive.

Agree with your guest in advance how and when you will like to be paid.

Please do not accept a cheque over and above your room rates from a member who will then demand that you send them the difference by Western Union or other money transfer services. They might claim that they need the difference urgently for sudden funeral expenses or other lame excuses. The cheque is likely to have been stolen and will eventually bounce meaning that you have lost the amount you sent. Please report such members to us and we would ban them from this network..

Homeowners - How to show your location on Google Map

Go to Google map website at:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=35.46067,18.984375&spn=116.463041,315&z=2

Type your Zip or Post code in the box provided and click "Search Maps". Your location should now be displayed on the map.

Click "Link" on the top right corner of the screen.

Copy all the text under the heading "Paste link in email or IM" to your profile on Host a Tourist.

Please note that the above link should be copied to the profile question "Google map link to my location".