Air BnB Experiences

[logicallefty]

I will be taking at least three trips this year out of state. Thinking about using an Airbnb instead of a hotel. Never done it. Seems like a lot could go wrong. Looking to hear the good, bad, pretty, and ugly. Advantages and disadvantages compared with a hotel. I know prices is usually in AirBnB’s favor. What else ? Thanks much.

 

[xplt]

The last two years I've only traveled via Airbnb. Exception are city trips.
Never had a bad experience, there are good onlineportals with ratings and stuff.
For me the biggest advantage beside the price, if your host is a local you get lots of extra tipps around the area and country and great stories. I had one of the best hikes of my live with an Airbnb host. Places I would have never seen if my infos came from internet or travelguides.
Meeting new people is also easier than in hotels.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

I will be taking at least three trips this year out of state. Thinking about using an Airbnb instead of a hotel. Never done it. Seems like a lot could go wrong. Looking to hear the good, bad, pretty, and ugly. Advantages and disadvantages compared with a hotel. I know prices is usually in AirBnB’s favor. What else ? Thanks much.

I've had an account since 2016. Stayed in 2 Canadian provinces during my construction apprenticeship.
Look for the 'superhosts'
Bring a wedge to put under your bedroom door.(not often lockable) or set something up near the door that will make noise to wake you if the door opens.
Assume there's creeper cameras you can't find(from previous guests even)
Prepare to have some hosts/hostesses talk your ear off-these are super friendly people.
No tip in room is expected or customary.
Enjoy!

 

[zekko]

Bring a wedge to put under your bedroom door.(not often lockable) or set something up near the door that will make noise to wake you if the door opens.
Assume there's creeper cameras you can't find(from previous guests even)
Prepare to have some hosts/hostesses talk your ear off-these are super friendly people.

You're not exactly selling it.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

You're not exactly selling it.

lol, slapped with the truth rather than kissed with a lie(Russian proverb)

hey, one of the places was a 25 CAD a night room that should have been airbnb priced at above 75.
Some of these hostesses are lonely for company and underprice themselves.
There's been at least 2 places where I never even saw anyone(got messaged the code to get in)
You have to have frame, selfconfidence from knowing selfdefense and a sense of adventure.
AirBnB provides a format of leaving 'reviews'.
So if course, read up on the hosts' reviews, previous guests' reviews and know this...they will leave a review on YOU too.

 

[zekko]

So if course, read up on the hosts' reviews, previous guests' reviews and know this...they will leave a review on YOU too.

They won't be leaving a review on me, since I won't be going. As a self professed introvert, you lost me at "talk your ear off".
Not that I dislike people, but I know the type, I'd be scanning for exits.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

They won't be leaving a review on me, since I won't be going. As a self professed introvert, you lost me at "talk your ear off".
Not that I dislike people, but I know the type, I'd be scanning for exits.

There was one creepy guy, the husband, I had messaged I was coming in late(which is a way to avoid chatting) but he insisted on chatting me up on the landing between the basement and kitchen upstairs where they lived.
Red flags: Bugeyed, obsessively petting his cat over and over...the cat didn't like him-you ever notice domestic pets and children act a certain way when they don't like their owners/parents?

But he was welldressed and nice house, pregnant wife, they were even superhosts.

Well, within about 15 min of closing my basement door to the 'suite' I was staying in....I could hear weird noises and then the cat screaming and hissing upstairs.

Dafuk? Are they seriously beating their cat?
I had prepaid two days, but I woke up and left 2 hours earlier than I said I was going to leave the next morning to avoid any interaction(I'm passive-nonconfrontational-submissive type of person who minds her business.)

I KNOW one of the telltale signs of dangerous personalities is abusing animals/domestic pets so I just fuked off out of there.
I'm chickenchit, but I knew I would have to do something if a human was being hurt(at least call 911) and I didn't want to deal with potential drama the next night.

I should have turned and walked right out of there with a "sorry, I just remembered about something, I'll message you in a bit to explain" the very second the hairs starting standing up on my neck when I first arrived. Every so often, I'm wrong about first impressions though. Plus I was tired and it would have been too late to set up a new AirBnb place on the app. Would have had to what? sleep in vehicle?

* takes about 2 weeks to get any refunds and its not the full amount, unfortunately.

 

[bcude]

Assume there's creeper cameras you can't find(from previous guests even)

What? Now this sounds like paranoia, or extreeemly bad luck like once in your life?

OP, go for it. It works like a charm. It's usually cheaper than a hotel with a more authentic experience. Just go for the "super hosts" and you will never go wrong. I've lived in many all around the world and never had any serious problems, but just like you vet your girl - you vet your apartment before you commit.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

What? Now this sounds like paranoia, or extreeemly bad luck like once in your life?

OP, go for it. It works like a charm. It's usually cheaper than a hotel with a more authentic experience. Just go for the "super hosts" and you will never go wrong. I've lived in many all around the world and never had any serious problems, but just like you vet your girl - you vet your apartment before you commit.

You're right. It does sound like paranoia.

Off-topic: After the trespassing on his property and subsequent discussions on security, selfdefense etc. I told my ex about that spy tech store in Toronto.
It was the first time I had even visited the website, but I believe I gave him the impression that I buy products from there.
lol.
or that I didn't try to trust all strangers.
lol.

 

[AAAgent]

don't think you'll be using airbnb for a while but i'v stayed at close to 10 AirBnB's all over the world. NYC, HK, Taiwan, DC, Boston, Phillipines, etc.

I prefer it for the most part.

Cheaper. Way cheaper. In Taiwan and HK I was paying $20-30 a night for an okay place compared to $100-$200 hotel rooms. It really goes a long way when you are saving that much.

They don't give you the hotel look and are usually located where normal people live. I travel to experience the culture and hotel really doesn't do that so I like living where normal people live and experience what they experience.

Privacy is good in the AirBnb when you rent out the whole place. I usually rent the entire place and find 1br's or studio's etc. I'm a dude and i honestly don't care if people are recording me naked, but one place i rented the host returned on the second to last day and they had a camera in the living room for their baby. It was in a fancy area and i didn't want to pay $400 for a hotel room so i paid $150 for an AirBNB. would not choose to share with host as like my privacy so i'll probably not get a room with a host in it.

There's also lots of people who do AirBnB enmasse for a living. They buy or rent up lots of places and then AirBnb them out in major cities. I've lived in a few of these places before. No host or greet. They email or text the location of the key, keycode, lockcode, etc. Then tell you the location/floor of the room. It's clean and stocked for you to go in. When you leave, you drop off the key via their instructions. Place is usually okay.

Sometimes places are smaller than pictures.

One place i stayed at was nice but small and had sewage smell early in the morning.

One place was located in a very dirty building with trash problems in the lobbies but the room itself was fine.

One place was clearly not a legal/licensed room. It was an addon built on the side of a building with its on entrance. Big but had a mold smell the entire time.

One place i went to was a steal. Location, building, and room were all great.

Some places in Asia had no dryer which means you have to hang dry clothes.

Host's that aren't live ins typically don't bother me. Some may send a check up text to see if you're happy or have questions but that's it. I did have one place where there wasn't wi-fi and i forgot to check that which sucked really bad and made the experience totally not worth it because i rely on that for communication.

Overall, it's super cheap and you get what you pay for. I don't require luxury living when im traveling on a budget and all i need is somewhere relatively quiet and clean to sleep. Even if it isn't that quiet or clean, as long as I can sleep, i probably won't complain for $20-$30 a night.