This is a sponsored blog post in partnership with Roost.
Going to a music festival by yourself seems intimidating at first. Having to logistically plan where to stay and budget for the costs of that can add some added stress to what should be an exciting anticipation for the festival you’re attending. This is where Roost comes in, an online platform that helps you find roommates to split the cost of a hotel room for a festival or travel destination. Roost helps travelers find their ideal roommate/rave buddy and cut their hotel bill in half.
About Roost
Roost’s mission is to make traveling and experiencing amazing destinations more affordable. The costs of traveling solo can be a huge barrier for many people, especially young people. Roost helps travelers cut their hotel and Airbnb costs in half by helping them find roommates and split lodging costs.
How it Works
Here’s what you can expect when you book through Roost.
Choose Dates, Destination or Festival
You can select a destination and your travel dates. In addition to cities, Roost also has an events section which includes music festivals like EDC, Ubbi Dubbi, Life is Beautiful, Ultra and more.
Select Neighborhood/Hotel
Similar to Hotwire, you’ll reserve a class of hotel (2, 3, 4-star) and choose a neighborhood near the venue you want to stay in. You’ll enter your payment details to reserve your hotel room. You can cancel your booking for free at any time up to 3 days before your check-in date or before you match with a roommate. You’ll create a roommate profile that will help you find your ideal roommate. If you already booked a hotel room or Airbnb you can use Roost’s new List your stay feature which will help you fill your extra beds and get paid.
Select Roommate
Once you complete your booking you’ll be able to view the profiles of all potential roommates going to your destination on your dates. View their photos, read reviews, and learn about what they’re like. You can filter roommate profiles by sex, age, rating, and other personal preferences. Indicate who you’re comfortable sharing a room with by tagging those profiles. You’ll only match with a roommate if they tag you back. If you don’t match with a roommate by 3 days before your check-in date, you’ll stay in your own private room at no additional cost.
It’s a Match! Now What?
You’ll find out the name of your hotel and Roost will send you your reservation confirmation. 50% of your booking total will automatically be refunded to your card. Then coordinate a time to check-in with your roommate. Roost recommends checking in to the hotel at the same time if possible, but if you can’t just contact your hotel and let them know.
Check-In!
Meet your roommate in person, and enjoy your stay. You should bring your government-issued ID and your credit/debit card. The hotel will ask for these to verify your identity and cover any incidental charges to the room.
Safety
Roost prioritizes the safety of its users. All verified users have successfully completed Roost’s multi-step safety screen. This includes passing a background check and having their identity confirmed. Roost uses industry-leading background screening and identity verification software to do this. Verified roommate profiles are clearly marked with a blue star.
Additionally, you’ll only match with a roommate if you both tagged each other. This ensures that all matches are mutual and makes it likely you’ll be compatible. You can also read reviews and ratings of each user from past roommates. Take a look at Roost’s safety tips for more information.
Finding a Rave Buddy
Obviously Roost is great for saving money, but it’s also a great way to find a “rave buddy”. Going solo to a music festival is an awesome experience, but it’s also nice to have someone to rave with. Of course, it’s always up to you how much (or little) you want to hang out with your roommate.
List Your Stay
Roost just launched an exciting new feature called List Your Stay. List your stay allows travelers to earn money by filling the extra beds in their hotel rooms and vacation rentals (Airbnbs, apartments, etc), even if they didn’t book them through Roost. You just fill out a quick form with some info about your trip, where you’re staying, and how you want to get paid. Roost will make sure you get paid securely, on-time and in-full. You’ll choose your roommate in the same way as if you booked through Roost.
Testimonial
I have not used Roost; however, whenever I am partnering with a brand I like to make sure I am recommending something that is reliable and safe. I interviewed a young woman (to keep her name anonymous we’ll call her Jess) who used Roost (back when it was called Room-Split) and she used the platform to find a roommate for Governor’s Ball. Jess put on her profile that she was a light sleeper and was just looking for someone to split a room with. She was paired with another girl who was a light sleeper and was attending the same festival.
Jess had nothing but great things to say about this process. She felt that she got along with her roommate and they were friendly but didn’t feel the pressure to hang out with the other outside of the room. They both had groups of friends to meet up with at the festival so they were just able to use the hotel room as a shared place to sleep. Jess felt safe the entire time and that it saved her some money since Governor’s Ball is in New York City.
I hope this was helpful for my solo travelers who are wanting to take the plunge and attend a music festival solo this year. Going to a music festival by yourself is so rewarding and I hope Roost can help you get there. By the way, you can use VIBEWITHADE to save $50 off your next booking!
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