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Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you see it any other way than that you owe them a refund? Have you ever tried to stay in a hotel room that is 80?
I could see getting a partial refund instead of a full one. Otherwise, why even try to find an a/c tech at night, if you know that it won't make a difference?
There is a saying that goes something like: when you play with snakes, don't be surprised if you get bitten. When you book AirBnb vs a hotel you are signalling that you value cost over predictability and oversight. Those hotel fees and regulations are there for a reason. With AirBnb, one of the reasons they can offer stuff cheaply is that they are arbitraging regulation and oversight. If you really need to work, book…
Personally, I dislike hotels. I don't like carpets or elevators or garish faux-marble baths. I don't like being in the middle of a city next to tourist traps or some busy downtown. I don't like being on the 23th floor, shut away from nature. I don't like staying in a place that is just a bedroom and this weird tiny desk that has a big TV on it so it's not usable for anything. I find most hotels clinical, synthetic and alienating. There are exceptions, of course; there are some great boutique hotels out there. But they are far apart and usually out of my price range.
When booking a trip, I choose Airbnb because I can pick a place that was made for living in. You know, the way you do at home. Multiple rooms, a kitchen, maybe some outdoor space, all in a practical location. Airbnb also allows me to pick features I could never get at a hotel, such as a private pool or private parking. And it allows me to scale it up and rent a whole place for a family or group of friends.
People make the mistake of thinking that Airbnb is about competing with hotels by offering lower prices on the same service and that somehow the lower price is because "it's just someone's home", but it really isn't the same service at all. If a hotel could offer what I could get with Airbnb, I'd be all over it.
On the other hand, when an act of god occurs, airbnb holds the host completely responsible. My wife and I own an airbnb (with a/c!). At midnight one evening, the a/c went out due to a mechanical failure. The temperature in the texas heat rose to 80 degrees in our condo. Our guests called us to complain. We couldnt find any techs at that time of night (and at 1am we tried!), but had one come in at 8am the next morning…
How do you see it any other way than that you owe them a refund? Have you ever tried to stay in a hotel room that is 80?
And yes, I’ve stayed in many rooms 80 and above. Not ideal. But open a window and throw on a fan.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I could see getting a partial refund instead of a full one. Otherwise, why even try to find an a/c tech at night, if you know that it won't make a difference?
So, you'd be happy if another guest decided to leave at 2am one morning and pay you only 50%? You're charging a nightly rate, not an hourly rate.
So apparently it had A/C in bedrooms but not other areas. Host suggested leaving doors open and having a fan redirect air from bedroom(s) to living area. Looks like guests were looking to work while on a trip, so wanted and expected A/C throughout. I can see both sides. On the one hand it did have A/C —just not central A/C. On the other hand it was (they claim 100F) and were trying to “work from home.” On the other h…
Airbnb is just one little step above hopping on craigslist and finding a room.
So apparently it had A/C in bedrooms but not other areas. Host suggested leaving doors open and having a fan redirect air from bedroom(s) to living area. Looks like guests were looking to work while on a trip, so wanted and expected A/C throughout. I can see both sides. On the one hand it did have A/C —just not central A/C. On the other hand it was (they claim 100F) and were trying to “work from home.” On the other h…
How is this borderline? Central HVAC in homes is extremely uncommon in developing countries. Standalone AC units for rooms other than bedrooms are also quite uncommon (depends on the economic class of the householder). To say that there is no air conditioning because there is no air conditioning in the bathroom (and this is one of the specific complaints from the OP's reddit thread) is extremely entitled. Not everywh…
In Europe too.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So, you'd be happy if another guest decided to leave at 2am one morning and pay you only 50%? You're charging a nightly rate, not an hourly rate.
You're arguing a different point. The refund is because the beach of contract was only for a specified time. A total refund provides no incentive to attempt to rectify the situation.
A partial refund would incentivise we-tried-our-best problem solving.
So apparently it had A/C in bedrooms but not other areas. Host suggested leaving doors open and having a fan redirect air from bedroom(s) to living area. Looks like guests were looking to work while on a trip, so wanted and expected A/C throughout. I can see both sides. On the one hand it did have A/C —just not central A/C. On the other hand it was (they claim 100F) and were trying to “work from home.” On the other h…
I'm kind of leaning towards AirBnB, because it sounds like the travelers didn't bother with any diligence, which is puzzling when having AC was so critical to their trip. I think it's reasonable to expect AirBnB hosts, like any seller, to try to bend the truth or hide inconveniences in their listing, and it's up to you, the buyer, to exercise caution, read reviews, or ask the host. That said, if hotels try that kind…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm kind of leaning towards AirBnB, because it sounds like the travelers didn't bother with any diligence, which is puzzling when having AC was so critical to their trip. I think it's reasonable to expect AirBnB hosts, like any seller, to try to bend the truth or hide inconveniences in their listing, and it's up to you, the buyer, to exercise caution, read reviews, or ask the host. That said, if hotels try that kind…
> I think it's reasonable to expect AirBnB hosts, like any seller, to try to bend the truth or hide inconveniences in their listing If we all pitched in and shamed dishonest sellers (to the point where there was a culture of honesty), we could all have the reliability of hotels without any of the costs of management. It's like how one of the reasons third world countries are so bad is that there is no social trust.