Every Airbnb is now easy to find with a 3 word address

Looking to get away from it all on your next trip?

Every Airbnb in the world, from a reindeer-herder’s teepee in the wilds of Mongolia to a penthouse apartment in Barcelona, has a unique 3 word address that points guests right to its entrance. Whether you’re an Airbnb host or a seasoned traveller, always give or always ask for a 3 word address and what3words will make sure the best places to stay are always easy to find.

The Reindeer Tribe Airbnb

Zorigt and his wife Otgonbayar are reindeer herders, part of the nomadic Dukha tribe who live in the Taiga snow forest of northern Mongolia. Living a traditional nomadic lifestyle, they pack up their small family camp every few weeks and move through the forest, following the movements of their reindeer herd.

The family rarely get to meet new people, so love to host travellers, but the remoteness of the area and the constant location changes have, until recently, made it almost impossible to tell guests where to find them. Now, however, the family have listed their home on Airbnb – by using what3words.

Three words to find camp

what3words has given every 3m square in the world a unique 3 word address, providing a very simple way to talk about any precise location. The reindeer tribe’s last camp, for example, was at ///evaluate.video.nails.

It means that, for the first time ever, Zorigt can easily tell guests where to find his camp. He has no internet connection, so he keeps his Airbnb listing up to date using a co-host in Tsagaannuur, the nearest town. When the tribe arrives at a new location, Zorigt simply checks the 3 word address on the what3words app and texts it to his co-host, who adds it to the location information. what3words is available offline and in over 26 languages, and the Mongolian 3 word address can be switched into English with one tap in the app.

“We love hosting people. Tourists discover the area and learn about life here, and we also like welcoming them as it is interesting to meet new people”.
– Zorigt

If you’d like to visit Zorigt and Otgonbayar, you can check out their Airbnb listing. Be warned, their camp is very remote, but for those who make the journey, a truly authentic and welcoming experience awaits.

Have you ever struggled to find an Airbnb?

There are many Airbnbs like Zorigt’s which don’t have a street address and are hard to find. These include treehouses, boats and yurts. But properties that do have an address can still be a challenge to find. Even in the world’s most modern and developed cities, street addresses are often duplicated and easy to confuse when you don’t know the area – in London, for example, there are 14 Church Roads, and Mexico City has 632 Juarez Streets. If you’re in San Francisco and trying to find Park Street, you’ll also find a confusing number in the area.

Addresses are also hard to use when you don’t speak the language – try saying or typing “Tsagannuuur’ or Цагааннуур сум correctly into a sat nav or map app.

Street addresses also take time to update, so if an Airbnb is in a new building, it might take months for its address to show up in an online search. And even once the correct building is found, an address points to the centre of the building, leaving guests to find the entrance themselves. Especially if it’s dark, or late, this can result in a stressful start to their stay.

Hosts around the world are using what3words

This is why more and more Airbnb hosts are adding their 3 word address to their listing’s location information, and recommending that their guests download the free what3words app before they travel.

Using just three words, guests can find the exact entrance of their Airbnb easily. The app is compatible with navigation apps including Google Maps, Citymapper and Waze, and even ride hailing apps such as Uber and Cabify, allowing people to book a ride to exactly where they need to be, even when they don’t speak the language.

If you’re a host, and you’d like to find out how to use what3words on your listing, check out our host page . And if you’re a keen traveller, you’ll find more useful tips here .