I think I'm done with Airbnb

[bimble]

My most memorable Airbnb experience was the place where not one of the lightbulbs worked, that was good. it wasn’t the electric, just that they’d not bothered to put new bulbs in. But you can and do get equally shitty ‘hotels’.

 

[Spymaster]

Not really. Some of us just don't want hassle and expectations to be predictable.

I think most people are prepared to research their holidays if they're getting something they won't get otherwise in return. With Ryanair it used to be cheap-as-chips travel. Folk are prepared to go through a bit of hassle for a 20 quid return flight across Europe. When Airbnb first started there was a feeling that it was a bit different and you could access accommodation that was previously impossible or very hard to find. It's not really like that now, or rather it's no longer the norm because they’ve turned everyone with a spare room into a hotelier and massively fuelled the buy-to-holiday-let industry. Other offerings are often as good or better, and without the calamitous impact on communities. They've lost their USP.

 

[Poot]

I'm thinking of breaking up with them, too.

I stayed in a Frenchman's holiday home in Alicante during the summer and it was v pleasant (pool, beach, great location) Excellent value. But you always knew that you were in some stranger's gaff. And I've stayed in other ones in this country, all fine. But I'm in a part of the country where every other home is an AirBnB and it's just destroying any chances of anyone affording to live here. It's better than buying a second or third home and leaving it vacant all winter. But only just.

 

[ouirdeaux]

I've had the odd shitty hotel, but the worst experience was a sort of rented flat in Belgium. There were a variety of glitches, and it culminated in a charge to my credit card several weeks after the fact for an allegedly stolen hair dryer. I replied that there had been no hair dryer in the flat, and that I had a perfectly good hair dryer of my own; gloomily I notified my card provider that I was disputing the charge. A while later they sent an email saying that they had established there had been no hair dryer in the flat, and refunded in the money (though I lost out on conversion charges). I expected a grovelling apology for having been called a thief, but nothing.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I think most people are prepared to research their holidays if they're getting something they won't get otherwise in return. With Ryanair it used to be cheap-as-chips travel. Folk are prepared to go through a bit of hassle for a 20 quid return flight across Europe. When Airbnb first started there was a feeling that it was a bit different and you could find accommodation that was previously impossible or very hard to find. It's not really like that now, or rather it's no longer the norm, and other offerings are often as good or better, without the calamitous impact on communities. They've lost their USP

Oh I agree. But I've not really been in that position. My foreign travel over the last decade has either been to places where I haven't needed to look for accommodation (visiting mates) or family getaways with kids involved so generic package deals sufficed. If I found myself in a situation where I was going somewhere new and exciting (and alone or with a mate or significant other) I perhaps would. Like the Nevada desert or some shit. But life doesn't tend to pan out like that for me.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Never used it and never will, it’s a disgusting company.

Was it disgusting when it started or how it evolved?

It's just a listings website with rules and huge admin fee. Perhaps it's problem is it mixes up homeowners with property companies.
I stayed in a tiny flat in Turin ( i was escaping a heatwave). The city authorities were very strict about what could be a holiday let as the owner explained. Many things to get right etc Perhaps it's down to councils to wise up to this new business model and make sure it doesn't negatively affect areas as with Barcelona. If airbnb closed it would jump to another platform, perhaps more plurality would be better for everyone?

I stayed in someone's garden shed in Devon. I don't think this negatively affected the area, it was just a garden shed!

 

[editor]

So an update: I was told by the host that I had zero prospect of being able to leave early and get a refund (the owner doesn't like to do that, ever), but was told that the room next to mine was vacant so I thought I'd stay.
And then I came back and realised that a couple were now there, but at least they said said hello and were quiet.

On Weds I went on a whimsical trip to an obscure town in Pennsylvania and this time found myself with an 'old school' host in a lovely room. He was chatty and friendly and was happy to give me advice on places to go. Very pleasant stay.

Came back to NY last night to find a full on entrepreneur had moved. He's up at 8am with the radio on in the bathroom (right next to my room) and spends a fucking eternity in there while I'm busting for a piss (seeing as he's woken me up).

And then at 9am he sets up his mobile office right outside my door and starts making endless important calls. At 9.30am I crack and tell him STFU with his loud deal making calls. To be fair, he immediately goes into his room where I can still hear him but not so loud. He was still going strong at midday when I went out.

I think the trick is that Airbnb is fine if you're going somewhere obscure but it's often fucking shit for big cities.

 

[Supine]

I’ve booked one for a couple of weeks time. The owner has offered to collect me from the train station if I’m not in a car

 

[editor]

So I bumped into the entrepreneur and said I was sorry for yelling at him but he had been loud since 8am. Entrepreneur seemed unrepentant saying that me asking him to STFU (I didn't actually swear) was 'embarrassing' for his clients on his web seminar or whatever it is he was doing.

I've just come back and he's still talking loudly away so I've no idea why he can't stay at home and fucking yap.

 

[kebabking]

editor I've had similar problems with people staying in YHA's and houseshares - it's not Airbnb, it's people.

 

[Spymaster]

So I bumped into the entrepreneur and said I was sorry for yelling at him but he had been loud since 8am. Entrepreneur seemed unrepentant saying that me asking him to STFU (I didn't actually swear) was 'embarrassing' for his clients on his web seminar or whatever it is he was doing.

I've just come back and he's still talking loudly away so I've no idea why he can't stay at home and fucking yap.

Perhaps advise him that you’ve been listening to his bollocks, his approach is poor, and that maybe less stick and more carrot is in order.

Remind him that “two ears, one mouth; use them accordingly", is undoubtedly a cliché, but one that would almost certainly pay dividends in his case.

That should piss him off nicely.

 

[scifisam]

So I bumped into the entrepreneur and said I was sorry for yelling at him but he had been loud since 8am. Entrepreneur seemed unrepentant saying that me asking him to STFU (I didn't actually swear) was 'embarrassing' for his clients on his web seminar or whatever it is he was doing.

I've just come back and he's still talking loudly away so I've no idea why he can't stay at home and fucking yap.

That's 100% his problem. You can't set up a video meeting in an area shared with strangers and expect complete silence. They'd have been embarrassed because they were paying to talk to someone who couldn't be arsed even being in his own room.

 

[weltweit]

I think I only once stayed in an AirBnB in Germany and the first B was very fine but the second B left things to be desired.

I usually used to stay in Motels / Hotels on major routes, usually booked online for a late arrival.

I once booked into a B&B near Stuttgart and true to form after calling ahead I arrived quite late. The man booking me in looked a bit quizzically at me and asked "sind Sie Jude?" my surname sounds a bit Jewish. It looked for a moment that if I answered yes I might be sleeping in the gutter that night so I assured him I wasn't a Jude, but I didn't feel at all comfortable in his house and was quite pleased in the morning to be back on my way.

 

[editor]

So I've returned to find that the Important Entrepreneur has moved the table that was outside my room about one metre, so I expect he'll be hosting more of his early morning very important and loud webinars because his own room isn't good enough. If that is the case I'll make a point of walking past, possibly in just a t shirt and undies.

God, I hate self entitled pricks like this guy.

 

[Callie]

Urgh other people

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Urgh other people

This is basically my motto for life

 

[spitfire]

“Sir, this is an Airbnb not a wework.”

 

[spitfire]

You need to practice some drums.

 

[A380]

So I've returned to find that the Important Entrepreneur has moved the table that was outside my room about one metre, so I expect he'll be hosting more of his early morning very important and loud webinars because his own room isn't good enough. If that is the case I'll make a point of walking past, possibly in just a t shirt and undies.

God, I hate self entitled pricks like this guy.

Don’t you need to rehearse your DJ skills? Just behind him…

 

[editor]

Happily he's fucked off. The douchebag!

 

[kebabking]

So I've returned to find that the Important Entrepreneur has moved the table that was outside my room about one metre, so I expect he'll be hosting more of his early morning very important and loud webinars because his own room isn't good enough. If that is the case I'll make a point of walking past, possibly in just a t shirt and undies.

God, I hate self entitled pricks like this guy.

Walk around naked. Make sure you can be seen on his webcam.

Or try loud sex noises in your room.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

He's up at 8am with the radio on in the bathroom (right next to my room) and spends a fucking eternity in there while I'm busting for a piss (seeing as he's woken me up).

The worst kind of anti-social behavior in shared accommodation. At least you can buy guns there though. (JK)

 

[hash tag]

I am not sure I have ever used airbnb and wouldn't out of choice. Many landlords are starting to favour short term lets over long term lettings and are taking property
out of the housing rental market. New research: a huge rise in holiday lets is strangling rural communities - CPRE

 

[Petcha]

For a longish term stay it makes sense but not for a couple of nights. I've gone back to hotels or quality hostels. Airbnb's too much of a lottery.

 

[StoneRoad]

Had a couple of stays in AirBnB, I usually prefer hotels, the big chains get a look in sometimes. Quite often I'll pick a "pub" that does rooms in an out of the way area.

Theoretically, AirBnB might have been a good scheme, at least initially.
But not now - too many ripoff merchants and problems with taking lets out of the local housing system.

I haven't used it since my father died, but he used to be a host {& user} of "Pasporta Servo" which is a bit similar to AirBnB, with the proviso that you are staying with an Esperantist host - in their home, so need to be able to cope with that ...

Pasporta Servo - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[editor]

Unless the hotels prove to be prohibitively priced, I'm going to use them or traditional pubs/B&Bs, unless I'm going somewhere non-touristy where you're much more likely to come across 'old school' Airbnb-ers.

 

[salem]

I used to use airbnb quite a bit in the early days as it was easy to filter places that were pet friendly and I met/stayed with some really interesting hosts. As with anything that gets popular the money moved in and it's become commoditised. While I've been lucky to avoid any horror stories I do find that the places can be quite generic and obviously airbnb's first now. I suppose there are lots of tourists and only so many people with spare rooms + the novelty will wear off quickly enough for even the best intentioned hosts.

Along with moral issues I don't use it much any more.

A few days ago, I was trying to book accommodation in Paris for December, so thought Airbnb would be a good option as I needed two bedrooms. Tried to reserve a flat that was free for the dates I wanted, but then the owner messaged me to say it wouldn’t be possible for these dates, maybe I could try again at a later date? Cancelled the pending booking and reserved another flat, which was accepted straight away and Airbnb took the deposit. Then the owner messaged me to say the dates weren’t free, so I had to cancel the booking again Still waiting for a refund from Airbnb.

In the end, I managed to find two rooms in an Ibis hotel for the same price I would have paid for Airbnb. Wish I’d done this to begin with!

For whatever reason I've had similar issues in Paris a few times (it was a regular stop over travelling with dog) and as you say they're terrible at holding funds. I got caught out once needing an extra night and ended up stuffed as 2 or 3 people weren't able to fulfil my booking (even though it was mean to be instant book) and airbnb put a hold on the money each time rather than transferring the funds over.

So an update: I was told by the host that I had zero prospect of being able to leave early and get a refund (the owner doesn't like to do that, ever), but was told that the room next to mine was vacant so I thought I'd stay.
And then I came back and realised that a couple were now there, but at least they said said hello and were quiet.

On Weds I went on a whimsical trip to an obscure town in Pennsylvania and this time found myself with an 'old school' host in a lovely room. He was chatty and friendly and was happy to give me advice on places to go. Very pleasant stay.

Came back to NY last night to find a full on entrepreneur had moved. He's up at 8am with the radio on in the bathroom (right next to my room) and spends a fucking eternity in there while I'm busting for a piss (seeing as he's woken me up).

And then at 9am he sets up his mobile office right outside my door and starts making endless important calls. At 9.30am I crack and tell him STFU with his loud deal making calls. To be fair, he immediately goes into his room where I can still hear him but not so loud. He was still going strong at midday when I went out.

I think the trick is that Airbnb is fine if you're going somewhere obscure but it's often fucking shit for big cities.

Sounds like you found a 'digital nomad' in the wild, it's a market that airbnb are trying to get a foothold in and a tribe that is causing it's own set of issues in certain areas.

Based on your description otherwise, it wouldn't surprise me if the host marked it as having a 'Dedicated workspace'. But no excuse for being loud at that time of the morning, of course no shortage of loud entrepreneur blagger types in NY!

 

[Flavour]

main reason not to use AirBnb is you are fucked if the host turns out to be a cunt and every trip enriches some tech company in silicon valley.

 

[Ted Striker]

I thnk we're all missing the fundamental flaw in their business model, and why they are doomed to failure:

Someone's house/flat/room has, of course, a level of storage suitable for someone who actually lives there. A real, non-zero number of drawers, shelves, cupboards, wardrobes to unpack your stuff (out of sight) to and forget it's there.

Nothing makes you yearn for a no-nonsense 1 drawer (plus 5 fake non-opening ones) and 1 wardrobe setup of a Holiday Inn, than that moment where you think you've packed (in your airbnb), do the under-the-bed check, then wonder what that drawer was that you haven't had cause to open this morning...Before finding a pair of shoes you nearly left behind, and vaguely remember it was your great idea on check-in day to put a pair of shoes in there.

Thus creating panic and anxiety of having to triple check all these new weird and wonderful and unnecessary storage places that may or may not have seemed like the perfect place to quickly store your shaver/laptop/coat/bible 5 days ago .

It'll never catch on.

 

[pinkmonkey]

So I've returned to find that the Important Entrepreneur has moved the table that was outside my room about one metre, so I expect he'll be hosting more of his early morning very important and loud webinars because his own room isn't good enough. If that is the case I'll make a point of walking past, possibly in just a t shirt and undies.

God, I hate self entitled pricks like this guy.

<shouts> LAPTOP WANKER