To Airbnb or Not to Airbnb

[burmans]

I agree 100% MEL_Traveller about the fun of research and planning, but there are many more travellers who can't be bothered, who aren't interested in the research, who aren't even interested in hearing advice, and want to put it all in the hands of a travel agent. Often without researching the TA in question. Many of my relatives are in this basket.

My nephew and girlfriend are first time overseas travellers and allowed a travel agent to do all of their bookings. I am sure they didn't do any prior research into this hotel and they got caught out. Travel is a continual learning experience and even old hands get "stung" now and again as we travel the world.

Have copied two post here as the second post points out the problem with the first. I get there are some good TA's in the world but have heard far too many stories to think it's the rule. Researching good hotels requires a commitment of time most TA's are just not prepared to make, unless you find a destination specialist who has been there many times themselves.

 

[RooFlyer]

I use an experienced TA, But research all my hotels then get the TA to book the ones I want, unless they can't match the on line rates, then I do it myself, or they book for me on line and charge my cc direct.

After every trip I give feedback to the TA about each place. As a rule they don't like recommending or booking hotels they don't have direct knowledge of.

 

[Worrellson]

I love Airbnb but don't use them for every trip. If my plans are fluid, I prefer to go with a site such as booking.com that has hotels/apartments with free cancellation options so I can cancel or rebook without penalty. I also feel better cancelling a hotel a week before my stay rather than someone's house as it's more likely they won't be able to get another booking. Plus there are often cancellation fees. I was glad I went with places with free cancellation rather than Airbnb on a trip to Tassie last September, because unseasonal snow closed the road over the mountains to Strahan and we had to change plans and go to Bruny Island instead.

When I do have plans set in concrete and choose Airbnb, I find it pays to read the reviews carefully to check for details such as noise and cleanliness. If the place is cheap enough and I'm only there a night, noise is not a deal-breaker as I can bring earplugs. But cleanliness definitely is.

When you arrive at a property, always make sure you have your host's mobile number handy and a charged mobile phone as I have stayed in several places where I needed to check directly with the host to find the key or get precise directions. This is the main disadvantage for me about Airbnb, as a hotel will usually have 24-hour check in, while if you've arranged to meet someone at particular time and your flight is late, it can be a hassle for both of you.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree 100% MEL_Traveller about the fun of research and planning, but there are many more travellers who can't be bothered, who aren't interested in the research, who aren't even interested in hearing advice, and want to put it all in the hands of a travel agent. Often without researching the TA in question. Many of my relatives are in this basket.

Then they end up in the Manhattan Times Square!!

 

[ctrunfree]

We have used Air BnB and other short term apartment rentals all over the world. We like it not because of the cheaper cost, but because of the space and facilities on offer. Self catering is important to us as we can be OS for up to 6 months of the year, and eating out every day gets old quickly. We only pick self contained apartments.

There are a few issues arising with short term rental apartments across the globe at present (and these issues are common to Air BnB, VRBO, Booking.com etc, although the media tend to use Air BnB as a catch all). In many places restrictions have been introduced which will severely limit the availability of this type of accommodation-eg Japan, parts of Spain, Amsterdam, Berlin, Thailand etc etc. These types of rentals have pretty much always illegal in New York (but not in neighbouring New Jersey) and in Paris. Major enforcement action in Iceland has seen the number of rental properties decrease significantly.

These days when looking for self catering accommodation I usually want to see some sort of proof that the owners have the appropriate registrations with local authorities. On Air BnB this should be included in the listing. It gets a bit difficult to know if an owner is operating within the law in a situation where the local authorities also limit the number of days per year on which the property can be offered for short term rental.

While it makes it a bit of an effort, it's still worth doing. We've had some great experiences which we wouldn't have had if we had been limited to hotels.

 

[ozjuice]

Are AirBnB reviews to be trusted though? I think a lot of people don't like to write bad things in case it looks bad for them or they feel bad because they now personally know the hosts. It's rare to find bad reviews. I like their system of reviews but still think people will hold back the honest feelings.
I actually felt really bad writing a poor review but needed to be honest about my experience. I'm sure many wouldn't have been so honest.

 

[ctrunfree]

It''s true that people are usually more reluctant to pan an Air BnB than a hotel. Hence we only stay with super hosts.

 

[burmans]

Are AirBnB reviews to be trusted though? I think a lot of people don't like to write bad things in case it looks bad for them or they feel bad because they now personally know the hosts. It's rare to find bad reviews. I like their system of reviews but still think people will hold back the honest feelings.

While I don't necessarily disagree with your post you could replace AirBnB in the above sentence with just about any review system, and certainly some sectors of the market (Americans an obvious example) seem to have no problem with complaining about even the most minor of inconveniences. Your TA may be putting you into hotels they have never been in themselves, what review system are they basing their judgement on? TripAdvisor hotel reviews meanwhile are notoriously prone to manipulation.

At least with AirBnB you know that the person actually stayed there and while its true that (some) people tend not to post bad news this means you can make the following conclusions

• The places which have a large number of good posts probably are good because people have gone out of the way to post about them
• The few which have bad reviews are probably really bad! (Given there tend not to be many bad reviews this suggests we should weight bad reviews highly!)
• You should actually read the review. As noted some people find fault with the most minor & pathetic things which might be unimportant to you.
• If something has been there for quite a while and has no review - beware! That's a red flag to me.

 

[ozjuice]

While I don't necessarily disagree with your post you could replace AirBnB in the above sentence with just about any review system, and certainly some sectors of the market (Americans an obvious example) seem to have no problem with complaining about even the most minor of inconveniences. Your TA may be putting you into hotels they have never been in themselves, what review system are they basing their judgement on? TripAdvisor hotel reviews meanwhile are notoriously prone to manipulation.

As far as I know though, Hotels don't offer a personal experience that deters you from an opinion. They also don't offer feedback on you as a guest. So it's quite different.
I'd compare it almost to ebay, where a generic response is mostly what feedback all buyers will get. Means very little. Uber is also a strange beast when it comes to not wanting a bad review as a paasenger.

 

[dajop]

The whole review thing with airbnb can be difficult.

As a guest, we have given some negative feedback (on booking.com), but try to be constructive about it unless the place really didn't match expectations

As a host, we've largely had great guests. However one, whilst leaving the house in extremely good condition, looked like they put charcoal in the bottom of the BBQ, hard to get all the fat off and the lid and base are all burnt and stained - an almost brand new BBQ. We kept the review brief and didn't mention the BBQ. Another guest, again left the house in wonderful condition, but we had to physically work our way through the recycling bin which was full of food waste mixed with cans and bottles, tubs of half eaten feta cheese with oil dripping everywhere, etc ... oh goodness I can still smell it.... Thankfully that was on stayz, so no review needed.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Airbnb in Japan: Close to 80 per cent of listings removed after crackdown =

http://www.traveller.com.au/airbnb-in-japan-close-to-80-per-cent-of-listings-removed-after-crackdown-h112pl#ixzz5Hiks2GCc

 

[ctrunfree]

Airbnb in Japan: Close to 80 per cent of listings removed after crackdown =

http://www.traveller.com.au/airbnb-in-japan-close-to-80-per-cent-of-listings-removed-after-crackdown-h112pl#ixzz5Hiks2GCc

Expect some serious hotel price gouging when the Rugby World Cup comes to Japan next year.

 

[burmans]

Expect some serious hotel price gouging when the Rugby World Cup comes to Japan next year.

Knowing the Japanese this will all be resolved well before then, the requirement was only that people register, so they all will!

 

[ctrunfree]

Knowing the Japanese this will all be resolved well before then, the requirement was only that people register, so they all will!

Not quite. The new restrictions will severely limit the number who can register, as well as the periods they can offer the place for short term rental.

 

[akmacca]

My partner and I just moved into a fully self-contained apartment at the bottom of a stunningly elegant New England house in Mystic, Connecticut. The owner greeted us warmly showed us through the apartment and presented us with pastries from one of the best bakeries in New England. There was an excellent bottle of Californian wine to share as well as beers, cereal, milk and a few other treats. The owner then volunteered to drive us to the supermarket and wait for us and then gave us a guided tour of the town. There were some problems with the wifi and she stayed until it was sorted out. Now, this doesn't happen at every Airbnb I stay at but it is an example of the exemplary service you can expect from time to time staying at Airbnbs.

 

[Denali]

......New England house in Mystic, Connecticut. T......

 

[akmacca]

Yep, the home of Mystic Pizza. drove past it today but I haven't been inside apparently they play the movie on a continuous loop.

 

[albatross710]

I stopped using AirBNB for solo business travel. Ube and taxi drivers cannot find the places and it's nice to have a reception desk to resolve issues. Climbing into the AirBNB's garden to find the key at 9pm at night after working and a late flight connection is not fun.

For business it's also hard to get the same place each time I go to the same city. I want to know I have a place close to appointments or conference.

AirBNB is good value when two colleagues of the same sex are traveling. A two bedroom AirBNB is far more cost effective than two single rooms and better than a "twin" hotel room.

There is no definitive answer for AirBNB, it's a case of the right solution at the right time.

Alby

 

[LadyC]

We have only used AirBnb once when staying in Castlemaine last year. It suited our needs at the time and we may well use it again but I love the reliability of hotels (and a good room service menu).

 

[akmacca]

As I stated in my OP I am a huge fan of Airbnb but like anything you can face a problem now and again. At the moment I am staying in an Airbnb in an entire apartment in Harlem my second seven-day stay (they were both booked at the same time). The reviews were plentiful and all five star so I expected an above average accommodation - unfortunately that isn't the case. It isn't a disaster by any means but I just wonder if all the 30+ previous reviewers were staying at the same place. The owner lives in the apartment and when he rents it out he moves in with his family who resides in the same building which means all of his personal stuff is in the apartment. The place is full of his stuff, the cupboards are full of junk, there is no table and the smallest chairs imaginable. The apartment is located on the busiest street in Harlem (125th) so it is noisy all the time and one of the air conditioners are broken. Before I wrote this I went back through the reviews and not one of these things were mentioned except for one saying "it can be a little noisy but I like it." If I knew the place was cluttered, noisy with no air conditioner I wouldn't have taken it. Therefore why do people not record these things in their reviews? My thoughts are that the owner is a really nice guy and they don't want to upset him or have him lose any bookings by posting negatives. It appears that most reviewers only stayed just a night or two so the things that bug me with a 2-week stay didn't bug them. Maybe they were just a lot younger than me and take this type of accommodation in their stride. As much as I like the guy who also did me a big favour by storing my suitcases whilst I was away from the apartment for four days I cannot in good conscience post a review without mentioning the negatives.