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Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

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Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#11

Post by shaftway »

adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

I've used Airbnb's while driving cross-country in order to get access to a dryer outlet to charge an EV.

We recently visited people in Lawton, OK. The nearest superchargers are in Oklahoma City, OK (79 mi North-East) and Ardmore, OK (104 mi East). We were heading South-West, and the next stop was in Childress TX (123 mi West), so either of these would have added 3-4 hours to our trip.

Staying at an Airbnb meant we were able to charge the car and stay comfortably within our limit.

Also, it was a family trip, so it was nice to be able to sleep the 5 of us (plus an extra who flew in) without cramming into a hotel.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#12

Post by secabeen »

fred_is_fred wrote: post #9
adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

So you can get access to a full kitchen and fridge and save money by cooking meals.

This is a big factor. Also, when traveling as a family, it's really nice to rent a two bedroom AirBNB over a hotel, or even over two adjoining rooms in a hotel (which will nearly always be more expensive than an AirBNB). Having the living room space allows adults to stay up in the evening after the kids are in bed, and/or lets the kids get up early and watch TV/have breakfast while the parents sleep in. AirBNBs often also have a dining room space or a backyard/patio, where families can play games, hang out, or otherwise spend time together after a long day of sightseeing.

If you're just renting a bedroom in someone's house, that's a little different, and it's more often price-based, although having a full kitchen to use can be nice, and you can also often find AirBNBs in neighborhoods where hotels are few and far between.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#13

Post by gambiting »

adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

>>why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel

Because in a lot of places those don't exist. Hotel is at least 2x the price of a decent Airbnb. Not to mention that you get places on Airbnb which you wouldn't find anywhere else - last month we stayed at a farm in Wales where the owner was renting out a whole converted barn on his property, it was absolutely magical and I can't even imagine comparing it to a hotel or even a standardised "cottage" like there are many. And again, the price was unbeatable.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#14

Post by SilasX »

fred_is_fred wrote: post #10

Either my parser is broken or this headline is... "Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay"?

It should be "guests"; full title from link is: "Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews, but hundreds of guests were left to stay with him". The dropped plural throws the whole thing off.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#15

Post by [deleted] »

gambiting wrote: post #13
adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

>>why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel Because in a lot of places those don't exist. Hotel is at least 2x the price of a decent Airbnb. Not to mention that you get places on Airbnb which you wouldn't find anywhere else - last month we stayed at a farm in Wales where the owner was renting out a whole converted barn on his property, it was absolut…

[deleted]

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#16

Post by fred_is_fred »

secabeen wrote: post #12
fred_is_fred wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you can get access to a full kitchen and fridge and save money by cooking meals.

This is a big factor. Also, when traveling as a family, it's really nice to rent a two bedroom AirBNB over a hotel, or even over two adjoining rooms in a hotel (which will nearly always be more expensive than an AirBNB). Having the living room space allows adults to stay up in the evening after the kids are in bed, and/or lets the kids get up early and watch TV/have breakfast while the parents sleep in. AirBNBs often…

Especially once you have older kids even 2 bathrooms is a big time saver in the morning and just feels less crowded than a hotel.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#17

Post by ertian »

jaclaz wrote: post #6
tenebrisalietum wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. You get better value for your money on an Airbnb if the Airbnb is honest and good. Stick with ones with high ratings and many reviews, and talk to your host if there is a problem. 2. Price. We've hosted via Airbnb for a year. We rent out a room and bathroom for $30 a night. It takes us a half hour to flip the room, plus an occasional outlay of supplies like soap, etc., so this is a good investment for me. You won'…

>1. You get better value for your money on an Airbnb if the Airbnb is honest and good. Stick with ones with high ratings and many reviews, and talk to your host if there is a problem. Sure, the issue is the if (which should be guaranteed by Airbnb and isn't). >2. Price. We've hosted via Airbnb for a year. We rent out a room and bathroom for $30 a night. It takes us a half hour to flip the room, plus an occasional out…

> Sure, the issue is the if (which should be guaranteed by Airbnb and isn't).

But in a hotel you're guaranteed a good experience? I've personally had much better luck with AirBnB than with hotels, in the same price range.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#18

Post by 19ylram49 »

SilasX wrote: post #4

The title understates the issue (and has typos, but whatever). It's not just that Airbnb didn't do anything for the guests they knew where doomed by their booking with a scummy operator[1]. It's that it was so easy for the scummy operator to just move over to another account, and that obviously fake -- even duplicate! -- reviews persisted while real ones didn't. [1] I don't say "host" because this guy ran so many pro…

Yup. Major “yikes” situation here.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#19

Post by lubujackson »

adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

Family travel. I only stay in places where you get the whole place so it is more or less a house share. Bedrooms, kitchen, a yard to play, etc. is pretty nice with young kids.

Re: Airbnb quietly shut down a top host amid scathing reviews but guest were to stay

#20

Post by mattr47 »

tenebrisalietum wrote: post #5
adossi wrote: post #2

Can someone explain to me why I, a hypothetical traveller, would choose to stay in someone's Airbnb instead of a similarly priced hotel? I simply don't understand the attraction. I've only heard negative things about Airbnb, their business practices, dishonest hosts/listings, etc. At least with a hotel there is some semblance of responsibility. If you walk into your hotel room and there is a big pile of dog shit on t…

1. You get better value for your money on an Airbnb if the Airbnb is honest and good. Stick with ones with high ratings and many reviews, and talk to your host if there is a problem. 2. Price. We've hosted via Airbnb for a year. We rent out a room and bathroom for $30 a night. It takes us a half hour to flip the room, plus an occasional outlay of supplies like soap, etc., so this is a good investment for me. You won'…

$30 a night plus a $20 cleaning fee and another 20 to Airbnb. Nah, I'll take a hotel.
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