Hotel > AirBNB

Stayed at an Airbnb last year where I left a ~4 star review taking off one star because of excessive noise from the bus stop outside (otherwise positive). Couple months later I get an email saying my review was removed for violating Airbnb policy. Had to contact support where they told me the host had submitted (fake) WhatsApp screenshots of me asking them for money to post a positive review and so they removed my review. No matter what I said customer support refused to reinstate my review. The most alarming thing is that they removed my review without any input from me. Interestingly, the property had added additional co-hosts where that property was their only property after my stay. Presumably these are fake profiles they used to file the dispute so it wouldn’t impact their main account.

In any case, I am never staying at an AirBnb again. Be aware that any rating on AirBnb can be easily manipulated by the host.

Also if you have status at a hotel, perks like room upgrades and late checkout are invaluable.

Value proposition isn’t there anymore either, airbnbs used to be super affordable but now match the price of hotels and if they don’t are in inconvenient locations.

Not to mention the impact it has on local housing supply and pricing.
- Pricing is still relevant, at least in Europe (from my experience). I've done a lot of low-budget traveling with small groups of students in France this year, and AirBnB was (unfortunately) consistently and significantly less expensive than hotels.
  
  Also, many hotels don't give you access to a kitchen, which really sucks if you don't want to spend money eating out every day.
- Unfortunately, the pricing still makes sense for larger groups of people.
  
  There are far too many of these leeches taking up valuable housing in the most desirable part of my city
Be aware that any rating on AirBnb can be easily manipulated by the host.

This is the same reason that Yelp is bullshit. And Amazon reviews. And pretty much any reviews you can find online. It's why people used the reddit search flag. Everything is gamed and manipulated. People suck.
- now we can't even us reddit anymore
- Which is why reddit has been a target for gorilla marketing campaigns for a while now. I only trust review sites that I follow now
Dang so all I have to do to scam is have another WhatsApp account and send myself threatening messages 😯
- Praxis would be to weaponize this and get your room comped while your staying at the Airbnb by having the host threaten you while your in the room. Karen's have taught me to fight these fuckers at their own games just for the trill
  
  Sorry brainstorming
- Turn your chicken coop into a 5 star Airbnb listing with one simple trick!

Also at a hotel: “It smells like smoke.” “Let me take you conveniently to another identical room for free.”

Or any problem, really. I once had to move rooms twice because the AC wasn't working. In an Airbnb, you're boned
They only reason I started using hotels again is because my fiance gets good deals and they usually upgrade us because she works in the industry 🙂
- The pay isn't great (even in upper management, unless you are at corporate), but working in hospitality does have its advantages. It does make travel planning a lot easier.

AirBNB is only good if it is an extremely unique/convenient location and there are no hotels reasonably nearby. Otherwise Hotel absolutely > AirBNB

225 a night hotel would be a freaking dream. Most hotels cost 100 a night. I agree a cabin in the woods our somewhere else special.

But landlords are putting up ordinary homes up and people actually rent them. More money then sense.
- It’s useful for short term renting. I’m interning and it’s stupid hard to find a 3 month lease.
My problem is that people talk as if these are the only options.

There are other services, like VRBO, that do the same thing and usually have the same properties. AirBNB is garbage now, so just use an alternative that doesn't have the same bad policies and high fees.
- Yeah exactly.
  
  I've stayed in apartments a lot when travelling, but I've never used AirBNB. Not because of any reason against them, but I've just tended to use other online services/sites.
Agreed. If I'm going on vacation I avoid cities as much as possible and want to be in the middle of nowhere in nature. That means no hotels for 10s of kilometers, but there's usually at least one person renting out a room or something similar. I've also never experienced any of the things in this meme in places like that, but that could also be because it's an American thing, which wouldn't surprise me.
- Exactly. Hotels are maybe good in the cities, when you need a simple boring room. But when you're out in the nature or wish to stay in the more interesting place, have a celebration for family/friends gathering - it's Air BnB all the way.
Hostal > Hotel > AirBnB

AirBNB was great when it first started out. It was basically people renting out a room in their home for a night or two, for far cheaper costs than hotels and in areas where a hotel wasn't as readily available. It was a good way for those folks to make some cash on the side and helped the traveler find convenient low cost housing for a couple nights

Unfortunately companies and people decided they could buy up properties and start a business selling out rooms, prices skyrocketed and it no longer became worth it. I just stick to hotels now (or hostels if I ever decide to backpack through Europe or something)

The last few times I've used AirBNB it's been a pretty much like borrowing someones home.

For one we were travelling in Portugal and stayed in this old portugese lady's home in a small village along the coast. Really sweet lady, but a bit of a language barrier as she struggled with both english and spanish.

Next weekend me and some friends are renting a whole 4 bedroom summer house in southern Norway to use as a base for a weekend of diving.

But in general I've grown tired of the concept, and the scarcity it brings to the housing market in some cities is predatory.
- I'm Portuguese, Airbnb "crappy clean before you leave" and 600$ fees haven't caught up yet luckily. Last time I used a Airbnb was in 2016, rented a room on S. Miguel (main Azorean Island) for a fair price.
  
  Since then I mostly just book hotels wherever I go, be it Europe or abroad. In Europe, because it's just easier, often times cheaper, more flexible check-in/check-out and doesn't have the language barrier like you said. And abroad because I just don't feel as comfortable and it's expensive
- Good gods how can you afford to go on so many vacations? :o
- Yeah and I apologize, I was talking in a very US specific context and I should have specified that (the hostel comment kind of muddled it as well). I haven't tried airbnb abroad, and I'm glad it's more reasonable over in Portugal and Norway at least so i'll check it out if or when I decide to head that way. Just venting some general frustration using it in the US in my recent experiences.

I'm just here to say fuck air bnb. Ban that shit for it's contribution to the housing crisis.

In my neighborhood, half the houses are AirBnBs... Because we're close to tourist destinations. 4 of my 5 neighbors are AirBnBs.
- How do you even combat that ?
- That is a cool handle sir
The housing crisis is caused by property taxes being too low, particularly on land values. Banning small rentals won't work because they'll continue to extract rent under longer-term leases.

We already have plenty of houses. Increase taxes and their market values will drop.
- The housing crisis is caused by many things.
  
  Ban the ownership of single family residential properties by corporations. I don't see a world where it makes sense for houses to be owned by companies.
- Many leading economist argue for land value tax only as a way to incentivize the most efficient use for our most valuable resource. If land tax was used instead of property tax, a multi-acre plot in a dense urban would be taxed just as much a multi-story apartment building that takes up the same amount of space.
  
  See the Strongtowns article on the subject. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/3/8/if-the-land-tax-is-such-a-good-idea-why-isnt-it-being-implemented

Hotels are quite heavily regulated in all parts of their operation, many have unionized staff. AirBNB owners are wannabe landlords with no oversight.

I have to take issue with your assertion about hotel staff being unionized (although I recognize that could be true for your region). I've worked in hotels before and the reason they stay "cheap" is because they pay the cleaning and non-customer-facing staff the absolute bare minimum.

I'm coming from Midwestern America which certainly colors this experience, but in my case the housekeeping staff was made up almost exclusively of non-native English speakers. They were paid minimum, or close to it, and had room quotas that left them with 15-20 to "clean" a room.

On the events side of the business, the guys who set up tables and chairs were almost exclusively young, poor black men. The hotel only ran the air conditioning in those ballrooms when guests were present so it was regularly 80-85 f in those rooms with minimum wage staff doing manual labor.

Please understand I don't have any love for the investment vehicle model that has taken over air-bnb, but hotels are by far the most disgusting socioeconomic workplace I've been in. I really don't have the money for air-bnb, but I'll certainly take some person paying off their rental over large corporation exploiting unskilled workers and immigrants.
- First of all, fuck hotels, period.
  
  And well, bad news... here in Mexico city the airbnb industry (yeah, u read it right) comes from conglomerates or already stupidly rich people, so yeah.
  
  Also I work in a hostal in this same city, and yeah the pay is horrible, but keeps me floating while I get something else and there's a lot of really nice people running the place wich their income really depends on guests making reservations, maybe one or two tips, etc. So yeah, the pay its horrible but it makes jobs.
  
  My recommendation? Get a room in a hostal like the one I work for, usually they r really run by people, that's one of the reasons I'm still working in there.
Maybe in your country. Here in France AirBnB are both cheaper and the rooms are nicer than hotel. Some of them could be landlords and profit.. but some others rent something that would not be fitting as a location (like a vacation flat or a subpart of a house) but is OK for staying just a couple of days.

So I disagree heavily with your generalisation
In Montreal an Airbnb cought fire and killed 6 guests and one tenant because the owner converted a house to multiple Airbnb ignoring all regulation (including fire marshal rules)

English article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/old-montreal-fire-airbnb-1.6801216

The french media had some follow up stories describing the owner total lack it respect for regulation. The province ended up banning Airbnbs but I don't know the details of the bag

It was worth it back when it was people renting out a spare room in their house or their whole apartment when they were away for a small bit of cash on the side, there was a mutual understanding that you are staying in another individuals private space with all the rules and caveats that come with that, so the pricing will reflect the arrangement. For me, this made the inconvenience worth putting up with in most cases.

Now that booking an AirBnb costs as much as a hotel room and the service has been overrun by landlords looking to use it as their primary rental income though? I'm booking a hotel every time. If I'm paying hotel money I want hotel service and convenience.

The last time I used Airbnb, we rented 2 rooms in a guy's house for a few days. At first, the guy seemed okay, only a minor reminder about leaving dishes out. I left a fairly positive review, but when it came time for his review of us he implied we were racist for not keeping eye contact and conversation with his roommate. I never saw the roommate, and my husband is the kind of introvert who doesn't initiate conversations, especially when alone. It was ridiculous. We were also told that we had access to the rooms, bathroom, and kitchen and not to go into any other part of the house.

I'll stick with hotels.

Didn't know that my autism made me racist too. Damn.
Sounds like a real shitboot.
Hostals my friend, just make sure u get a room for u, nothing against sharing one but I just don't feel comfortable doing it.

And hotels are good for a city, instead of destructive.

Bringing business vs gentrifying black communities
Airbnb sounds like a good idea when you imagine people using it as first envisioned: doing short-term rentals on an otherwise unavailable space that’s not being used. Handy for vacationers, and it’s a fair way for owners to make a few extra bucks, right?

It sucks, but it’s predictable, that owners are abusing the system. Buying a place specifically for Airbnb rentals should be cracked down on. Ridiculously picky rules are NOT okay. Cleaning fees need to be capped, unless there’s solid evidence (solid evidence by courtroom standards, not Airbnb standards).

Tiny soapbox time: I don't trust AirBNB hosts to actually treat for bedbugs if they get them. I figure a reputable hotel chain at least has a fighting chance of taking it seriously.

Dodged bed bugs at an airbnb in LA earlier this year. When we made the report it didn't allow us to comment on the listing. So somebody else could possibly run into the same issue without resolution
PSA: learn to how to check for bedbugs now instead of when you travel. Here's a video that's kind, but thorough.
Hahahajahah! I worked for the Hilton here in Mexico City dude, they do exactly the same as any other hotel/hostal in the city.

I will take a hotel for it's convenience, service, and predictability any day.

Beds are comfy 99% of the time, there's an ice machine, and my god I'll take any opportunity for room service/being waited on.

I gave up on Airbnb after the hosts cancelling the booking with my guests halfway there. Just booked a hotel and never looked back since then. To all the Airbnb hosts: professionals have standards.
And if you want to travel cheaper, youth hostels are very affordable. Though you are not garanteed to have a private room, it's perfectly ok if you just want a place to sleep imho
If you aren't willing to pay a little more for a comfortable experience, don't go traveling. It's supposed to be recovering, right?
Plus even the cheapest hotels I’ve stayed in at least offer a continental breakfast, and nicer ones usually have a full on chef on staff to make breakfast. I’ve stayed in hotels with full arcades and hibachi restaurants for not much more than a decent Airbnb. Plus, hotels are usually in city centers, near every amenity you could need, as compared to airbnbs often being in suburbs. I can get a ride from the airport with my hotel reservation, does that come with any Airbnb?

I get the destination airbnbs, like in the middle of the woods in a log cabin, or whatever. I’ll never get people leaving their suburban homes to go stay in someone else’s suburban homes though.
Ice machines was something puzzling to me when I was in the US. I am curious why would you need an ice machine if you already have a fridge in the room?

In Montreal an Airbnb cought fire and killed 6 guests and one tenant because the owner converted a house to multiple Airbnb ignoring all regulation (including fire marshal rules)

English article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-old-port-fire-1.6788756

The province ended up banning Airbnbs but I don't know the details of the bag

Airbnbs were already illegal in the old port before that event. The company still allowed them to be posted. I'm quite sure the province didn't ban them too, there are still legal postings. Unfortunately, not much happened after this event. Media pressure made it so that Airbnb closed a bunch of illegal ads, but without legislation and enforcement its only temporary.
How did they end up banning AirBnBs? I was just browsing Montreal AirBnBs yesterday ( funny enough).
- I didn't really follow up on it. Maybe it was just politician saying stuff or it's banned but not enforced so nobody cares
Exactly nothing changed. There's still just as many illegal air bnbs in Montreal.

I find when I AirBNB in the places I have been across Europe I have had no issues and I end up getting more for my money with no silly cleaning charges.

Is this something other locations have problems with or am I just missing the terrible places?

Afaik, AirBnB in the US is a huge pile of shit. In Europe most of the times the offering is good and you get more for your money that a typical Hotel. Exceptions exist of course, but on average I would say AirBnB > Hotel.
- Airbnb quickly changed in the US from "hey rent out your house when you're out of town for some spare cash" to "hey landlords here's a way to gain more share of property and rent out those pesky properties in the short term".
  
  There are whole businesses built now for Airbnb just to take up properties and rent them on Airbnb at the highest rates possible. Then since they are looking for profit they pass the cleaning onto you.
  
  Always trust capitalism and greedy people to ruin a good thing
- It's going downhill in Europe too. I used Airbnb comparably early when it was available in Germany and it was a great way to cut costs while staying in unique locations and getting great tips from local owners.
  
  Now it's mostly the commercial listings you would find on other sites too, riddled with strange fees and Hotel-like prices.
Seems to be a US thing. I've always had a good experience with AirBnB in Asia.
It's probably a thing about Americans being trash.

I did AirBNB once and it was probably the last time.

Wife really wanted to stay there as someone suggested to not stay on the main strip. So we got this cabin up a mountain. When I say up a mountain I really mean that. Unbelievably steep and the car barely made it. Room was to have a hot tube, sauna, and cable TV. After a 10 hour drive we get there up the craziest road I’ve ever driven and decide to just relax and watch some TV and microwave some food we picked up.

Microwave didn’t work, well shit, let’s heat it up on the stove top and turn the TV on. Remote doesn’t have batteries. Well fuck let’s eat and sit in the hot tub. Hot tub is broken. Well what about the sauna. Well it’s the size of a shoe box and looks like death trap. Decide to just go to sleep and get going early.

Wake up go do some sight seeing and pick up some batteries for the remote. We get back to the cabin and hear a hissing sound. Water line had burst behind the fridge and I can’t find the shut off valve as it’s locked behind a door. Call the guy and he tells me a emergency plumber will be stopping by late. While we are waiting we try the TV’s again and one of them won’t even turn on the other will but it’s locked and can’t watch anything. Plumber shows up at 11:30pm. Fixes it about 12:30 am.

Next day just eating a bagel and I walk by the sink and the floor partially collapses. I let the guy we are renting the room know what I think about his place and we leave a day early and get a hotel room. Room was slightly nicer and everything worked. Was 2 mins walk away from what we were going to and perfectly quiet and we didn’t have to spend 15 mins on death road.

While I agree that hotels are generally better than Airbnb, I have always had really good luck with Airbnb. I traveled across the EU staying almost only in Airbnb's and it was great. It also let me kind of see what the housing market was there if I ever wanted to move. Also one of my hosts in Amsterdam firmly believed in the "bed and breakfast" portion of Airbnb, and cooked breakfast in her kitchen for us every morning and had all kinds of great info about the city. Plus she had an old orange cat that liked to sit at the breakfast table with us.

I have almost always had good luck. Just one bad experience comes to my mind - my host in Germany was a psychopath. I didn't have any problems with her, in fact I hardly ever met her during a one week stay. But I forgot the heating on when I left. She got so pissed off that she left a long, insulting review, where she said shit about how we never got along. Airbnb refused to delete the review, so I deleted my account. By the way, I don't pay $200 for a night. I take the cheapest $20 room that I can find.

Anyway, I created a new Airbnb account. The nice thing is that I was able to use a referral link from my wife again to get the referral bonus. So by deleting and recreating my account, I actually made $50.
Last time I used Airbnb I had a chill French-Canadian host for two months in Mexico. He only cared about the temperature of the AC. Aside from that, I had girls over, I could listen to music late at night, and I could smoke weed inside

The strangest part is when the owner suddenly decides to spend the night in the apartment as well, even though you rented the whole apartment alone.

I've read so many stories of this happening that it seems to be the norm. That's part of why I'll never use AirBNB. Don't feel like hanging out with the owners.

Isn't the point of AirBnB to be way cheaper?

It was, when it was just people looking to get a tiny bit of income from renting a room in their house. Then people tried to make it their sole income, and then companies got into the game. Part of it is that the service became popular, so any cheaper rooms are snatched up instantly, and the user now gets to choose between a hotel-looking hotel, or a house-looking hotel, with nasty fees to get more money from you.
- AirBnB isn't even remotely a "hotel". Hotels have to obey various hospitality laws and can't just cancel a confirmed booking 2 hours before your arrival, or kick you out because you didn't empty the bin before 9pm.
In theory. If you actually take the time to check hotel prices, you'll often find plenty of options in the same price range as ABNB.

It really depends what you're looking for. ABNB is good if you're heading out into the sticks and looking to rent a whole house. If you're in a city for a few days and need a room to stay in, hotels are often the better option.
For me the advantage of an AirBnB is the ability to stay in a remote cabin in the middle of the mountains with a bonfire and a fenced yard for my dog.

I'm not sure why anyone stays in an AirBnB in the middle of a city (although I've found them to be cheaper and with better walkability in parts of Europe)
- Maybe people like to do laundry and follow all sorts of rules they wouldn't have to otherwise. People have weird tastes
@AlexisFR @snixyz it is cheaper just not for the ones who are paying

While I agree that owners destroying communities by renting out available housing, there is a very easy way to combat it - enforce the local laws on vacation rentals.

I was just in a VRBO where the owner had clearly registered the place with the city, posted plaques in the house and window showing the units license, etc. and proved they paid the appropriate taxed to the city (which can be used to solve other problems like homelessness.

I am absolutely a fan of having a whole place to myself and my family, with a washer and dryer that's free, with a kitchen so we don't have to spent a fortune eating out for every meal. I think the crazy rules and cleaning up before the cleaners is ridiculous, but those are known before you get there, so if you continue with the property knowing those rules, that's on you. You can cancel.

Fuck airbnb

Also Airbnb tends to kill communities by making it way too expensive for people to actually live there and sleeping in a complete stranger's house does not sound too safe.

What's the difference between renting a house on Airbnb and tearing said house to build a hotel?
- I mean, 8 lots with 8 houses can sleep what...like 30-40 people max?
  
  On that same space you can build a 5 story hotel with 80 rooms that sleep up to 4 each. That's a vast increase in density and a much more efficient use of space.
  
  I'm generalizing of course, but this is the gist.

Perhaps it's because I'm in Europe, but I've still never come across this issue. All AirBnb's I've stayed in had very reasonable hosts.

Same, I've done 5 days in France for new year with friends and we get zero problems.

I'm in the ghetto right now in a cheap motel but the room is actually kinda nice. Like fresh paint and carpet.

Ahh, the murder room. Sleep tight.

I've stayed at several AirBNB's and really never had a problem at all. But it may depend on the country you're visiting.

I wonder if people are just bad at picking air bnbs. I reject probably 95% of the ones I see. I can imagine having a bad experience if you choose the bad ones.
- I think a lot of people are choosing the cheapest listings in whatever area, without reading the details. Like there's a comment in this thread where someone rented a room in a share house on AirBnB and is comparing that to a hotel?
  
  AirBnB's are cheaper than hotel's here. You get a kitchen which is invaluable to me. I've never been asked to do any chores.

It depends on what your after. If you take family (kids and dogs) then an AirBNB is useful and easier than hotel. When you book always read the reviews. YMMV

Exactly. If traveling alone hotel every time. As a couple? Hotel gets crampy after about 3nights and not having a kitchen can get to you if you like to cook. Kids? Hell no - no hotel.
Pet friendly hotels aren't even more expensive. There's one that's pet friendly hotel I went to half dozen times for work just because it was good value, and I wasn't even bringing any pets.
- In my experience, pet friendly generally means older hotels in need of renovation, where any additional mess isn't as noticeable. Still decent if you just want a place to sleep.

Airbnb is great for groups. It's basically the only time I use it. Getting a whole two bedroom apartment for an affordable price is really nice.

Stayed in Japan for two weeks in a group of 5-6 people, and our experience with Airbnb was great. But the two places we stayed at were basically proper hotels (one of them very small though), who just used the Airbnb platform.

I mostly use it when:

I need 2 or more rooms.
I need an apartment for a week or so.

But I never used it as a replacement of a regular hotel double room.

AirBnB is a decent option if you want to hang out with a larger friend group, like 10 people in an apartment is more fun than 10 people divided into 5 hotel rooms.

otherwise just get a hotel

also hotels don't fucking ruin city centers
- Yeah on top of ruining city centers, it's made it hard to find housing in a lot of places. I move around the US every 6-8 months for fun with my dog cuz I'm a young dumb bartender, and since the surge in people gobbling up homes for Airbnb profits, it's just getting harder to find dog friendly homes for short term lease. I really wish they'd limit Airbnb home ownership like Atlanta did.
- if you want to hang out with a larger friend group, like 10 people in an
  
  tru but, good luck finding one that "allows" that -- maybe I've been to too many VHCOL places, but pretty much most of them are like "NO GUESTS" etc.

Hotels are great if you need 1 bed and nothing else. But hotels get expensive fast if you need an extra room for a kid. Or you take a pet. Or you need to wash your clothes. Or you would like a kitchen.

Kids are the reason why I use short term rentals instead of hotel rooms. I never get them if I’m on a business trip or having a weekend with my wife alone
The kitchen is usually the big one for me. Finding a hotel with a kitchen (and not $$$$ prices) is hard. Heck, some hotels won't even give you a fridge (and when they do give you a fridge, it's probably the tiniest possible). AirBnB absolutely can have some extra bullshit sometimes, but they're usually considerably cheaper than a hotel and it's standard to have a kitchen.
- Extended Stay is really good for that if you want to stick to hotels. The one I have stayed at had a decent kitchen, a living room, a dining space, and a breakfast.
I almost see it as the opposite.

AirBNB is fine if you are just looking for a place nearby tourist sites that you don't plan to spend much time at.

Hotels are great when you need the extra features, a concierge, laundry (I have never worked at a hotel that did not have laundry services and/or dry cleaning), restaurants, and the like.

Kitchen I could see being tricky, but if you need a kitchen I assume you might be doing more a long-term stay anyway, in which case a lot of hotels will have those options as well.

Hotels don't make you clean their rooms spotless before you leave or have a random pile of hidden fees either, those things always spoils the mood. Plus, you also get to see your points go up if you stay in a hotel.

I'm very worried AirBNB type services will replace standard renting in the same way Uber almost replaced taxis. So many reasons to avoid them.

They won't. A ton of traditional hotel business is business travel. No reputable company is sending an employee to a VRBO while they're working out of town.
This was a possibility at a time when AirBNBs were significantly cheaper than hotels but now that prices have gone way up I'm right back to going for hotels. Not worth going through the trouble of not knowing what to expect / what kind of renter you'll be dealing with when there's no price incentive anymore.

Uber is still significantly cheaper and more convenient than a cab for me.
- Cab prices tend to be more consistent across all times of day and location. In Boston an Uber 10 miles west from the airport can cost upwards of $120 depending on the time. A cab would be $60.
  
  The same Uber to the airport is typically much cheaper always at $40.
Replacing standard renting would be like Uber replacing rental cars, not Uber replacing taxis

I mostly agree with this. But AirBNB is helpful because it lets me take my two dogs, who benefit greatly from having fenced yards. It saves me from having to pay a boarding fee, I can bring my dogs, and let them run free in the yard. Aside from that, I much prefer hotels.

Right, they have specific values outside of just the standard place to lay down your head. I prefer hotels as well, but will stay in an AirBNB if it more appropriately suits my needs.
FYI, I believe most or all La Quintas are pet-friendly. That's where I've stayed when moving long distances with my 2 cats. You won't have the yard benefits, but it's still good to know.
- Thanks! Definitely good to know!
- I always just let my dogs run in the empty pool. Staff only needs to guard the shallow end and if it’s a peanut pool my dogs can get some wicked wall sprints going on.

Hotels are good if you just wanna sleep in them. AirBnB is better if you wanna chill in the house with friends. We get once once a year and cook, play games and fuck about in the house. Would be shit for 8 of us to stay in 4 hotel rooms.

This is how I typically approach things for my use. If I am going to a place where just being there is the destination, like near a beach or a house with a private pool, AirBNB is my go to choice. If I just need to sleep because the destination for a trip is like an amusement park or somewhere where I plan on being gone almost all day, then a hotel is ideal. If my vacation includes a lot of time just hanging out, hanging out in a hotel sucks.

I didn't actually mind abnb until they started raising prices to match hotels. I mean that's their whole point isn't it? Cheap lodging.

I don't mind cleaning after myself and following some reasonable rules as long as I can stay there for cheap (compared to a hotel anyways).

I’ve never had this kind of bad experience with Airbnb

Same here.

For some reason, I trust the cleanliness of Airbnb's more than hotels. Maybe this is baseless, maybe not.

Also, the amenities: you can never get a hotel room with a washing machine and a stove, so you either need to pack a lot of clothes or go to the laundry shop (if there's any). And you cannot cook anything, you cannot even heat up leftover food. Hell, there aren't even any cutleries.

Also, most of the case Airbnb wifi worked for me better than hotel wifi. Even if slow as hell, it's still stable. But in a hotel... good luck with using the internet for anything.
- You might want to check into extended stay hotels like Candlewood or Home2. You get a refrigerator, stove top, dishes and cutlery, a lending locker with things like toaster ovens and crock pots, laundry facilities, a small gym, etc.
  
  Stay away from the cheap ones like Value Place and you're usually good.
  
  The guests tend to be blue collar types doing industrial work.
Same here. I've probably done over a dozen stays now. I just always book with a Super Host or whatever they call them, check their rules and fees over a few times, and most places I stay, the owner lives there on the same property.

I like it because I figure people won't ignore things like bedbugs in their own full time living space, I like getting to know them and their tips for what to check out and where to eat. I like meeting their pets! And it makes it feel like you're staying somewhere in particular, not in a generic space that could be anywhere in the world, it is one unique spot that is nowhere else.

I do agree with the problems it can cause in communities. My neighborhood isn't Airbnb homes, but due to many foreclosures, we do have a lot more rentals and it does have a different vibe, so I can empathize with that. But I have only stayed at one that the host didn't live on site. That is in a middle of nowhere place in a very rural area I've been visiting by entire life though, and most of the already not great hotels in the area have closed.

I wouldn't not ever stay in a hotel, but I try to go to unique places and I feel the experience I seek out on Airbnb adds to my traveling.

And if you have a dog just hand over another 350$ in cleaning fees, plus 250$ for reservation on top of the 40% fees that air bnb normally adds on.

I'd have thought you'd get a similar experience in hotels when traveling with a dog?
- In many chain hotels it's just like 15€ per night fee.
- My hotel is a high-end dog friendly hotel, we don't require any additional cost for a guest bringing a room. Unless they order room service for their dog or something (yes, we have it).
  
  We do need some additional paperwork, but nothing that most dog owners wouldn't already have on hand I think.

Yeah but a $100 airbnb vs a $225 hotel is a different discussion

True, but are Airbnb's even cheaper than hotel rooms anymore in cities?

Only time I've found that to be true is when you have a lot of people, getting a single Airbnb can be cheaper than multiple hotel rooms. Otherwise, Airbnb's basically are similar in price or negligibly cheaper.
- I find it to almost always be cheaper. Staying with kids makes it much better as well.
- Yes.
  
  I’m convinced 90% of the people complaining here don’t even travel, cause it isn’t even close. AirBnB is just cheaper almost everywhere I’ve been.
  
  Couple months ago in Austin Texas.
  
  Cheapest hotel: 250 a night. Airbnb in walking distance of good stuff, right outside downtown: $100 a night.
  
  Don’t have the numbers off the top of my head, but Finger lakes region in NY it was cheaper. In Portland it was cheaper. Lincoln Nebraska it was cheaper.
  
  Just got done booking AirBnBs in Japan, cause they were cheaper than hotels.
  
  Dunno what you’re doing to make airbnbs the same price as hotels tbh.
The days of airbnbs being cheaper than hotels are long gone. When planning a trip to NOLA I looked into Airbnbs and they were all outrageously expensive, and insane cleaning fees, and had inane pet deposits. Ended up booking Marriott room with a kitchenette, no pet deposit, and parking for $100 less per night on top of none of the weird fees Airbnb hosts have, two blocks from bourbon street. I’ll never use Airbnb or similar services again.
I usually find AirBnb more expensive than hotels. But I have had so many problems with AirBnb properties that I don’t even look there anymore…

I rarely go for airbnb if I don't find a good deal, whether in terms of price, location, architecture etc. Sometimes there are good properties on airbnb. And yes, a lot of it is just run by buisnessmen and rich landlords. But there are also decently located cheap apartments sometimes.

If I travel alone and need to be on budget and only need a bed I can always go for a good dorm.

Since I work at one, I stay at hotels free (within my brand) so I can't say I have much experience with airbnb. I do feel they cater to very different markets though, I don't necessarily begrudge the existence of airbnb, even if they are kind of our competition.

OTAs on the other hand, can all get fucked.

Air&b is a plague on affordable rentals and housing.
- Nah. NIMBY-ass zoning laws, which prevent building and limit supply, are the root cause of unaffordable housing. It’s basic economics; zoning laws literally limit the production of a necessary good, and when that happens, prices increase. Fix zoning, and you will solve your problem.

Airbnb hosts hiring maids so you have to check out early but still making you do all the cleaning 🤡

gasthof superiority, it's the best of both worlds.

What's that?
- Not sure if that's the correct translation but I think he means an inn. Basically what I understand as a Gasthof is something like a restaurant which also rents out some rooms.

I usually prefer hotels too, but I’ve never had this issue. What I don’t like is the extra fess they add though. Makes it hard to compare prices since “per night” has almost no reflection on how much total cost of the stay.

When I was in Rome I had a beautiful apartment for $70 per night with a terrace garden, a balcony, a grill, a full kitchen, a private laundry room, locals cafe, locals bakery. You don’t any of those things with a hotel, and yet mediocre rated hotels in that area were like 5x more.

These seems to be a big divide somewhere about Airbnb properties. Most of those I stayed in were like yours. Rental apartments for visitors wanting a nice place to themselves.

Looks like there are at least 2 more sides to it - frauds trying to cheat customers on stuff like cleaning fees and insane rules. And people renting out their spare room.

True story

What are we comparing Airbnbs to? At least in large cities, the price of an Airbnb would be equivalent of a Motel 6 or Best Western. If you want the Hilton or Marriott, it would be at least 2x or 3x the price of an Airbnb.

Nah, i work in a hostal in Mexico city, we charge $40 per room while airbnb usually charges at least $100.

It depends on what you want. For my family, having space for the kids to hang out and play, inside and out, is a huge plus. Also we like to cook some of our meals while on vacation.

Yes, an hotel room is more expensive than an Airbnb but the convenience makes up for it.

I concur

I use Airbnb only when I couldn't find hotel who accepts my dog.

I've rarely had problems at airbnbs in Canada and while traveling. Had one host claim we broke her hot tub by "setting the temperature too high" lol, but we told her to go ahead and go through airbnb arbitration and she dropped it immediately. A few places that weren't as nice as the pics, that's a given, but never been straight up scammed personally so I don't know what I'm doing right!

Hotels are definitely boring though and I guess that can be a good thing, but then I would've never experienced eating papaya and smoking weed while staying at a metal hut in a beautiful tropical garden right off a Costa Rican beach while hanging out with about a dozen kittens!

My kids are coeliac so we have a greater need to cook meals for ourselves. So we prefer staying in rented apartments / villas etc when on holiday. There are some aparthotels where a kitchen and actual bedrooms are available and we'll use those if they are affordable. Private accommodation also tends to be larger though and if airbnb seems sketchy there are also property rental companies - when we're in Florida we tend to rent a villa from one of these and it's been all fine. We're going to Turkey this year and have rented a top floor apartment overlooking a marina.

Yall have some rough luck with ABNB properties. I stay 4-6 times per year and it’s been a breeze.

Airbnb is much better for families whereas hotels cater to everyone else basically.

Air BNBs all the way! I just got back from one in NC mountains. We rented a lodge right next to a river with a cow pasture literally next to the house. Besides a washer and dryer...It had a hammock, fire pit, grill, farm fresh eggs, sweets from a local bakery, plus milk and orange juice and a stocked coffee bar. Then there was also a basket of decent snacks.

The Airbnb before had the same attention to detail but much smaller. They owned most land near the house so they built 2 little cabins near them to rent. This one came with a "free" bottle of whiskey. It also had a Blackstone and fire pit as well.

All hotels offer is the same shitty breakfast foods and coffee. Much rather be enjoying my vacation even if we wanted to spend half the day home at an Airbnb. Can't beat the perks. Just need to do your homework, not all Airbnb's are shitty rented side rooms. For the last 5 years my extended family and I had rented several houses big enough for the 9 of us. All with plenty to do around the house when you need a break from driving, hiking, restaurants and shopping.

I'm glad you had a good time. My experience with Air BNB has been very different. I've never used their services but I've been 'evicted' from two affordable rental properties that are now Air BNBs by the property being sold to new owners. They're very nice homes to rent for a weekend, I should know I lived there for years until I was kicked out for people like you.

I'm not saying that home had someone who was evicted to make it a hotel for you, but it happens to a lot of people. I'm not alone. Property owners kick people who are paying their rent, out onto the street because it could make more as an Air BNB. But that's just capitalism baby.