I have used AirBnb a couple times- when staying in an area where there were no actual hotels. I'm not a fan. I tend to be late to the new thing, so I missed the window when AirBnB was a more affordable option. Nowadays, I can't understand why one would choose it over a regular hotel, for all the reasons you cited. On my most recent trip, for the final night, I'd tried to book a hotel in a central area of Paris, and realized, a couple weeks before, that, for all I'd booked on a travel site, and it was listed as a hotel, it was likely in fact a short-term rental (I'm sorry, a 200 Euro cash deposit required ahead of time? WHAT? Plus a cleaning fee). So I cancelled and found an actual hotel farther away. I too, would rather be greeted at a front desk than fumbling with a combination lock on a key box.
Plus, I think it's affecting building; a friend rented an AirBnB for a 50th birthday weekend this summer and the house was clearly new construction and honestly, I think built with the intent of being nothing other than a short-term rental for groups. The layout on the second floor was nothing like what an actual homeowner might want- there were three bathrooms, all in a row, on one side of the hall, and the other had a series of basic small bedrooms- no sitting area, and again, three bathrooms, right in a row. Fine for an overnight party, but clearly not a home one would want to live in, unless maybe you were the Von Trapp Family?
We had a nice weekend, but it was weird. It was a bit off the beaten path, so not perhaps as much of a nuisance as AirBnB was in my very own apartment building here in NYC before the city cracked down (some of my neighbors are still skirting it, unfortunately), but still, it's not a good thing.
This is exactly why I stay in actual licensed hotels. I HATE nickel-and-diming, and if you're running a business, all your consumables should be priced in. I have budgets for my trips and I keep rooms in reasonable order when I travel. I am not going for a place that'll add another $200 on top for extra profit.
And that's not even bringing into account the racism of a number of AirBnB owners. I swear in some places you need a damn Green Book.
Now with people proliferating these, they are also squeezing people out of needed housing to boot.
My one experience with Airbnb was positive - back in 2021, in Charleston for my daughter's wedding. Even though it went well, I decided that I prefer staying in a hotel while traveling - for the reasons that you state.
I am not a big AirBnB fan. I have used their services twice. I originally considered them bloodsuckers getting rich off other people's equity, but now I think they are a critical component of our housing unaffordability crisis. I booked an AirBnB once for relatives visiting Portland as it was the only "by the night" place close to where I live (I live in a hotel "desert") and once for a spur of the moment winter weekend getaway in Astoria (the place was fun, spacious, comfortable, VERY thoughtfully appointed and affordable - five stars, would definitely return - no, I am not sharing, you have enough clues). I have booked off-season properties three times through VRBO - once, a large off-season vacation home for participants in a writing residency, once for a stay in Tucson when the hotel I wanted to stay at was experiencing wildly unaffordable "surge" pricing (the BnB location was next door to a favorite place and there was a community pool - I have since found an affordable hotel I love and use instead), and once, a small beach cabin to stay nearby a friend having and recovering from major surgery. The ability to cook and do laundry and use a dishwasher during those longer stays made them better choices than a hotel. Otherwise, I am with SER. I LOVE me a hotel room and consider it (location and amenities) a key part of the travel experience. I am lying in bed in an "historic" one right now and my handwashed tights, socks and underwear are drip-drying in the shower.
All I have to say is, Airbnb and their ilk have turned what seemed a good way to earn a little extra dough into an effing menace to society. I'll use a regular B&B, thanks.
I’ve never done Airbnb but used VRBO (or when it was called HomeAway) a lot. It’s good when you’re staying with a group of people in the countryside and want to do your own cooking abd enjoy the outdoor space. The rules were generally just strip the beds, put dishes in the dishwasher and in some cases put the garbage out. I guess you’ll be paying for cleanup either through a fee or a higher price that covers that cost.
Hosts here would be wise to just work the cleaning cost into their fee, maybe require a damage deposit that’s returned if the visitors don’t trash the place, and don’t require any chores from the visitors. Otherwise you’ll get this backlash.
I like staying at places that have kitchens because I'm vegetarian and often times while traveling that limited my foods to eggs and cheese based foods at restaurants. That's not as true now that there's more variety in restaurants. The other issue is sitting- I have a lower back issue and if the only place to sit is the edge of a bed or a semi-business chair I prefer other options.
I've cleaned for vacation rentals with an outfit that really looked out for the guests. Had to not leave too many sets of dishes for the guests (homeowners have a tendency to dump old sets of dishes at these places) and if you have 30 dinner plates available, they end up stacked and dirty. Too many to fit in the dish washer. Just leave one set for guests (10 or 12 settings) and the machine could handle that while I cleaned. We only washed towels on site- again, this was a timing issue. Sheets and other linens were washed off site. This means you have to have two complete sets and that you have to haul linens, which can be quite heavy.
I have used AirBnb a couple times- when staying in an area where there were no actual hotels. I'm not a fan. I tend to be late to the new thing, so I missed the window when AirBnB was a more affordable option. Nowadays, I can't understand why one would choose it over a regular hotel, for all the reasons you cited. On my most recent trip, for the final night, I'd tried to book a hotel in a central area of Paris, and realized, a couple weeks before, that, for all I'd booked on a travel site, and it was listed as a hotel, it was likely in fact a short-term rental (I'm sorry, a 200 Euro cash deposit required ahead of time? WHAT? Plus a cleaning fee). So I cancelled and found an actual hotel farther away. I too, would rather be greeted at a front desk than fumbling with a combination lock on a key box.
Plus, I think it's affecting building; a friend rented an AirBnB for a 50th birthday weekend this summer and the house was clearly new construction and honestly, I think built with the intent of being nothing other than a short-term rental for groups. The layout on the second floor was nothing like what an actual homeowner might want- there were three bathrooms, all in a row, on one side of the hall, and the other had a series of basic small bedrooms- no sitting area, and again, three bathrooms, right in a row. Fine for an overnight party, but clearly not a home one would want to live in, unless maybe you were the Von Trapp Family?
We had a nice weekend, but it was weird. It was a bit off the beaten path, so not perhaps as much of a nuisance as AirBnB was in my very own apartment building here in NYC before the city cracked down (some of my neighbors are still skirting it, unfortunately), but still, it's not a good thing.
This is exactly why I stay in actual licensed hotels. I HATE nickel-and-diming, and if you're running a business, all your consumables should be priced in. I have budgets for my trips and I keep rooms in reasonable order when I travel. I am not going for a place that'll add another $200 on top for extra profit.
And that's not even bringing into account the racism of a number of AirBnB owners. I swear in some places you need a damn Green Book.
Now with people proliferating these, they are also squeezing people out of needed housing to boot.
My one experience with Airbnb was positive - back in 2021, in Charleston for my daughter's wedding. Even though it went well, I decided that I prefer staying in a hotel while traveling - for the reasons that you state.
I am not a big AirBnB fan. I have used their services twice. I originally considered them bloodsuckers getting rich off other people's equity, but now I think they are a critical component of our housing unaffordability crisis. I booked an AirBnB once for relatives visiting Portland as it was the only "by the night" place close to where I live (I live in a hotel "desert") and once for a spur of the moment winter weekend getaway in Astoria (the place was fun, spacious, comfortable, VERY thoughtfully appointed and affordable - five stars, would definitely return - no, I am not sharing, you have enough clues). I have booked off-season properties three times through VRBO - once, a large off-season vacation home for participants in a writing residency, once for a stay in Tucson when the hotel I wanted to stay at was experiencing wildly unaffordable "surge" pricing (the BnB location was next door to a favorite place and there was a community pool - I have since found an affordable hotel I love and use instead), and once, a small beach cabin to stay nearby a friend having and recovering from major surgery. The ability to cook and do laundry and use a dishwasher during those longer stays made them better choices than a hotel. Otherwise, I am with SER. I LOVE me a hotel room and consider it (location and amenities) a key part of the travel experience. I am lying in bed in an "historic" one right now and my handwashed tights, socks and underwear are drip-drying in the shower.
AirBnBs are only an issue “ruining” neighborhoods because we don’t build enough supply in the first place.
And they aren’t some special category — there are a dozen different problems that are downstream of not building enough.
All I have to say is, Airbnb and their ilk have turned what seemed a good way to earn a little extra dough into an effing menace to society. I'll use a regular B&B, thanks.
I’ve never done Airbnb but used VRBO (or when it was called HomeAway) a lot. It’s good when you’re staying with a group of people in the countryside and want to do your own cooking abd enjoy the outdoor space. The rules were generally just strip the beds, put dishes in the dishwasher and in some cases put the garbage out. I guess you’ll be paying for cleanup either through a fee or a higher price that covers that cost.
Hosts here would be wise to just work the cleaning cost into their fee, maybe require a damage deposit that’s returned if the visitors don’t trash the place, and don’t require any chores from the visitors. Otherwise you’ll get this backlash.
I like staying at places that have kitchens because I'm vegetarian and often times while traveling that limited my foods to eggs and cheese based foods at restaurants. That's not as true now that there's more variety in restaurants. The other issue is sitting- I have a lower back issue and if the only place to sit is the edge of a bed or a semi-business chair I prefer other options.
I've cleaned for vacation rentals with an outfit that really looked out for the guests. Had to not leave too many sets of dishes for the guests (homeowners have a tendency to dump old sets of dishes at these places) and if you have 30 dinner plates available, they end up stacked and dirty. Too many to fit in the dish washer. Just leave one set for guests (10 or 12 settings) and the machine could handle that while I cleaned. We only washed towels on site- again, this was a timing issue. Sheets and other linens were washed off site. This means you have to have two complete sets and that you have to haul linens, which can be quite heavy.
It's work.