To think Air BnB is a bit shit?

[airbnbargh]

So booked an apartment in NY for December, booked flights separately (so obviously paid in full) and now months later the host has cancelled- no message, no explanation, just been told we can book something else or get a refund. We are now constrained by our flights so can't look at package deals, and the choice on Air BnB is now much more limited. We're a group and everyone raves about it so I thought it was a good option, but now left feeling pissed off, I wish I could at least leave a negative review! (I wouldn't mind so much if we got some kind of apology or explanation, but nothing).

I posted a similar thread a few months ago. I don't have an account but I've been with a friend a few times. I don't get the hype. We had owners being late to meet us to hand over keys, very vague instructions to where key safes are etc etc. I never fully felt safe, always felt like the owner could walk in at any moment! I would be nervous to stay with my kids in someone else's home with all their belongings etc. The obscene cleaning charges and the fact that they're not upfront about costs is irritating, that you have to wait for them to confirm the booking, they can cancel at any time. Etc etc. Not my thing.

Agree OP, it’s more trouble than it’s worth these days

It is usually cheaper than hotels which is the main reason that people use it.

Also the advantage of a package holiday covered by ATOL is that you are covered if one part fails.
Yes it is usually more expensive.

Oh dear.

I can understand about wanting more sociable place but I would have thought that the hassle of cleaning it before you leave and the stress of not knowing if you would get your deposit back would override that.

It is also shit when the house next door is air bnb. Constant stream of random people, banging and crashing about. Quite unnerving sometimes. Really wish it wasn't a thing.

I tend to use something like booking.com to find hotels but then go to the hotel website direct , it’s almost always cheaper to book direct as the hotel doesn’t have to pay commission. Found an excellent NYC hotel this year like this , 16% difference to book direct.

They're trying to stop this in Edinburgh by bringing in planning permission and licences, although this has been challenged in court. People who live in city centre flats have a terrible time.

3/4 of the times I have tried to use them this has happened, I book way ahead, they cancel ti get more money (found them listed higher priced a few days later. I don't use them now.

Try your airline, they might be able to upgrade you to a package

Its not just about whether they are cheaper than hotels, personally we never use hotels, I like to go self catering and pretty much the same properties on booking.com are on airbnb but I dont like booking.com as heard bad things about their terms and conditions (cant remember exactly what now)

I can understand about wanting more sociable place but I would have thought that the hassle of cleaning it before you leave and the stress of not knowing if you would get your deposit back would override that.

You don't have to clean before you leave, cleaning was part of the price, it's not like renting a house to live.

I've used Airbnb in several places in Europe and the U.K., and one in the USA. Has all been fine (though that's just luck!) Sometimes it's nice to stay in a flat/house not a hotel.
Booking.com lost one of my bookings recently. Every system has problems.

Have a look on Trivago first of all for the area and hotel facilities you want.
Then review any suitable hotels directly on their own websites, as you may be able to pick up a decent rate if you book directly with the hotel.
It is often worth contacting the hotel directly, especially if you are making multiple room bookings. It is also worth finding out if any of your party belongs to a loyalty programme, such as GHA, ALL, Hilton or Marriott Boyvoy, for example, as there can be associated benefits if they are able to book via the programme.
However, be aware that some "third party" websites offer really good deals (price-wise) that turn out to be not so good when compared to a hotel's own offering. I have encountered this a few times on third party sites, where the cost has appeared very reasonable, but does not include use of pool or fitness facilities.

Just to echo others Airbnb is simply the platform. There are zillions of properties and zillions of hosts so I don't really understand hating the whole thing.

Hosts are penalised for cancellations. The rating hosts have are calculated on several metrics including cancellation rate.

Hosts on booking.com can pay a larger chunk to influence the rating that appears on their listing.

Many properties appear on multiple platforms including booking.com and Airbnb at the same time. So it's not really one or the other.

Yes I run a BnB and am on Airbnb, VRBO and booking. com . I've never cancelled anyone unless there's been a genuine emergency i.e whole electric cable to property was damaged

"Airbnb | Piermont – Holiday Rentals & Places to Stay - New York - Airbnb" https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/homes?dynamic_product_ids%5B%5D=15299184&omni_page_id=36021

Friends live in Piermont and commute, cast your net wider. They're some beautiful places just outside the city.

Use booking.com instead. You'll find more professional hosts there.

Airbnb was set up to provide cheap "spare room for a night" style accommodation for anyone to rent out their spare space and whilst it has grown, the casual mentality still prevails.

Incidently have you complained to Airbnb? They were starting to fine accommodation owners who pull this kind of trick as it happens way too much and is giving them a bad name!

I hate air B&B

The people that rent them out near us are selfish noisy loud pigs who couldn't care less about anyone

There's seen to be a lot of misconceptions about Airbnb. It started as a way of people being able to let a room in their home, but quickly evolved into just another self catering company. It's no different from any other company that lets holiday properties, other than it's usually (almost always actually) a more expensive option than booking direct, or via one of the other platforms including small companies.

Airbnb seems to have taken off in a way that other self catering companies haven't, it's very odd. I'd always look elsewhere before booking with them, but they do have a monopoly on a lot of places.

We’ve had 3 excellent stays. Things happen. Not the company’s fault. Book hotels in future (which can still cancel you, of course).

I used Airbnb once. There was no issue with it,however stopped using it because in so many places, people can't get accommodation to rent because of the amount of places rented out on short term lets.

Exactly this. Where I am it’s similar. Lots of terraces snapped up for AirBnB. I’ve got 5 a stones throw away from me.

Have used them for about 12 years all over the world and never had any issues but we may have just been lucky.

Airbnb was good a decade or so ago, then it mushroomed and loads of people bought properties to put on there, with marginal affordability - then cost of living and pandemic reduced profitablity a lot.

It's full of amateurs who think they can make a mint without the hard work of admin, repairs, cleaning etc. So people stick properties on then take them off when it's too much like hard work.

I use it but I wouldn't if it was a trip with a big cost or hard to find alternatives - a weekend away in UK yes, a trip to new York no.

#boycottairbnb

I have used airbnb a few times both in Ireland (where I a live) and abroad and I have to admit I have never had any issues but maybe that is luck. We are a family of 5 and I find getting hotel rooms for us can be either really expensive because you have to book two interconnecting rooms in a lot of cases or near on impossible on the continent, family rooms often don't seem to exist. I guess like everything there is a risk with it but thankfully we have never had any trouble. We have just come back from a few days in an Italian city where we had a fabulous apartment with three big bedrooms in the middle of the old town which fitted me, dh and 3 kids perfectly. I tend to check air bnb and booking.com and go for whichever one has the best option for us for our stay.

Op you are not going away until December so hopefully you can find something else. Nothing is a given any more even airlines can muck about with things we had a holiday booked and our return flights were cancelled and rescheduled for two days later so we are scrambling to find accommodation for those two extra days 😩