I wonder if people are just bad at picking air bnbs. I reject probably 95% of the ones I see. I can imagine having a bad experience if you choose the bad ones.
I think a lot of people are choosing the cheapest listings in whatever area, without reading the details. Like there’s a comment in this thread where someone rented a room in a share house on AirBnB and is comparing that to a hotel?
AirBnB’s are cheaper than hotel’s here. You get a kitchen which is invaluable to me. I’ve never been asked to do any chores.
Yeah I never choose a shared house since I’m not traveling solo. If you’re renting a room in a shared house I’d expect there to be rules and things you have to do.
The only bad experience I’ve had with Airbnb is confusing check in processes or slow to respond hosts. One place I went to had poor instructions and it was really confusing finding the right garage and the host didn’t respond for hours and there was a language barrier. On the other hand, it was a huge really well designed apartment with a jacuzzi tub and still cheaper than a hotel so I’d still call that place a win.
We used to run an Airbnb out of the spare rooms in our house. It was very cheaply priced, and we were always booked out for months. Super host status and everything. It was clear most people just look at the price and never the description or rules. We rented two bedrooms with a shared bathroom, and the amount of complaints we received because they had to share a bathroom with someone else was obnoxious.
We closed up shop during the pandemic and just used those rooms as guest rooms instead. In hindsight it wasn’t worth the hassle of dealing with self-centered people who expect an experience superior to that hotels at a quarter the price. We also had some fantastic guests that we loved having stay with us, but the few bad experiences dramatically overshadowed all the good decent people.
Airbnb’s are so shitty today because their customers are just as equally shitty on aggregate.
My kids are coeliac so we have a greater need to cook meals for ourselves. So we prefer staying in rented apartments / villas etc when on holiday. There are some aparthotels where a kitchen and actual bedrooms are available and we’ll use those if they are affordable. Private accommodation also tends to be larger though and if airbnb seems sketchy there are also property rental companies - when we’re in Florida we tend to rent a villa from one of these and it’s been all fine. We’re going to Turkey this year and have rented a top floor apartment overlooking a marina.
Hotels don’t make you clean their rooms spotless before you leave or have a random pile of hidden fees either, those things always spoils the mood. Plus, you also get to see your points go up if you stay in a hotel.
I rarely go for airbnb if I don’t find a good deal, whether in terms of price, location, architecture etc. Sometimes there are good properties on airbnb. And yes, a lot of it is just run by buisnessmen and rich landlords. But there are also decently located cheap apartments sometimes.
If I travel alone and need to be on budget and only need a bed I can always go for a good dorm.
Since I work at one, I stay at hotels free (within my brand) so I can’t say I have much experience with airbnb. I do feel they cater to very different markets though, I don’t necessarily begrudge the existence of airbnb, even if they are kind of our competition.
Nah. NIMBY-ass zoning laws, which prevent building and limit supply, are the root cause of unaffordable housing. It’s basic economics; zoning laws literally limit the production of a necessary good, and when that happens, prices increase. Fix zoning, and you will solve your problem.
Correct. But, providing temporary housing is a good people value, and abolishing it or meddling with its market forces will do more harm than good. Focus on the root cause.
Stayed in Japan for two weeks in a group of 5-6 people, and our experience with Airbnb was great. But the two places we stayed at were basically proper hotels (one of them very small though), who just used the Airbnb platform.
What are we comparing Airbnbs to? At least in large cities, the price of an Airbnb would be equivalent of a Motel 6 or Best Western. If you want the Hilton or Marriott, it would be at least 2x or 3x the price of an Airbnb.
The last time I used Airbnb, we rented 2 rooms in a guy’s house for a few days. At first, the guy seemed okay, only a minor reminder about leaving dishes out. I left a fairly positive review, but when it came time for his review of us he implied we were racist for not keeping eye contact and conversation with his roommate. I never saw the roommate, and my husband is the kind of introvert who doesn’t initiate conversations, especially when alone. It was ridiculous. We were also told that we had access to the rooms, bathroom, and kitchen and not to go into any other part of the house.
AirBNB was great when it first started out. It was basically people renting out a room in their home for a night or two, for far cheaper costs than hotels and in areas where a hotel wasn’t as readily available. It was a good way for those folks to make some cash on the side and helped the traveler find convenient low cost housing for a couple nights
Unfortunately companies and people decided they could buy up properties and start a business selling out rooms, prices skyrocketed and it no longer became worth it. I just stick to hotels now (or hostels if I ever decide to backpack through Europe or something)
The last few times I’ve used AirBNB it’s been a pretty much like borrowing someones home.
For one we were travelling in Portugal and stayed in this old portugese lady’s home in a small village along the coast. Really sweet lady, but a bit of a language barrier as she struggled with both english and spanish.
Next weekend me and some friends are renting a whole 4 bedroom summer house in southern Norway to use as a base for a weekend of diving.
But in general I’ve grown tired of the concept, and the scarcity it brings to the housing market in some cities is predatory.
Yeah and I apologize, I was talking in a very US specific context and I should have specified that (the hostel comment kind of muddled it as well). I haven’t tried airbnb abroad, and I’m glad it’s more reasonable over in Portugal and Norway at least so i’ll check it out if or when I decide to head that way. Just venting some general frustration using it in the US in my recent experiences.
I’m Portuguese, Airbnb “crappy clean before you leave” and 600$ fees haven’t caught up yet luckily.
Last time I used a Airbnb was in 2016, rented a room on S. Miguel (main Azorean Island) for a fair price.
Since then I mostly just book hotels wherever I go, be it Europe or abroad.
In Europe, because it’s just easier, often times cheaper, more flexible check-in/check-out and doesn’t have the language barrier like you said.
And abroad because I just don’t feel as comfortable and it’s expensive
It was honestly quite nice. We could communicate decently enough, and I believe it was her kids who handled the booking. Was down by Vila Nova de Milfontes, super nice and calm place, would definitely want to go back one day.
Oh yeah, English is very widely spoken in Portugal, mainly the younger generation but a good part of 40s to 50 year old people do have a good enough grasp of it.
Older than that usually French is the main 2nd language and English is very basic to none.
You’re welcome back anytime!
Portugal is a great place to retire, not to work though :p
Portugal was in 2019 and this years is just a 5 hour drive from where I live. The Norwegian krone (NOK) is pretty weak right now, so we decides to not go abroad this year and save money for an upcoming mortgage. I’m doing well, but we’re by no means in a financial position to do multiple vacations a year 😅
Oh, 5 hours? Wow, yeah, sorry about that. I sometimes forget just how more compact everything is over in Europe compared to the US (or at least the Midwest in the US). Over here, driving for 45-60 min is pretty common for a commute. If one goes on an away-from-home vacation over here, it’s usually for far longer of a distance than 5 hours’ worth. (Not that I can afford that. Lol. 😅)
(Note: I just realized this may come across as making fun of you or sounding superior. Neither of these were intended if so.)
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I’ve stayed at several AirBNB’s and really never had a problem at all. But it may depend on the country you’re visiting.
I wonder if people are just bad at picking air bnbs. I reject probably 95% of the ones I see. I can imagine having a bad experience if you choose the bad ones.
I think a lot of people are choosing the cheapest listings in whatever area, without reading the details. Like there’s a comment in this thread where someone rented a room in a share house on AirBnB and is comparing that to a hotel?
AirBnB’s are cheaper than hotel’s here. You get a kitchen which is invaluable to me. I’ve never been asked to do any chores.
Yeah I never choose a shared house since I’m not traveling solo. If you’re renting a room in a shared house I’d expect there to be rules and things you have to do.
The only bad experience I’ve had with Airbnb is confusing check in processes or slow to respond hosts. One place I went to had poor instructions and it was really confusing finding the right garage and the host didn’t respond for hours and there was a language barrier. On the other hand, it was a huge really well designed apartment with a jacuzzi tub and still cheaper than a hotel so I’d still call that place a win.
We used to run an Airbnb out of the spare rooms in our house. It was very cheaply priced, and we were always booked out for months. Super host status and everything. It was clear most people just look at the price and never the description or rules. We rented two bedrooms with a shared bathroom, and the amount of complaints we received because they had to share a bathroom with someone else was obnoxious.
We closed up shop during the pandemic and just used those rooms as guest rooms instead. In hindsight it wasn’t worth the hassle of dealing with self-centered people who expect an experience superior to that hotels at a quarter the price. We also had some fantastic guests that we loved having stay with us, but the few bad experiences dramatically overshadowed all the good decent people.
Airbnb’s are so shitty today because their customers are just as equally shitty on aggregate.
My kids are coeliac so we have a greater need to cook meals for ourselves. So we prefer staying in rented apartments / villas etc when on holiday. There are some aparthotels where a kitchen and actual bedrooms are available and we’ll use those if they are affordable. Private accommodation also tends to be larger though and if airbnb seems sketchy there are also property rental companies - when we’re in Florida we tend to rent a villa from one of these and it’s been all fine. We’re going to Turkey this year and have rented a top floor apartment overlooking a marina.
Hotels don’t make you clean their rooms spotless before you leave or have a random pile of hidden fees either, those things always spoils the mood. Plus, you also get to see your points go up if you stay in a hotel.
Airbnb is much better for families whereas hotels cater to everyone else basically.
I rarely go for airbnb if I don’t find a good deal, whether in terms of price, location, architecture etc. Sometimes there are good properties on airbnb. And yes, a lot of it is just run by buisnessmen and rich landlords. But there are also decently located cheap apartments sometimes.
If I travel alone and need to be on budget and only need a bed I can always go for a good dorm.
Since I work at one, I stay at hotels free (within my brand) so I can’t say I have much experience with airbnb. I do feel they cater to very different markets though, I don’t necessarily begrudge the existence of airbnb, even if they are kind of our competition.
OTAs on the other hand, can all get fucked.
Air&b is a plague on affordable rentals and housing.
Nah. NIMBY-ass zoning laws, which prevent building and limit supply, are the root cause of unaffordable housing. It’s basic economics; zoning laws literally limit the production of a necessary good, and when that happens, prices increase. Fix zoning, and you will solve your problem.
Those two points aren’t mutually exclusive
Correct. But, providing temporary housing is a good people value, and abolishing it or meddling with its market forces will do more harm than good. Focus on the root cause.
removed by mod
Airbnb is great for groups. It’s basically the only time I use it. Getting a whole two bedroom apartment for an affordable price is really nice.
Stayed in Japan for two weeks in a group of 5-6 people, and our experience with Airbnb was great. But the two places we stayed at were basically proper hotels (one of them very small though), who just used the Airbnb platform.
I didn’t actually mind abnb until they started raising prices to match hotels. I mean that’s their whole point isn’t it? Cheap lodging.
I don’t mind cleaning after myself and following some reasonable rules as long as I can stay there for cheap (compared to a hotel anyways).
What are we comparing Airbnbs to? At least in large cities, the price of an Airbnb would be equivalent of a Motel 6 or Best Western. If you want the Hilton or Marriott, it would be at least 2x or 3x the price of an Airbnb.
Nah, i work in a hostal in Mexico city, we charge $40 per room while airbnb usually charges at least $100.
The last time I used Airbnb, we rented 2 rooms in a guy’s house for a few days. At first, the guy seemed okay, only a minor reminder about leaving dishes out. I left a fairly positive review, but when it came time for his review of us he implied we were racist for not keeping eye contact and conversation with his roommate. I never saw the roommate, and my husband is the kind of introvert who doesn’t initiate conversations, especially when alone. It was ridiculous. We were also told that we had access to the rooms, bathroom, and kitchen and not to go into any other part of the house.
I’ll stick with hotels.
Didn’t know that my autism made me racist too. Damn.
Hostals my friend, just make sure u get a room for u, nothing against sharing one but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it.
Sounds like a real shitboot.
I’m in the ghetto right now in a cheap motel but the room is actually kinda nice. Like fresh paint and carpet.
Ahh, the murder room. Sleep tight.
I concur
AirBNB was great when it first started out. It was basically people renting out a room in their home for a night or two, for far cheaper costs than hotels and in areas where a hotel wasn’t as readily available. It was a good way for those folks to make some cash on the side and helped the traveler find convenient low cost housing for a couple nights
Unfortunately companies and people decided they could buy up properties and start a business selling out rooms, prices skyrocketed and it no longer became worth it. I just stick to hotels now (or hostels if I ever decide to backpack through Europe or something)
The last few times I’ve used AirBNB it’s been a pretty much like borrowing someones home.
For one we were travelling in Portugal and stayed in this old portugese lady’s home in a small village along the coast. Really sweet lady, but a bit of a language barrier as she struggled with both english and spanish.
Next weekend me and some friends are renting a whole 4 bedroom summer house in southern Norway to use as a base for a weekend of diving.
But in general I’ve grown tired of the concept, and the scarcity it brings to the housing market in some cities is predatory.
Yeah and I apologize, I was talking in a very US specific context and I should have specified that (the hostel comment kind of muddled it as well). I haven’t tried airbnb abroad, and I’m glad it’s more reasonable over in Portugal and Norway at least so i’ll check it out if or when I decide to head that way. Just venting some general frustration using it in the US in my recent experiences.
I’m Portuguese, Airbnb “crappy clean before you leave” and 600$ fees haven’t caught up yet luckily. Last time I used a Airbnb was in 2016, rented a room on S. Miguel (main Azorean Island) for a fair price.
Since then I mostly just book hotels wherever I go, be it Europe or abroad. In Europe, because it’s just easier, often times cheaper, more flexible check-in/check-out and doesn’t have the language barrier like you said. And abroad because I just don’t feel as comfortable and it’s expensive
It was honestly quite nice. We could communicate decently enough, and I believe it was her kids who handled the booking. Was down by Vila Nova de Milfontes, super nice and calm place, would definitely want to go back one day.
Oh yeah, English is very widely spoken in Portugal, mainly the younger generation but a good part of 40s to 50 year old people do have a good enough grasp of it. Older than that usually French is the main 2nd language and English is very basic to none.
You’re welcome back anytime! Portugal is a great place to retire, not to work though :p
Good gods how can you afford to go on so many vacations? :o
Portugal was in 2019 and this years is just a 5 hour drive from where I live. The Norwegian krone (NOK) is pretty weak right now, so we decides to not go abroad this year and save money for an upcoming mortgage. I’m doing well, but we’re by no means in a financial position to do multiple vacations a year 😅
Oh, 5 hours? Wow, yeah, sorry about that. I sometimes forget just how more compact everything is over in Europe compared to the US (or at least the Midwest in the US). Over here, driving for 45-60 min is pretty common for a commute. If one goes on an away-from-home vacation over here, it’s usually for far longer of a distance than 5 hours’ worth. (Not that I can afford that. Lol. 😅)
(Note: I just realized this may come across as making fun of you or sounding superior. Neither of these were intended if so.)