Hotels and guesthouses worldwide are offering guests free stays in exchange for goods or services for the second international Barter Week.
Hotels, guesthouses and travellers are ready to swap for Barter Week, an initiative which sees accommodation providers open their doors to guests for free in exchange for goods or services. Hosts list their needs which range from DIY and creative skills to educational or marketing services and invite potential guests to make an offer.
Properties range from a hilltop bed-and-breakfast in Sicily that is looking for a videographer to shoot their property to a villa in Costa Rica hoping to find an artist to teach a workshop or donate artwork. There's also a property in Indonesia that needs a painter and decorator and a guesthouse in France searching for a chef to teach them the owners how to use their new pizza oven.
"We love good food and we'd like to discover new culinary secrets. So, we're offering hospitality in our country house to anyone who will teach us how to make the best pizza in the world," the owners declared on their wish list.
Some hosts post for specific requirements, rather they invite guests to identify a need and then make an offer to fulfil it. Others simply ask guests to bring a gift from home, whether it's a local artisan product or something rare like a vintage comic.
During the first edition around 600 B&Bs in over 60 countries took part in the initiative, which is the international spin-off of Italian Barter Week, the annual event organised by Bed-and-Breakfast-IT. This year's Barter Week will take place between 18 and 24 November, though many listings on the website accept services in exchange for free hospitality year-round.
To take part, visit the dedicated website to see what hotels and guesthouses are seeking help. The homepage lists the categories of goods and services sought so it's easy to check requests. After selecting the property that catches your eye, contact them via the appropriate form to start negotiations. Registration is free.