any party in almost any such setting, including hotels, could cancel two months in advance without fees. I really don't know what the big deal is.
What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
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Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#12If you think this is bad, wait until you see what regular hotels can do to you during busy season.
Most hotel chains have a "frequent guest" program. One little-known feature of those programs is that people with the highest status can "bump" other guests from the hotel when the hotel is full with about 24 hours advance notice. Now, usually they'll give you a free night or two in exchange for that happening to you, but it doesn't help you that night.
Regardless, this is a hazard of traveling anywhere and relying on someone else for a place to stay. It is by no means unique to Airbnb, and hotels do it all the time (and often with much less notice.)
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#13any party in almost any such setting, including hotels, could cancel two months in advance without fees. I really don't know what the big deal is.
OP here. My points were 1) the host said there was a glitch in the airbnb system & doubled booked somehow, but I think they either wanted either a longer tenant or they got a better offer for Marathon Weekend in Boston 2) if I cancel I lose 50% , if they do it they lose 3%.
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#14If you think this is bad, wait until you see what regular hotels can do to you during busy season. Most hotel chains have a "frequent guest" program. One little-known feature of those programs is that people with the highest status can "bump" other guests from the hotel when the hotel is full with about 24 hours advance notice. Now, usually they'll give you a free night or two in exchange for that happening to you, b…
I have top-level status with Marriott and have used the Guaranteed Room feature a few times; it's hard to say that using it results directly in displacing another guest since hotels don't really know how many people will show until the end of the day - what is does is guarantee you a room at rack-rate.
That said, as a top-level guest I would be THRILLED to get walked to another hotel due to no room being available since I'd get a free night at the other hotel, $200 USD, and 2 free nights anywhere in the world!
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#15Well, this is some way similar to the experience I had when renting through AirBNB in Rio de Janeiro during carnival. We were 4 people and booked a place with two bedrooms which said it accommodates 4 people. Sounds right. When we showed up at the place, there were just 3 beds - a double bed in one room and a single bed in another. Mind you, this being carnival season and stuff, we were paying a handsome amount for o…
Isn't that what the review system is for and the chance you take to save a few bucks over hotels?
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#16Looks like one other person was able to leave feedback about a host cancellation shouldn't feedback solve this problem?
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#17> "I can’t even leave feedback... as we never got to stay there."
I think this is a bigger deal than the cancellation -- the fact that, on a site that's all about reputation, there's no reputation hit for a host canceling someone's rental. Airbnb should create a feedback system that allows feedback to be given for various steps of the process, not just the stay itself.
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#18Well, this is some way similar to the experience I had when renting through AirBNB in Rio de Janeiro during carnival. We were 4 people and booked a place with two bedrooms which said it accommodates 4 people. Sounds right. When we showed up at the place, there were just 3 beds - a double bed in one room and a single bed in another. Mind you, this being carnival season and stuff, we were paying a handsome amount for o…
"3 beds - a double bed in one room and a single bed in another" ?
At least you weren't stranded without a place all together, or...
I once booked a house via vrbo and found spaghetti in the sheets of one of the beds!
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#19Funny, this mirrors my first Airbnb experience from a year and a half ago: https://bgentry.io/blog/2012/07/18/my-first-airbnb-experienc...
Sad to hear that the experience hasn't gotten any better when a host cancels on you, especially when it's at the last minute.
I wonder if the issues with hosts' calendars not being up-to-date are still as big of an issue. Airbnb hosts are incentivized to not update their calendars because it gives them an avenue to direct you to their other properties.
Re: What happens when a host cancels with Airbnb?
#20Airbnb should have a public % number for hosts for both acceptance rate for "open" dates on their calendar and for cancellations.
I was traveling the world for the last 9 months and we fairly quickly stopped using AirBnB in favor of Booking.com and Agoda (which had hotels, guesthouses, and even hostels if you're so inclined).
Host behavior was the problem. We'd contact a place that supposedly had an opening. Nope. Contact another. Nope. Contact a third. Yes, but they work until 10pm so we need to go find them for a key. AirBnb was an amazing experience when it worked, but time-intensive and frustrating for most transactions.