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.

We were on Southern Spain earlier this year.

We had a gorgeous 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house. Spotlessly clean with beautiful kitchen, marble floors and amazing private pool and garden for £157 per night. And there was a huge sofa and large TV with Netflix.

Even if we had gone to a 5* hotel we would have been crammed into 1 room with 1 bathroom and having to share the pool.
And it would have cost us more

Most of the places advertised are on Booking.com or Homeaway or other websites.
Same place just different website.

I am really surprised that some people like a lived in property with owners possessions around. I hate this.

Places on air bnb that are advertised on other sites like booking.com are fine.

@mydogisthebest I never see 4 bed detached houses for £50 a night, unless they look like shabby studenty places.

I have decided I would rather stay in a cheap hotel. For a single person in a western European city, a simple hotel is about the same price as (or cheaper than) an Air B&Bs where you are renting a room in someone's house. There may be cheaper options on Air B&B but they usually dont look great, and renting a whole apartment is bloody expensive. Staying with strangers, unless you are lucky, is just a bit weird and not very relaxing. And you usually (? at least the last few I've tried) can;t use the kitchen anyway, so why not have your own space? Granted this was a conference, not a holiday, so that may be a bit different, esp for groups.

plus, it's morally dodgy for all the reasons already stated - not in all cases/ everywhere, but too much to want to support the business model

We stay in them regularly as can only take very short breaks ( son with SN) and self catering places tend to be 3 nights min. I’ve definitely found that they’ve become more expensive over the past few years but we’ve never stayed in a really duff one - most have been excellent. My son has also used them twice when he’s had to stay overnight for uni open days and has found both hosts very helpful and friendly.

I've only had good experiences, but on reflection I have fairly laid back standards

And the lack of safety standards is wrong. I have no idea if say a boiler has been serviced regularly.

I am really surprised that some people like a lived in property with owners possessions around. I hate this.

As long as it is tidy and clean and not cluttered with the owners stuff I see it as part of the appeal. Everywhere we have stayed like this they have left the place very tidy and cleared out things like bathroom shelves and wardrobe space so you’re Not literally storing your toothbrush next to there’s.

Don’t people love having a nosey at other people’s houses?

No I don't. I don't like to have to work around other people's possessions.

@jennymanara the 4 bed detached we stayed in was certainly not shabby. It was a lovely house in a good neighbourhood, very clean with am extremely well equipped kitchen, a utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher and a really nice garden that we could use.

We have used them in various areas in the UK as well as abroad and they have all been much cheaper than even the cheap hotels such as Travelodge. As I have said before, why would someone want just a room when you can have a whole flat or even house?

Not all places have the owner's possession although it doesn't really both us if they do. We stayed in a lovely flat in Sweden which did have the owner's paintings, photos, ornaments, plants etc. It was so quirky and we loved it. So much nicer and cosier than a blank hotel room

I have never been a fan of Airbnb. Too many people jumping on this particular band wagon, invariable saturating the market and driving the standards down. No one checks their properties. I couldn't put my head on one of their pillows - I just couldn't. 🤢🤮

I ❤️ Airbnb. I research FORENSICALLY in my chosen destination. Like a crime-scene. Google google google.
Then. Make a short-list and gradually whittle it down. More googling. Poring over photos and reviews and finally click. Never been disappointed. (Europe mostly)
Next summer I’m off for a month to a smaller French city/big town that I’m getting to know and I’m staying in the most beautiful place. It’s private, quiet, has a private court-yard with a garden. The place itself is beautifully appointed- down to the thread count of the bedclothes quality stemware/flatware/kitchen equipment. Fab bathroom. It has a home cinema if I feel like staying in, and a zillion places to go if I go out.

Can. Not. Wait. Couple years ago I stayed in a troglodyte house in the same region and that was great too, in a different way. No way could I stick a month in a hotel, I’d go nuts. No matter how nice it was. If I don’t want to see people I don’t have to. You always have to deal with people in hotels. Airbnb is great for variety and individual taste. Just do your research!

Oh - and I ALWAYS book Entire place. No way could I be lookin at a stranger over my morning coffee.

Which actually is another reason I hate hotels. I can’t bear the breakfast scene in hotels, whether it’s table service or buffet. I loathe breakfast buffets, they give me the rage for some reason

Have a toddler, use cloth nappies, so I want a) a separate bedroom and living space so I don't have to sit in the dark from 8pm, b) a washing machine, and c) somewhere to make breakfast/snacks.

To get all that in a hotel you are looking at a suite, ie prohibitively expensive. I could trawl through a million foreign self-catering sites every time I want to book a city break, but who knows which ones are legit and which are dodgy? Not me. Airbnb is just easier.

@mydogisthebest
I have sent you a PM.

I much prefer apartments to hotels but I won’t use airB&B. Too disruptive to local communities and no safety laws need to be followed by the hosts. Work will no longer pay for AirB&B on work travels because of safety concerns.

I have stayed in airbnbs four times. Three of them were excellent, clean, really good value for money etc. The fourth smelt of smoke, but was otherwise ok.

No other issues. I would happily stay there again. There are lots of different hosts on Airbnb, so it is impossible to generalise. I only book with superhosts with good reviews, and book what is relatively premium accomodation (though still very good value).

I have heard of people booking premium cottages via other businesses, to find them not cleaned or other issues. No platform is perfect.

much prefer apartments to hotels but I won’t use airB&B. Too disruptive to local communities and no safety laws need to be followed by the hosts

I don't understand. Are you saying you will book an apartment in a city through a different company (even though the same apartment is probably advertised on Airbnb) and that means your stay doesn't suddenly become disruptive to local communities and booking through the other company suddenly makes the apartment adhere to safety laws

no safety laws need to be followed by the hosts.

That's not strictly true, it depends on the local laws around short-term rentals. Ours are fairly exacting, others may not be. It's not up to Airbnb to mandate that kind of thing globally - it's a marketplace not a hotel chain.

I have used aparthotels before - through an established chain such as Citadines, or stand alone self catering places which were all accredited as such - via tourist board or what have you. I haven’t used airB&B or any other website to book a random apartment in what’s clearly a residential block. And whilst there may be local laws in place, there’s nothing to say that they apply to airB&B properties (hey, they’re only making a bit of extra cash and they only do it 30 nights a year, honest guv!) and no way of checking.

I realise I may be more paranoid than others but 1980s Watchdog programmes about dangerous and lethal holiday accommodation put the Fear into me!

its a marketplace, not a hotel chain
Sounds like exactly the kind of bogus argument that Uber and other tech bro companies put forward when faced with responsibility - see Uber’s attempt to avoid classifying their drivers as employees, and therefore affording them legal protections.

The question doesn't make sense. The entire service can't be rated by individual experiences.

When we go to a city, we do a quick average price comparison between AirBnb and Booking.com to get an idea of the price difference between the two.

I prefer hotels for short stays, but have been to a dozen odd stays worldwide and they were all different - but all, I have to say, in line with what I expected (including expecting some to be fairly basic).

Except some sites do ask that hotels and self catering complexes meet basic safety standards. There should be a compulsory requirement for smoke alarms, and boiler servicing. That is pretty basic.