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Not specifically Airbnb, but I choose short term apartment rentals (authorized ones, always check the local laws) over hotels because, no, I don’t need housekeeping every fucking day. When I do stay in hotels, I usually keep the “do not disturb” sign on my door for several days before taking it off to get the room serviced.
There aren’t many affordable options when you’re staying mid-term (weeks to a few months) other than short term apartment rentals. And yes, I can keep my place neat and tidy day-to-day, I can take out my own garbage, I can clean my own dishes, I don’t need someone to make my bed for me, etc., etc. Hotels include the cost of daily cleaning and I don’t feel the need to pay for it when I don’t want it and don’t use it.
That said, fuck the added cleaning fee bullshit (for standard usage.) Include it in your price or fuck off.
“Chores” are a mixed bag. Some things are reasonable asks, like if you have a house with a garbage day, and you’re asked to take your garbage to the curb. I’ve heard of some ridiculous ones - that I can’t think of at the moment - but I’ve never encountered anything major myself.
AirBnB is good for large groups when you’re going to book a whole house for a few days, it winds up cheaper than individual hotel rooms plus you all get to be together with privacy.
If I’m not in a big group, hotels are always a better value now.
A hotel suite is cheaper.
I used Airbnb once and I will never use it again. The host was an asshole and the place was filthy (and ironically the owner thought it was clean) and loud and fucking stupid.
I don’t understand how people can afford it. Ive done it exactly once for a 4 day getaway for myself. It was like 1300 bucks for four days. I paid 2 months of their mortgage for a 4 night stay
That’s a damn cheap mortgage
I feel like AirBnBs just aren’t for single travelers though. When you can rent a whole house that sleeps 4-8 people, that’s when you can get things closer to $100-200 a night (or less), on par with hotel pricing. A group of travelers can also take advantage of the extra common space to hang out in, something you can’t really do in a hotel. A single person probably doesn’t care about being able to play board games out in the open concept living room/kitchen area, but that’s a marketable feature for the group of 6 that are in town for a bachelorette party or whatever.
You picked a bad airbnb
I am not a fan of AirBnB, but I have several life threatening food allergies and it’s often the only option I have. I’ve stayed at hotels where they assured me they could take care of people with allergies on the telephone before, I always write my allergies in the booking, just to arrive and be told by kitchen staff that everything is prepared on the same cutting boards and actually I can’t eat anything they have. They usually also don’t allow you to store your own food, neither in the kitchen nor in the little fridge in your room.
I just wish there were more hotels with fridges or even little cooking areas to make my own breakfast. I’ve only encountered that twice. So far AirBnBs are my best option to stay in a different city. And it wouldn’t even be that hard, just put in a slightly bigger fridge and some plates in hotel rooms and allow people who can’t eat your breakfast buffet to use it.
I just feel like that’s often forgotten in the discussion, that AirBnB - as bad as it is - also covers a niche for people with health issues that hotels aren’t willing to cover. And that’s also part of their success. Hotels are very standardized to fit the needs of most people, but as soon as you have health issues or can’t eat a lot of things for whatever reason AirBnBs quickly become the better option.
Most (Youth) Hostels have a pretty wide range of accomodation available, from single/double rooms to large multibed rooms.
Granted, you still have the same problem in the communal kitchen I guess but at least you have more control over it. Or maybe the single/doubles have their own kitchenettes.
In any case, being served food is not part of the basic package in my experience.
Then there’s also camping/RVing. Most campsites have full amenities, some including heated communal inside space. But that might not be your thing.
What you’re looking for is anything labeled a “suite”. I prefer to stay in those whenever possible, and generally use Staybridge, but there’s other options out there
That’s crazy expensive compared to an airbnb though
After chores, cleaning fees, and non-refundable deposits, is it really though?
Y’all speaking like ‘chores’ have you put in a maid outfit and deep clean their house.
Chores are ‘leave the place in the state it was when you got in’ and ‘take your trash on the way out.’
Sorry my man but that’s just common decency. If you’re not a family of slobs that’s like 10 minutes of light work before leaving. JFC.
I guess man, I’m just trying to offer alternatives. We travel enough that we like knowing what we’re gonna get instead of having to worry if we’re going to be the next horror story. The airbnb app makes a point now of assuring you that the price you see is all-inclusive of fees - now why would they do that, I wonder. Ultimately, we’re probably some of the tidiest travelers. We just don’t have time to worry about rules changing at each place depending on how badly the host wants to pocket that cleaning fee
I must be a less experienced traveler, never had a cleaning fee or a deposit.
With chores: I’m used to cleaning up after myself, I don’t have servants at home and I feel weird at a hotel, not being able to do basic stuff such as washing a shirt, making myself something simple to eat or sweeping the floor if I spill something. And the experience of random people visiting my room when I’m not there and rearranging my stuff to clean up always makes me feel weird.
AirBnB also destroys communities by pushing rent for affordable living spaces. 1st hand experience.
Tell me about it! Here in Athens Airbnb’s is one of the reason that rent has skyrocketed.
Yes, but think of the poor shareholders!
Yep. My example comes from the other end of the EU. It’s a village 100km from the capital, but it’s pretty, and rent went up to capital levels because “if I can’t get that much I’ll airbnb again and get more during the season”. Applies especially to smaller spaces (suitable for singles), which are already in short supply. I had to move in the end.
I was watching a reaction streamer that does a lot of (mostly chill) social commentary, and he got a video from a Belgian investor guy in his playlist. It’s the kind of video they watch when they want to cringe for an hour.
The guy did basically nothing but buy full buildings to turn them into appartments. So he gets one, spends the whole video telling us how he will put walls everywhere to split it into the absolute maximum number of barely livable spaces. And the whole first two floors? no, those are not for real people to live in, it’ll be AirBnB, that’s where the money is. All friendly with a big smile but absolutely zero concern beyond making the most money.
It also reduces available accommodation for people who need it. You can complain about what landlords have done to private ownership, but at least that’s a home someone can live in.
With Airbnb you can charge a week’s rent per night but it’s not a home and nobody can live there.
I think that’s what the parent comment was saying, essentially.
I loved using Airbnb to stay with hosts while travelling alone. I would have never seen as much of or enjoyed my trip to the Bahamas if not for staying in the spare room of an amazing old couple. Haven’t done anything like that in forever though.
I don’t know if I’m lucky or what, but every airbnb I’ve had has been quite reasonable with the cleaning you’re responsible for and the fees are visible before you book.
I’m talking about stuff as simple as clean the dishes and pile the linens in front of the washing machine.
I definitely prefer them for a family trip or a work project.
Outside of that if it’s just 1 or 2 people for a few days and there’s no way you’ll be cooking I’ll usually go with a hotel unless I can get an airbnb cheaper (very rarely these days).
At this point, I prefer going to a hotel, which most likely will have everything included, no hassle.
They were interviewing a guy on tv about Airbnb and the new regulations, and they had to have exit signs, plus first aid kit and many other things.
The thing not included in hotel room is usually a few very basic kitchen tools, like a water boiler.
I prefer the hotel experience over the airbnb, but depending where you are and how long you’re staying airbnb is way cheaper because you don’t have to eat 3 meals a day out and you can make your own coffee… Some hotelrooms have water boiler / coffee machine, but it’s quite rare for cheaper rooms. So often end up doing airbnb over hotel anyway
Hotels are honestly so much better (unless you’re going in a huge group and get one of those 12 bedroom monstrosities that used to belong to a crime syndicate, they’re pretty dope)
Still just better to get a suite at a hotel.
Nah, actually disagree. Love having a house with all the mates and their fams, kids can piss about, grown-ups can have cocktails by the pool, it’s a winner. Hotels have all that keycard faff and you can’t make pancakes at 8am in your boxers
“Used to” belong
AirBnB was soo good when it started out, now it’s glorified hotels.
______ was soo good when it started out, now it’s glorified _______.
Capitalism fill in the blank
Lemmy was soo good when it started out, now it’s glorified Reddit.
Right? There was a window of time where it felt like the free market doing it’s thing and presenting a more desirable option at a greater value. Anymore it feels like AirBnB and hotels have reached equilibrium in their efforts to provide as little as possible at the greatest price.
We opted for a big name hotel last time we traveled, got a discounted rate that was close to any AirBnB after all the taxes and fees settled, and the experience was for shit. There was 1 person working the check-in counter, the lobby cafe, and answering the phones. The room was dirty and nobody answered the phone or returned the call about it. Food from the lobby was crap and cost more than going out would have. Check in and check out times were ridiculous.
We’re back to AirBnB this time around. I’ll say that it matters a lot who the owner is, but at least we get a shot at a decent accommodation… We don’t stay anywhere that has ridiculous “rules” or chores or looks like an IKEA inside.
Enshittification strikes again
The problem is that hotel booking services also try to peddle BnBs now, you have to keep your filtering skills honed if you want to get decent results
What is going on with that guy’s arms? It looks like one of them may have passed into a parallel dimension
Hes got two left arms and they are both on backwards. I honestly thought this was AI.
Seems okay to me. The thumb is on the wrong side though.
Based on the artwork, at first I thought part of the joke was that they were homeless.
