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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not get the appeal of airbnbs

128 replies

cadburyegg · 11/03/2023 00:00

I've stayed in a couple with a friend and she's always booked it, so I'm not familiar with the requirements/setup.

I just can't get comfortable with staying in someone's home 🙈 i just felt like the owner could reappear at any moment! I would much rather stay in a hotel/travelodge even if it means just a bedroom without any kitchen facilities.

With one we stayed in lately, we were kept waiting about 10 mins outside for the owner to get the keys, which wasn't a big deal, but it got me thinking, what would happen if the person just didn't turn up?

Also, my friend insisted we had to leave the place absolutely spotless because otherwise her ratings would suffer. But we paid a hefty cleaning fee...

Am I missing the appeal?

OP posts:
crazyaboutcats · 11/03/2023 00:05

They can be good for groups but when it's just the two of us I book a hotel mostly.tl avoid the cleaning fee and having to clean it

Lavender14 · 11/03/2023 00:08

I'm quite fussy with the air bnbs I use. We normally like one where we have the place to ourselves so the host isn't there and there's often a security box you use to let yourself in. I think the cleaning is fair enough, if you arrived and it was spotless then I'd leave it tidy but then I'd do that in a hotel anyway as I don't think it's fair to leave a complete mess for housekeeping. The ratings system is mainly to make sure the place is as described and that you aren't trashing the place. So it just encourages accountability.

We like to stay in rural places with our dog so love that we can bring him along and go walking but if the weather is awful we can sit by a fire/ have a living room to enjoy rather than being confined to a hotel room.

I like that there are some really quirky places that have more personality than a hotel and I like that there's often a garden you can relax in or eat outside if the weather is good. I think they can also offer more privacy depending on the location and you can get a bit more off the beaten track. I haven't ever had a bad experience only once we stayed in a place where they had loads of rules and they were stuck up everywhere on postits like don't use the heating, turn the lights off etc etc that felt a little like we couldn't relax but everywhere else has been great. Only thing I will say is I love a leisurely hotel breakfast that I didn't have to cook.

Ponderingwindow · 11/03/2023 00:10

Not a fan either.
i do occasionally enjoy booking a professionally run vacation rental home that is exclusively used as such. That is totally different than staying in someone else’s home.

Saschka · 11/03/2023 00:15

I stay in Airbnbs a lot but never ones that are actually somebody’s home! It is just a holiday apartment.

ThinWomansBrain · 11/03/2023 00:19

if i'm somewhere for a few days, i'd rather rent a cottage or apartment rather than a hotel, but have never done it via airbnb - I looked a couple of times, but it was the looking at the price per room, then the add on of cleaning fees etc - I just prefer things that are more transparent.

Orangeteddy · 11/03/2023 00:25

I’ve had some good Air BnB experiences.

Stayed in a semi-retired lady’s bungalow with DS when he was 7 as we’d got last minute tickets to an event and I didn’t fancy the 2 hour drive home in the dark and cold in December and there were no hotels locally available. Worked out really well, we could walk back to her house early evening then after DS had gone to bed I sat up with her drinking wine and chatting. She made us breakfast and gave us tips for places to visit before we headed home the next day.

Another time we stayed in an Air BnB for a week (owner wasn’t there), it was a lovely house and the owner left us personalised gifts and loads of advice on things to do. We had a lot more space and comfort than being in a hotel and could easily cook meals which saved on costs

So I definitely see the appeal, however I appreciate the issues with non owner occupied Air BnB’s taking over coastal and tourist areas so there’s no housing for locals, and also see some excessive cleaning fees as well as demanding cleaning instructions.

BarrelOfOtters · 11/03/2023 00:25

I’ve a friend who loves them and will book them for us. They’ve been quirky and ok. Stayed in one in Edinburgh that was amazing with a large family group. But I’d generally rather stay in a hotel, or holiday cottage through a company

the clearing gets on my nerves…

specialsauce · 11/03/2023 00:39

No I wouldn't stay in one. I've given myself the creeps thinking there may an ulterior motive to renting it out, hidden cameras or something - so no, I will never, ever stay in one. proper B&B with breakfast or simple hotel all the way.

Jabiru · 11/03/2023 00:42

In busy tourist places, professional rental agencies (holiday cottage agencies) often put their cottages on air bnb

MermaidMummy06 · 11/03/2023 00:45

I'm.not a massive fan, but have used them occasionally when traditional options are too expensive & Airbnb has a cheaper option.

Re owner not turning up.... I called an owner who hadn't messaged me the entry code & he had forgotten we were coming! He was overseas so lucky he answered. No one ever checked back to see if we were ok, either.

We stayed in one last year that was fantastic. I would have rathered a traditional beachfront unit but they were 3x the price & unaffordable for us. Had a private pool & owners we incredible. Dropped off all sorts of treats & didn't expect a complete clean on exit.

So they have their place but I still prefer traditional options.

TheTeenageYears · 11/03/2023 01:01

Airbnb is a marketing platform so every listing is different. Ours is only ever let as a full house, we don't expect anyone to do anything except close & lock windows when they leave, there's a lock box for the key and yes we do charge a cleaning fee but that's because it's the fairest system across all booking types from a few nights to several months.

WandaWonder · 11/03/2023 01:06

To me the point of holiday is turn up enjoy and leave everything I hear about airbnb has never encouraged me to try it

We leave hotels with the basics like rubbish in thr bin, glasses/cups gathered together, rubbish in the bin, do a basic make the bed

I am happy to stay with friend or relatives but not to pay for it so stick to hotels

romdowa · 11/03/2023 01:08

I've allergies that make it impossible to eat out. Do if I go anywhere, I have to stay I'm self catering accommodation

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/03/2023 01:14

It’s the cleaning I can’t be doing with, especially if you have to pay the cleaning fee on top. I don’t go on holidays to clean!

ScattyHattie · 11/03/2023 01:18

I found when looking recently for entire property airb&b but they were more expensive by the time they added on the extra fees than going with one of the more traditional cottage/self catering booking companies. Some did have a good housekeeping bond but I'd not be doing any more than basic tidy and bed stripping as cleaning the place would be accounted for in the cost.

I could see the appeal of sharing with a host when it was still a very cheap way to stay somewhere and some perhaps enjoy personal interaction, but I'd rather go to b&b/ hotel myself.

NumberTheory · 11/03/2023 01:25

If it’s just me I would prefer a hotel. But with kids the added space is fantastic, especially if going somewhere hot and renting one with a pool. And they tend to be a less expensive than the same number of bedrooms in a hotel.

I don’t tend to stay in the ones that are actually someone’s home, they’re almost all run as professional holiday lets, so I don’t really get the feeling that the owner might just turn up. And I don’t leave them spotless either (my rating is still 5 stars!).

Celia24 · 11/03/2023 01:58

I use them semi-regularly and like the flexibility and self accommodation side. It's cheaper to cook at least some meals than have to eat out every night.

What always annoys me is most Airbnb's don't give clear instructions about that to do with rubbish. An unnecessary stressor.

Oblomov23 · 11/03/2023 02:29

I don't understand your objections. You seem to have a very odd viewpoint on them. Have stayed in quite a few when my friends and I visit European cities, and Dh booked one in Barcelona to see the football. All worked out beautifully.

blebbleb · 11/03/2023 02:50

Not keen on having to clean but it's often a cheaper and better option when you have kids. My son would never get any sleep if we shared a room. Most hosts are fine and I wouldn't book somewhere that has no reviews.

blebbleb · 11/03/2023 02:51

Saying that I'd choose a hotel on my own or as a couple. Often works out cheaper and no cleaning etc.

transformandriseup · 11/03/2023 03:05

I'm not completely against them but do prefer hotels mainly because you don't have to worry about cleaning and that they employ staff so creating jobs.

ShadowPuppets · 11/03/2023 03:05

I have a 9mo and a 2.5yo that go to bed at 7.30. I airbnb so that I don’t have to sit in the dark in a premier inn room for 3 hours in the evening.

sashh · 11/03/2023 03:48

I've only stayed in one once.

It was a family gathering for a christening that was near where the baby's parents lived.

It was grand parents, great uncles and aunts of the baby and me. It meant the baby's family could come for a meal without worrying about whether the baby had been fed or his older sister had a tantrum.

I'm often wide awake in the night - check my posting times, so for me it was ideal I could make a drink and not disturb anyone.

One relative did a shop for us all and we contributed, it would have been more of a pain if we had been in a hotel.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 11/03/2023 04:12

Clean? What's the cleaning fee for then? I've never cleaned when we've stayed anywhere. We only use super hosts.

PriOn1 · 11/03/2023 04:23

I use them lots. Mostly it’s like renting any other cottage, though occasionally cleaning has been expected. That was generally clear from the outset though.

The total price is clear when you go to the booking page and you can decide not to go for it there.

Many of them are dedicated holiday homes. Very occasionally I’ve been in ones that are people’s homes and they’ve temporarily moved out. Those can be very comfortable, though it can feel a bit odd as it’s obviously got a lot more stuff in it.

I generally like it because the app is easy to use and I can see on a map exactly where they are and can get an idea of the price there too. They’re generally much more flexible about short stays than other holiday cottages though, and that’s important to me as I rarely stay a week anywhere.

It’s not perfect. There are holes in the reviewing system, for example. There have been two occasions when I’ve had a bad experience and have tried to get it resolved with the owner, then felt unable to leave a review as I knew they’d give me a bad review in return. I’ve stayed in many though and most have been great.