To think Air bnb is over rated?

[jennymanara]

We have stopped using air bnb unless it is literally just for a bed for 1 night. Because the standard is invariably poor, unless they are very expensive, or are already a proper bnb just advertising on air bnb.
I adopted a few years ago a policy of only staying with superhosts. But have decided to abandon even that after staying with a few that were fine, they had all 5 star reviews, but not as good as other places I had stayed for similar money in the same city.

I think when air bnb started there were genuinely real bargains for what you got. But this is no longer the case. Instead it is full if people who are renting at the going rate locally, but really have no idea how to be professional.

I have only had good experiences with Airbnb, although I don't use it too often. There are lots of airbnb's near where I live, and I do have some problems with it, so I generally avoid booking places that I think could/should have been someone's home. So instead I will book rooms in people's houses - have had some lovely experiences with that, socialising with hosts, etc. Or the 'quirkier' kind of accommodation: yurts, shepherds huts, etc.

I suppose like the reviews on here I’ve had some fantastic ones and some truly horrific experiences. We booked an incredible one in South Africa where the host could not have done more. We booked one in London, and my god it was just awful and so expensive. We all regretted not booking the premier inn. Coupled with the impact it has on tourist towns I am leaning towards not booking again.

I'm just looking again for a large house for next year.

One that I found on Airbnb at £1589, & the same full price, but £1480 with 7% MN discount on cottages.com, is also on holidaylettings (tripadvisor) for £1819

(also just discovered that owners direct is no more)

AND same house on Homeaway is £1,760.60

So that's all very weird...

Not really - Holiday Lettings/tripAdvisor adds a huge guest fee onto the base price. HomeAway also adds one but it's usually a bit less than TA/HLand the AirBnB fee will probably be at the lower end of their scale ( 5-15%) as it's a pricey property.

Cottages.com will have set their own prices and the owners will get what's left after they've paid for your 7% discount on top of the 20% or so that they have charged the owner in commission.

Have you tried to find an owner website for the property? IF you can book direct you'll probably get an even better price

Oh, I realised there were agency fees involved (I used to work for cottages.com when it was cottages4you!)

I posted upthread about this sort of price difference. But given the thread subject I thought it might be interesting to point out that there’s no such thing as an “Airbnb standard” which is different from other self-catering websites.

(I’ve booked another house altogether now! But thanks )

I love it and use it a lot. I choose really carefully and don’t go for the cheapest ones. I have had a few disappointments, but generally stayed in amasing properties. I never stay in places which are people’s homes.

"You can't cook for yourself if you want to, you can't have endless cups of tea or coffee unless you take your own supplies. You often can't stay in the room all day because they want to get in to clean it. "

The not cooking is the point. I go on holiday to relax, not to cook.

I always bring my own tea because one cup of shitty hotel tea is not going to cut it.

If you don't want them to clean it, hang up the Do Not Disturb sign.

Fair enough if you don't want to stay in a hotel, but some of those things are not issues. I'd take a fancy hotel over airbnb any day of the week.

In fact I’ve just discovered that the house I have booked, via HomeAway, does have its own website, & is cheaper booked direct! Curses! (The difference is about £250 - £120 extra rent & £130 “service fee” )

But i suppose it is quite reassuring, when booking somewhere for the first time, to know that there is a third party available in case of any disputes...and the agency handles the payments.

I'd take a fancy hotel over airbnb any day of the week.

That’s not normally the choice though is it, if you’re on a budget. It’s more like Premier Inn level hotel vs Airbnb.

"It’s more like Premier Inn level hotel vs Airbnb."

Depends where you are really.

I travel for work and stay in fancy hotels all the time so prefer self catering on holiday. I don’t mind cooking and it really keeps the cost down for us. I don’t mind cooking while on holiday and even rent properties with no dishwasher

I am an Airbnb Superhost so I’m afraid I think you are being unreasonable 😊

We have hundreds of excellent reviews, offer lovely accommodation and are good value for money! We stay in Airbnbs too and are currently in a lovely apartment in Italy. It’s like everything else, do your research and choose wisely 😉

Had a terrible experience with airbnb in the UK and have never used since - in fact, only stayed there for one night and checked into a hotel as soon as I could the next day. It was filthy with a load of crap everywhere. No, it’s not for me. DH has used it overseas and had a better experience though.

where I live (not uk) air bnb are often more expensive than hotels.
some reasons: the income from it is taxable and you are only allowed to rent it out for a limited number of days a year. (both strictly enforced)

It's shit for residents in communal buildings, too. Having to live with greedy landlords renting out nightly for parties, stags etc. Imagine being woken every morning at 2,3,4am by the noise of cases dragging and excited holiday makers. It is like a jet engine taking off when enough people advise at once.

Needs regulated and in my instances, shut down. Sharing economy in this instance is capitalism. Sorry for the moan, offering the other side of the story.

"you are only allowed to rent it out for a limited number of days a year."

I'd say that needs to become standard. The whole point was meant to be to let out your home or room while you didn't need it, not to buy a second or third home and end up destroying your community.

I've stayed in around 15 airbnbs in Europe, UK and US. Never had an issue but I am extremely careful about scrutinising listings and doing my research before I book.

I think what has happened in the UK at least is all the rules and regulations brought in to help renters has actually ended up back firing.

You can't put your mortgage against your income from a btl property but turn in into a holiday rental and you can charge more, have the money upfront and put ALL your expenses against tax.

I have never had a problem with Airbnb or any other holiday let but I am scrupulous in looking at the pictures, reading reviews and the listing and asking questions.

I have a friend who has had terrible experiences because she sees things that aren't there or doesn't see what is in the pictures.

Eg she arrived at one place to find it was at the top of a cliff and not walkable to the beach.
She got really upset and when she showed me the listing the pictures.

The host had not lied. They said it had sea views and the pictures of the view were quite clear this house wasn't anywhere but at the top of a cliff.

If you are unsure of something then you can ask questions.

You can tell by the pictures whether the listing is of someone's home and you will be living amongst their crap or it is a designated holiday let.

You can tell by the pictures if something is designer furniture or wall to wall flat pack.

Furnished with antiques, means old furniture.

And the classic opening line which describes the views and/or the convenient locstion. This tells you immediately that the best part of this property is where it is and not what you will be living in.

It is like reading an estate agents blurb.

Compact = Small
In need of refreshing = its not falling down but it needs a load of work

I'm the same Oliversmumsarmy, I had to go to a conference recently, the hotel it was in charged around £250/night, but I found an airbnb really close by for about £50/night. I could see the hotel out of the lounge window in the online photos.

I use them for every holiday, have used them for the past 5 years and never had issues. The issues and poor accommodation I’ve ever had previously have always been with package holidays - dirty and inadequate rooms, rubbish service. I would never go back there. Airbnb landlords know it’s in their best interests to keep customers happy as good reviews make sure people choose to use them. I think they’re brilliant.

When I booked our first Airbnb dp who was a confirmed hotel only person was fretting about how it was probably going to be shit and if it was so bad we could always book into a hotel.

3 days in he couldn't understand why we hadn't done this type of holiday before.

He would never go back to being crammed into 1 room and a shared pool again

Because of the operations dp has had he is self conscious of his scars so for him a private pool is a must.

One thing I would like Airbnb to have is a filter for those houses with a private pool as opposed to having a pool which could be shared by other residents.
It would save a lot of time and a lot of messaging owners

@LiveInAHidingPlace well staying in an Airbnb doesn't mean you have to cook does it. You can go out and eat if you want but at least you have the choice.

Me and DH both love cooking so cooking on holiday is not a chore for us. As I said, we go to visit family at least once a month so keep eating out would be expensive and we get sick of eating meals out that we could have cooked better.

Yes we could take extra tea bags, coffee, milk, sugar but why bother when all the Airbnb places we have stayed at supply them?

Personally I would not even want to stay in a "fancy" hotel but I get that others do. You still only get a room even if it's a bigger one that actually has comfortable armchairs. We like having space and a proper kitchen.

Also we are on a budget so cannot afford fancy hotels. Still likely to get noisy guests as well so I don't sleep well and am tired every day.

The place we visit at least once a month to visit family and friends is not really a tourist area. The Travelodge there is usually £70 a night in the week and £90 (or more) at weekends. Premier Inn is dearer. Every Airbnb place we have stayed in there including a 4 bed detached house, has cost £60 or less a night. We regularly stay in a large 2 bed bungalow which costs £47 a night. There is just no comparison

I have never used Airbnb and have no desire to. We always stay in apartments or hotels and just shop around for the best price. I would have no interest in staying in someone's home no matter how nice or cheap it is, and yes reading about secret cameras and stuff would definitely put you off.

Ditto.

I belong to quite a few rewards programmes that I use for free nights in hotels when going on holiday, which makes staying an Air B&B even less enticing.

I've found it to be fantastic price-wise in a few European countries and North America. Stayed in some really nice places too.

Tried it twice in the UK and it's been crap both times.