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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

#21

Post by jcims »

lubujackson wrote: post #19
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.

Having a kitchen is huge for us when we travel. Lets you wake up with normalcy of home and coffee/eggs/veggies/ham/milk/cereal/bread/butter/jam for the week costs about as much as taking the family out for breakfast once.

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

#22

Post by esotericn »

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 am currently staying in a detached house, to myself, in the country, for less than the cost of a hotel room in the nearest town. It is idyllic.

Historically I've stayed in rooms in apartments or houses and socialised with the hosts.

It sounds to me like you have a view of the world tainted by bad experiences. I prefer to live as if others are good.

You can usually quite easily pick out the professional fake-hotel style listings quite easily.

It helps a lot to not go for a popular place that would encourage investors.

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

#23

Post by antigirl »

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…

because you get a full house to yourself! You say hypothetical traveller so i take it you dont travel much but when you do. Apart from the space the seterility of hotels gets to you. I only stay in hotels if its a short stay and airbnb checkin time doesnt comply.

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

#24

Post by jaclaz »

ertian wrote: post #17
jaclaz wrote: post #6

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. 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.

>But in a hotel you're guaranteed a good experience?

Usually, yes, and, additionally, you are going in a place that is surely registered with the local authorities, has been licensed to host you, follows a number of Laws (regarding - among the others - size of the rooms, safety, hygiene, preparation of food, etc.) that is human-presided and that has a lot to loose if it gets a "bad name".

Obviously if you are in the same price range, you are going to (you choose) a "better" AirBnb or a "worse" hotel.

A hotel has - again obviously - much higher running costs than a rented room in a house or than an apartment, as hotels tend to have personnel and pay them.

Conversely - viceversa - an AirBnB run "as a hotel" - has even greater costs (no economy of scale)than a hotel, only very often the owners (at least here, Italy) are not very good at math and if they operate according to the Law, once they have paid costs, commissions and taxes they find out they gave essentially invested a lot of money with very little return.

One or two spare rooms (like the one the parent poster described) inside one own's apartement and run by the family is what an Airbnb should be (but often isn't).

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

#25

Post by netsharc »

esotericn wrote: post #22
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 am currently staying in a detached house, to myself, in the country, for less than the cost of a hotel room in the nearest town. It is idyllic. Historically I've stayed in rooms in apartments or houses and socialised with the hosts. It sounds to me like you have a view of the world tainted by bad experiences. I prefer to live as if others are good. You can usually quite easily pick out the professional fake-hotel s…

> It sounds to me like you have a view of the world tainted by bad experiences. I prefer to live as if others are good.

In this scenario is airbnb a "good" other or a "bad" one? I've read too many horror scenarios associated with this platform that I'm really reluctant to give them their 30% cut (of course the only way to do that is not to use them).

They assure both sides a good experience, but if one side fucks you over (bug-ridden room, or guests trashing your house in a drug orgy), they say "sorry, here's 10% of the damage you suffer to cover the inconvenience."..

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

#26

Post by ravedave5 »

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…

Many times AirBNB is more unique - for instance I stayed in a houseboat in Amsterdam, That's an experience you can't get at a hotel.

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

#27

Post by esotericn »

netsharc wrote: post #25
esotericn wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am currently staying in a detached house, to myself, in the country, for less than the cost of a hotel room in the nearest town. It is idyllic. Historically I've stayed in rooms in apartments or houses and socialised with the hosts. It sounds to me like you have a view of the world tainted by bad experiences. I prefer to live as if others are good. You can usually quite easily pick out the professional fake-hotel s…

> It sounds to me like you have a view of the world tainted by bad experiences. I prefer to live as if others are good. In this scenario is airbnb a "good" other or a "bad" one? I've read too many horror scenarios associated with this platform that I'm really reluctant to give them their 30% cut (of course the only way to do that is not to use them). They assure both sides a good experience, but if one side fucks you…

In my mind Airbnb is an expensive advertising channel.

Once I'm in, I'm dealing with the host.

When I hosted, I expected ID from guests.

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

#28

Post by rongenre »

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 do a lot of travel for family reasons, and even a cheap airbnb (Joe Schmoe's extra bedroom) is better than a budget hotel.

Hotel WiFi is generally way worse than what you get in someone's house, so's the work surface. I don't need housekeeping services, and access to a kitchen can really help with healthy eating.

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

#29

Post by tenebrisalietum »

mattr47 wrote: post #20
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'…

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

We don't have a cleaning fee, and Airbnb adds a couple dollar fee to it that is comparable to tax.

High cleaning fees for basic places are a ripoff though.

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