We’ve never used AirBnB before nor B&B so I have no idea how it works in terms of payments etc. Maybe AirBnB should have some kind of encryption or seal of approval or something on the website to confirm that its a legit one? Like a Better Business Bureau sort of thing that people can check before deciding to go for it? I’m all for saving money and being practical but I do get nervous sometimes when booking something that’s not too known (at least to me) whenever we get the chance to travel. Add to the fact that my husband is a little OCD when it comes to bedsheets and pillows, I tend to be really picky. Just a thought.
With Airbnb, there are more interesting options, like a house boat or a tiny home. This is a down right fraud, not just a bad stay. Airbnb should have taken care of the renters and root out the fraud.
Exactly, @Midwest67 . That last point is why I continue to use it but am picky about where I stay.
At one place, the widow clearly loved hosting and we brought in some money for her. She was so doting and hugged us when we left, even though we hardly ever saw her. But she was a businesswoman, too. Our rooms and bathroom were beautifully updated, even as the rest of her home wasn’t as on trend (She lived in her master suite, and our party of four shared two rooms and a bath on the other side of the house).
In the last place I stayed, we had an adorable garage apartment with a separate entrance in a gorgeous neighborhood. Turns out the owner wasn’t even in town while we were there but kept in contact with us via email. Over Tgiving, we are staying in a home that’s been featured on HGTV. I’m really looking forward to that.
Anyway, I have no problem with helping homeowners make some extra bucks but have no interest in supporting professional Airbnb owners with hundreds of properties.
I do feel compelled to defend a bit the guy I know with tons of Airbnbs. The scamming works both ways.
He’s had people stay in his places for a long weekend and then “find something wrong” with the place on the last day that’s totally trumped up and then demand a refund. If they don’t get it, they’ll write a bad review, which, of course, is a killer for business. He also has had to shut down properties for days while he’s made repairs on properties that get trashed.
I have stayed at Airbnbs around the country and also out of the country and all were positive. As well, I was an Airbnb host for a few years (a Superhost) where guests stayed in my place while I was also there. Overall, I think Airbnb is good.
Knock wood, I’ve had successful Airbnb (and other hosting site) experiences over the past 10 years. In 3 weeks I’ll be trying my first international Airbnb (whole place, not room). My young staff travels for work, a night here and a night there…they all love Airbnb.
When I begin my search I start with location, and then superhost status. I send messages to the host with specific questions and feel “suspicious” if I get rote responses. My upcoming trip host is delightful (on paper), my (adult) Ds age, and the apartment is not “over the top” or “too good to be true” - it’s her home, with her partner and their toddler. When she hosts guests she and her partner have a family cottage they go to (they both work from home, as long as they have internet they’re cool). I’ve verified the address, and some other information. I feel satisfied that all will go according to plans.
And yes, I’ve had hotel reservations that went awry, and hotels that were advertised and had reviews that certainly didn’t stack up! Always buyer beware.
I’ve stayed at many - 100? - and so far, so good. But I am also very careful about where I choose. I’ve found some that look too good to be true and sadly, I have let them go.
Only one time did I stay in one with no reviews, and I knew the (condo) property well. It was fine.
They already do in a way, the Superhost some of us have mentioned.
And last year, they started Airbnb Plus where hosts have to meet certain criteria. If you want to try Airbnb but have some reservations, perhaps look into renting on of the Plus properties.
Because guests are rated on Airbnb as well as the hosts, the ratings go both ways. Yes, it is a risk to rent out rooms, your property. Sometimes, you will lose out. And some hotels don’t make the mark to what their ratings say.
I personally do not like staying At AirBnB accommodations. I prefer a newish , clean austere hotel room in a good area. Neither does DH but many feel otherwise so Airbnb is thriving.
AirBnb is on top of this news. Also, a Halloween shooting episode in northern CA at a rental is having them scurry right now.
I’ve had pretty good experiences with Airbnb. There were few that didn’t work out too well, but I’ve had bad experiences with 4-5 star hotels too. It does take a bit of due diligence to make sure the place is what it is supposed to be. D2 and I stayed at a beautiful apartment in Amsterdam last year, and on the same trip the one at Copenhagen wasn’t as nice.
I am starting to realize that I don’t want to take a chance with AirB&B rentals anymore. I have had several instances where there were minor problems with the rental (no internet, no cable, no toilet paper, no face towels) which never got resolved. Each time there was a management company that was supposed to handle such issues. In all cases no one fixed the problem and we took care of it ourselves (got toilet paper) or made do.
The last time we used AirB&B we couldn’t access our rental because the state police closed the road where our rental was located and wouldn’t let us get through. This was a freak thing—guy fleeing from police led them on a chase; he turned up a dead end street (street of the Air B&B). The guy shot himself when he got out of the car. The police also found the body of his ex-girlfriend in the trunk.
The B&B owner refunded us two of the three nights and didn’t refund the third because he said the police had cleaned everything up. We had already rented another place for three nights.
After reading this article, I’m sold on hotels. My in-laws had a place that fit the description perfectly. I have extra bedrooms, but how would I know if someone stole valuables when I’m gone? I could only see doing this if it was an in-law suite
AirBnB::hotel as Uber/Lyft::Taxi.
So far, I’ve had ok experiences, but I’m definitely not as comfortable.
I’ve stayed in an Airbnb five times. All but one there were things wrong enough between the listing and reality to warrant a conversation, and once to leave after one night and seek a refund (which I was given a partial). I wouldn’t say that any rose to the level of fraud though. I’ve stayed in more hotels than I can count and I’ve had four bad experiences in my life- and two were issues with third party hotel bookings. Recently we stayed in a very nice hotel and had nothing but problems. The desk agent offered a full refund on check-out, but never followed through. The hotel customer service is worse than Airbnb has been to deal with. I will still always prefer to stay in a hotel if feasible, but some places hotel stays are just outside of what we can afford, so we roll the dice.
AirBnB’s (or similar type rental services) have also allowed my young adults to travel more (they are almost always much more affordable than a decent hotel), enjoy some meals (breakfast especially) more affordably and allows them to stay with friends like living in the same house. They rarely choose a hotel. Even when traveling for work if allowed, they will often choose an Airbnb over a hotel.
D1 and her BF just returned from a trip to Mexico City and Merida staying in an AirBnB at both locations. They were BEAUTIFUL places at very affordable prices. But they did research them well and communicated with the hosts (super) more than once before booking.
A neighbor travels frequently for work each trip often being 3-4 days. She has been on a special diet for wellness and weight loss and have chosen to stay at AirBnb spots because it allows her to monitor and cook more of her own food keeping it more nutritious than she might get or choose when dining out.
I think this conversation is interesting. I have a friend who thinks I’m crazy for getting places that are basically home shares. It’s always been a situation where I have a private entrance or my own floor or side of the house. I feel a little more secure knowing that it’s part of their homestead … like they have more skin in the game.
One thing I always do is chat the people up via msging before booking. I get a sense of how they roll, how flexible they are, etc. I’ve only had great experiences.
There was a show piloted on HGTV where people who own a lot of Airbnbs give advice to newbies on how to fix them up so that they can book more nights at a higher rate. I realized that I am not the normal Airbnb client, I think. I don’t care whether the decor is the most trendy or that the pictures on the website don’t look professionally done. I want a place that is inexpensive, clean and safe and in a convenient geographic location.
“AirBnB::hotel as Uber/Lyft::Taxi”
Uhh no. Not even comparable. With hotels, there was and still is a relatively healthy competition and a choice (stars, location, brand). Taxis… that was an artificial, mafia-like monopoly.
I remember my travels through Ireland when I was in my 20s. My friend and I stayed at so many people’s homes who we found based on where we happened to land and if there was a “vacancy” sign out front. We met so many amazing hosts, travelers, and had wonderful breakfasts. I never thought about security, bedsheets, or anything else. I never read a review or inquired if they were a super host. Those were the days!
I’ll add that I personally prefer to stay places where we have the entire space - no sharing with an owner.
Wow! My son and his friends may have been scammed just like this in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. It was a bachelor party. The groom had booked an AirBnb for the whole group. Late on the evening of their arrival, they were told that there was a ‘plumbing issue, a leak’ that made the unit uninhabitable and they were all sent to another place the AirBnb host knew. It was more expensive. Now I don’t know all the details but it surely smells similar.