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Never had an Airbnb experience that was better than a hotel could provide. A homeowner cannot provide the 24/7 room service and a full restaurant menu available at 4 AM.
I don't need a full restaurant menu available at home at 4:00 am, why on earth would it be a requirement when I'm somewhere else? It's like inventing a problem to solve. Most airbnbs I stay in if I'm hungry early I'll go to the kitchen and cook up an omelette with eggs, cheese, veggies, ham etc. that I bought and put in the full sized fridge. I might be doing this while my clothes are spinning in the washer and dryer. It's not waking my wife up because she's asleep upstairs with door to bedroom shut.
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Originally Posted by blueherons
I do not like AirBnB because it can and does destroy the quality of life for those who chose not to participate.
I'm sure the folks who had their favorite beach taken over by a new resort, or a 40 story high-rise hotel built that blocks their sun, would disagree with the notion that destroying quality of life is limited to airbnb. Every tourist oriented project has pluses and minuses for locals, depending on where they fall on the consumer board.
I don't need a full restaurant menu available at home at 4:00 am, why on earth would it be a requirement when I'm somewhere else? It's like inventing a problem to solve. Most airbnbs I stay in if I'm hungry early I'll go to the kitchen and cook up an omelette with eggs, cheese, veggies, ham etc. that I bought and put in the full sized fridge. I might be doing this while my clothes are spinning in the washer and dryer. It's not waking my wife up because she's asleep upstairs with door to bedroom shut.
LOL agreed. Some people are so damn fussy. But meh, if they wanna spend their money for overpriced hotels to solve that "problem", kudos. Leaves me more great cheap lodging choices on Airbnb and others
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I'm sure the folks who had their favorite beach taken over by a new resort, or a 40 story high-rise hotel built that blocks their sun, would disagree with the notion that destroying quality of life is limited to airbnb. Every tourist oriented project has pluses and minuses for locals, depending on where they fall on the consumer board.
Agreed again, this is just an unfortunate side effect of the market. There will always be winners and losers, with compromises on each side.
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and private lodgings also may have some really great and unique food options. (home cooking by yourself, neighbors, hosts)
I can count the number of times I have eaten hotel food (lunch or dinner) in my last 40 yrs of traveling = ZERO.
I'm more likely to drag something home from the 'night market' and have a midnight (or 2AM) snack.
Eating is one thing I am not short on while traveling, Lots to experience / experiment with.
Out international hosts often want to cook some local meals for us (since they know we have been away from home for a few months).
The meals we share with our guests are similar (very interesting and fun times). Sometimes our guests like to go to local markets and bring home interesting food to prepare and enjoy. There were international travelers sharing a kitchen at a place we stayed last week. (was a Air B&B type, but $20 / night guest home, more similar to a very small hostel.) Great friends / food / fun / view of ocean, walking distance to airport / downtown / and city park. A sterile 5* Hotel would have been a miserable 'travel-experience' in comparison.
Hotels are virtually always in the most touristed, most generic, most uncharacteristic-of-the-place locations. Airbnb, which unfortunately does not provide b&b, always has one or two fantastically more interesting options. As for Airbnb vs VRBO etc, AirbnB just did the job better - it has client confidence & satisfaction. That led to growth, not likely at present to have any serious competition.
Cities like NYC, where the Hotel unions spend millions of dollars lobbying NYC politicians to put the stranglehold on Airbnb, can be a hotel oasis. But more often than not you'll end up staying in the boring as damp cardboard most generics dead-inside hotels instead - as those are the only options apart from some really good boutiques.
LOL agreed. Some people are so damn fussy. But meh, if they wanna spend their money for overpriced hotels to solve that "problem", kudos. Leaves me more great cheap lodging choices on Airbnb and others
More power to you... I'll book when rates are $99 a night and your Airbnb rates will respond to demand and increase just as hotels do. MANY hosts are now charging deposits and cleaning fees... how is this different than incidental holds and resort taxes?
Hotels are virtually always in the most touristed, most generic, most uncharacteristic-of-the-place locations. Airbnb, which unfortunately does not provide b&b, always has one or two fantastically more interesting options. As for Airbnb vs VRBO etc, AirbnB just did the job better - it has client confidence & satisfaction. That led to growth, not likely at present to have any serious competition.
Cities like NYC, where the Hotel unions spend millions of dollars lobbying NYC politicians to put the stranglehold on Airbnb, can be a hotel oasis. But more often than not you'll end up staying in the boring as damp cardboard most generics dead-inside hotels instead - as those are the only options apart from some really good boutiques.
Exactly.
My favorite part of AirBNB is staying in the local neighborhoods and "living like a local" for a few days. My favorite thing to do when I travel is to walk around local areas (in Europe in particular) to get a feel for the area and to try the local bars and restaurants. I don't want to be by throngs of tourists.
My favorite part of AirBNB is staying in the local neighborhoods and "living like a local" for a few days. My favorite thing to do when I travel is to walk around local areas (in Europe in particular) to get a feel for the area and to try the local bars and restaurants. I don't want to be by throngs of tourists.
Exactly!
AirBnB expands that option to those not lucky enough to have friends or family who will allow them to visit or housesit.
Have met more interesting people and had far better experiences staying with, and or housesitting in Paris, London, and so forth. There is the added benefit that if you are lucky things work out that you become part of an expanding intimate circle of international friends.
My favorite part of AirBNB is staying in the local neighborhoods and "living like a local" for a few days. My favorite thing to do when I travel is to walk around local areas (in Europe in particular) to get a feel for the area and to try the local bars and restaurants. I don't want to be by throngs of tourists.
I hate people in general, and inconvenience even more.
I dislike the idea of having to schedule meeting the homeowner for keys, or relying on them to text me an entry code for access.
I love the DAILY MAID SERVICE of hotels: made beds, new towels, and restocked toiletries. Airbnb hosts will lambaste you for leaving your towels around the room, a hotel cannot leave you a bad review.
I want to be absolutely lazy and not straighten up after myself, with the exception that trash always goes straight into the waste basket and dirty clothes in the provided bag.
I take frequent, short trips. When I fly, I always park in the closest lot (usually hourly) and just pay the max per diem rate for convenience ($20-30, so what?). Owning an EV gets me a spot up front, mere steps from the bridge taking me straight into the security line.
Travel is not a time when I deprive myself or intend to share in the responsibilities of daily life.
I dislike the idea of having to schedule meeting the homeowner for keys, or relying on them to text me an entry code for access.
I love the DAILY MAID SERVICE of hotels: made beds, new towels, and restocked toiletries. Airbnb hosts will lambaste you for leaving your towels around the room, a hotel cannot leave you a bad review.
I want to be absolutely lazy and not straighten up after myself, with the exception that trash always goes straight into the waste basket and dirty clothes in the provided bag.
I take frequent, short trips. When I fly, I always park in the closest lot (usually hourly) and just pay the max per diem rate for convenience ($20-30, so what?). Owning an EV gets me a spot up front, mere steps from the bridge taking me straight into the security line.
Travel is not a time when I deprive myself or intend to share in the responsibilities of daily life.
Needing to meet the owner to get the keys is indeed one of the worst parts of an airbnb, although more and more are using self-access. Your comment about relying on them to text you an entry code is silly, just more inventing problems to whine about. Oh my god you have to look at your phone and type in a number, end of days.
I hate relying on the DAILY MADE SERVICE of hotels. I don't like that strangers are coming in, don't like wondering if they will be knocking when I don't want them to, don't like putting the do not disturb up then wondering whether will get service if I don't go ask for it, don't like wondering what I should lock up etc. I'm an adult who can make a bed in two minutes, don't change my towel after every use at home so who cares if you get new towels. When checking out yeah I think I can take 20 seconds to put the towels somewhere.
I consider being on vacation and having all day to do whatever I want pretty lazy, the couple minutes needed to be a Big Boy and make my own bed or place my towel on the rack hardly give me a sense of drudgery. I'm capable of having completely lazy Sundays at home while still maintaining a bit of order, it doesn't get lost with a new location.
Travel is not a time when I deprive myself of privacy and a functional spacious place to live. I like finding foods I can't get then preparing them in the kitchen, I like having a separate bedroom since I wake up earlier than the wife, I like walking outside and not having the taxi line the first thing I see, I like being able to throw my clothes in the washing machine if I want and not be on someone else's schedule and overpriced rates to get them back, I like having the cafe around the corner full of locals instead of tourists.
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