Its horrible to stay in AirBnB. They had the edge when it used to be cheaper but now its more expensive and so much hassle of getting key, leaving on time, wont let you enter even before 10 mins of checkin time. Its very convenient to stay in hotel at same price or even little bit extra price.
Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
31–40 of 82 posts
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#32In the beginning the main advantage of Airbnb was
1) much cheaper due to none of the tax and fee apparatus local govts attach to hotel stays
2) the ability to “stay like a local” in neighborhoods where residents live instead of hotel neighborhoods like Times Square , fisherman’s wharf, soma etc
1 is completely gone and has maybe gotten worse than hotels. 2 still holds to an extent but you mostly find professional spaces
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#33I used to be a devout Airbnb user. I never had a horror story on Airbnb, and I certainly had a lot of very unique and interesting experiences that I've never been able to replicate in a hotel environment. But ultimately I gave up on it because there was too much friction. Strict check-in hours, strict check-out hours, a list of chores to complete before you leave, not possible to check in at odd hours, nowhere to store your luggage, spotty wifi, the list goes on. Previously I defended this friction with the economic argument - hey, at least it's a lot cheaper than a hotel - but Airbnb no longer wins on cost.
That being said, I still use Airbnb but now only for very specific cases - e.g., some friends and I rented a large lakefront cabin earlier this year. Previously it was my first choice and now it is my last.
(I admit as well that I travel very regularly - around 100 nights so far in 2025 - and that a casual traveller may, understandably, have a different perspective)
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#34So many bad takes, I'll put that on ignorance:
> I’m writing to you from a home rental in France where we had to rent our sheets and towels.
Yes, that's a French thing, always has been - sorry if that's the first time the author went to France and rented a private flat there ...
> It was on the fifth floor of an apartment building and promised 180-degree views of the city below
Well, did that apartment had any reviews? Probably not. Did the owner had any other listings? Probably not either. But certainly, the apartment was cheaper than alternatives ...
> We just left a rental in Florence. There was a washer, but no dryer
Was that not clearly written on the airbnb listing? Plus, why would you even need a drier mid-June in Florence (when the temperature hovers between 30C and 40C during day time...) - must be an American thing somehow.
Well, I'm a full time nomad traveling 365 days a year. I don't always use Airbnb, sometimes I use booking.com for some week-ends. And sometimes I try to hit local platforms for much cheaper deals. The truth is that I either get gems or get partially scammed with offers better than they are (yes because on local platforms, there is no review of anything, just the promise of an agency at best or of a random local otherwise). I've more than 100 completed trip on Airbnb and never got scammed once - because well, I read the reviews, right, and use some common sense.
I'd love to see alternatives to Airbnb, but unfortunately there is nothing which comes even close.
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#35I used to be a devout Airbnb user. I never had a horror story on Airbnb, and I certainly had a lot of very unique and interesting experiences that I've never been able to replicate in a hotel environment. But ultimately I gave up on it because there was too much friction. Strict check-in hours, strict check-out hours, a list of chores to complete before you leave, not possible to check in at odd hours, nowhere to sto…
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Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#36[deleted]
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#37Almost every year we make a trip to a foreign country to visit the spouse's family. Last year was the last time we used Airbnb.
2023 was already sketchy (building address and contact person didn't match the confirmation listing) but 2024 took things to a new low, with not only the address and contact person not matching, but access to the unit was through a crowded 1st floor curry restaurant and the curry restaurant's kitchen. One of the harried cooks was assigned to let us into the room.
The listing photos of course looked great in an anonymous IKEA kind of way, but in reality the unit was older and the flaws were not apparent when we made the reservation.
No one in the dozens of listing comments mentioned the unusual mode of entry. Is that because of the address mismatch (indicating listings are being reused) or the way Airbnb solicits feedback to keep negativity out of the public comments? Years ago I complained in the Airbnb public comments below another listing after the host lied about the location and left out the fact the door frames were 15 cm too low; the host blamed and disparaged me in the response with no positive outcome.
Yes, we have had some good Airbnb experiences. But over time the good places have been come rare jewels as investors and hustlers take over the platform.
We are tired of dealing with host shenanigans and Airbnb's tricks ("superhost!") for prices that honestly aren't that great when compared with midranged hotels. We used a hotel on our return trip to my spouse's country earlier this year and will be doing it this way going forward.
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#38If a hotel could offer me a house like experience I would definitely be interested.
I agree with the sentiment that Airbnbs are weird with the checkout chores and lack of regulation, but when traveling with friends I find it so much more enjoyable to be able to hang out and cook dinner and watch TV together rather than all being cramped in one couple's studio sitting on the beds and eating out every meal.
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#39Airbnb needs to have a demarcation for whether or not the owners are on premises (or within 10 minutes or something).
Every abnb I have stayed at where it was the owners property has been great. Cheaper, instant responses, no chores, flexible everything.
The ones I have stayed at there were remote operations with a contract service doing the owners work are the ones that have given bad experiences.
I wish there was a way to filter these ones out.
Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide
#40So many bad takes, I'll put that on ignorance: > I’m writing to you from a home rental in France where we had to rent our sheets and towels. Yes, that's a French thing, always has been - sorry if that's the first time the author went to France and rented a private flat there ... > It was on the fifth floor of an apartment building and promised 180-degree views of the city below Well, did that apartment had any review…
>Yes, that's a French thing, [...]
Is this a common occurrence in French hotels?