A room of one's own - for a little while

Liu Siyang, 27, used Airbnb more than a dozen times when she traveled through Europe. When she moved to Shanghai, she rented a 50-square-meter apartment on a three-floor building and spent more than 30,000 yuan decorating it in the way she likes.

But Liu often travels to Europe for business, usually for about one month, up to four times a year. She thinks it's a pity to leave such a beautiful apartment empty. So last summer, she started to rent it out on Airbnb.

"I love this idea very much. I like to rub shoulders with the locals and I prefer to stay at their houses than hotels," says Liu, founder of ASAP Showroom, which imports European fashion brands to China. Most of her tenants are foreigners.

Independent travelers like to use online accommodation services because the lodgings are in good locations and safe neighborhoods, are nicely decorated and reasonably priced.

"It's like my tenants are spending a few days at their cousin's, because I'm doing my best to make them as comfortable as if they were at home, with things such as a transportation cards, fruit, chocolate and a welcome card," Ye says.

According to Liu, to enhance the tenants' experience, it's important to prepare a full range of user-friendly articles for daily use such as snacks, towels and bathroom amenities. They can make a meal in the fully equipped kitchen with a toaster and a coffee machine, and watch DVDs from their own countries on TV rather than programs in Mandarin.

Liu says her tenants are very friendly and keep the room clean. She even brushes up on her Italian with an Italian tenant who regularly visits Shanghai to learn Chinese.

"It's better to stay at a hotel if you only stay for two nights. If you're staying more than three days, it's very suitable to use the service because you can experience the local lifestyle. You have a key and go out and it feel like you own the place. The feeling is different from hotels," Liu says.

Last spring, Liu and her parents rented a house in Paris that they found online. When they tired of eating French food after the first three days, they could cook Chinese dishes to satisfy their "homesick" taste buds. Her parents said it was like they had a temporary home in the city and really liked it.