It's a great concept, this new world of "sharing" what one has too much of, with what another is in need of, but the reality of dealing with individuals opening their homes to you as opposed to actual businesses such as hotels can be a little testing at times.
This was one of those times.
On the bus into town I tried calling our host. No answer. The second time I left a message. To my surprise, I received a text asking for me to call back.
Was this because of my foreign number? I've had hard-up friends try to minimise calling to keep costs low, but never someone to whom I'm trying to pay money.
I called again and after being given confusing directions on how to find them from the bus stop we ventured with all our gear into the narrow confines of the old city.
"Try and get there before 5pm," she had said.
We started rushing.
The scene was charming, though I struggled to absorb it all as we scurried through the market, down the steps, past the pizzeria - oh wait, which pizzeria? We paused to reassess.
My jaded thoughts kept coming back to the same question: why couldn't she just meet us at the bus stop? Surely it would've been better than sending tired tourists into a baffling maze.
It was another character flaw of sharing, I figured as I lumbered with my suitcase down a 1000-year-old cobble street.
At least we'd still get that local flavour that is the very essence of Airbnb's unique success. I clung to this thought as fiercely as my sweaty shirt clung to my chest.
Airbnb has been at the core of recycling that old trend of sharing (for a fee, of course).
At a glance, they're returning to our grandparents' principles; want not, waste not and what not. It's about ignoring excess and embracing community, this time via the internet as opposed to the local church.
Though they're not exactly playing by their own rules - they've received a swathe of criticism for not "sharing" their profits, with allegations of tax evasion in cities that have established hotel taxes.
Supporters of this new economy argue that it enables individuals to earn a bit of extra cash during tough times.
The New York Attorney General's office responds by saying it's not just nice people trying to make ends meet, suggesting that much of the profit is going to businesses using the website to evade their legal responsibilities.
Speaking of negotiating complex systems and dodging responsibility, we finally found our host after a flustered half-hour asking locals for directions.
To our surprise, we found a letting office with a bored young lady staring at her phone.
She jumped up, gave us the key, pointed at a door and was on her way.
We discovered a simple apartment that had been photographed professionally to make it look much bigger and very few of the Croatian characteristics we were hoping for.
Feeling the power this whole "sharing" thing brings, I decided to utilise an under-used resource that was available to me at this time - the host's Airbnb feedback page.
I'd say this letting agency will be sharing that tough walk through the beautiful old city of Split with their customers from now on.
