Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My favorite part of using AirBNB is the ability to stay in a neighborhood as opposed to a tourist centric location. In Amsterdam, the last one I stayed at was in an amazing part of town.. Within a couple blocks of our flat there were at least two/three African restaurants (the one we tried was AMAZING), an Albert Heijn, an Iranian Tapas restaurant, doner kebab places, a few coffeeshops, and tons of other places to explore.
The only Air BnB I ever used was actually in Miami, last year, and I felt it was a good deal. Cheap place, good space, very friendly and nice hosts. But that was one experience, I haven't had any other. I feel its worth it if you're travelling with max 2 or 3 people. Any more, its probably better to get a motel/hotel.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by IonRedline08
My favorite part of using AirBNB is the ability to stay in a neighborhood as opposed to a tourist centric location. In Amsterdam, the last one I stayed at was in an amazing part of town.. Within a couple blocks of our flat there were at least two/three African restaurants (the one we tried was AMAZING), an Albert Heijn, an Iranian Tapas restaurant, doner kebab places, a few coffeeshops, and tons of other places to explore.
Agreed, I travel 90% for relationships and cultural exchange, thus I use Private Guest homes.
My Amsterdam host turned away her normal $200/night AirB&B(host for last 3 yrs) guests for my $10 / night stays. (Host since the 1960s') Was nice to be < 1 blk to metro train. and to get free use of bikes and car. Breakfasts (free) packed lunches (free) and nightcaps (free). We had a great time and were invited to their homes in 3 other countries (free of course). As do most of our guests (stay / eat / enjoy.... FREE) as they have for 30+ yrs
If I would have used my Servas credentials (hospitality stays since 1949) it would have been free. (World-wide) http://servas.org/who-we-are.php
Quote:
We did have a host leave some welcoming delicacies in Amsterdam if you know what I mean lol.
yeah, our Air B&B hosts have lots of those lying around the floor, I would call them "Scooby Snacks", You know when you hit one in the dark! Much easier on the feet than Legos, but pretty gross in the dark of the night.
Well guess what everyone? A totally unexpected event happened in my city and guess who booked an Airbnb for several nights? (Raises hand)
This time, I'm renting a private room. It's a little awkward for me as I'm an introvert but it's a complete 180 from what I experienced in Miami. The hosts are extremely nice (even offered to have me watch Monday Night Football and eat food with them), the home is so much more cozier and clean, and I feel so much safer. I guess you can't judge this website from one experience.
I have stayed in an AirBnB several times and have been very happy. My young adult children often stay in AirBnBs or Vacations Rentals by Owners (or something like that) when they travel and also have been extremely happy.
Our son & DIL have stayed numerous places with their preschool children and find renting part of house with a kitchen & a backyard much, much better than being stuck in a tiny hotel room and eating every meal in a restaurant.
Both of my children have been repeat visitors to the same AirBnB in cities that they visit often.
Used AB&B one time for a month long stay and thoroughly enjoyed the stay while moving in advance of my family. The host couple was great and we became and remain friends. I did spend some fair amount of time looking at the reviews and listings to ensure I was confident (as much as possible) in the choice I was making.
Used AB&B one time for a month long stay and thoroughly enjoyed the stay while moving in advance of my family. The host couple was great and we became and remain friends. I did spend some fair amount of time looking at the reviews and listings to ensure I was confident (as much as possible) in the choice I was making.
However, like I said and another person stated, just because an Airbnb or hotel has 5+ ratings and many reviews, that means nothing. It's in the eyes of the beholder. I booked the first room based on its raving reviews. There were several things wrong other than the bugs but I just let it go because it was a cheap place and I wasn't in the room much. However, it's completely unacceptable for a very small studio that has the kitchenette close to the bed to be infested with ants. It was also unacceptable for the host to not even apologize for the inconvenience it caused me in regards that I had to find another hotel at 9pm at night.
Also, the current Airbnb I'm staying at is much nicer, in a much safer neighborhood, hosts are extremely friendly. Again, 5+ ratings. However, beyond the Airbnb room and bath, it's very messy. The host apologized once I checked in for the mess and said he has been busy and hasn't been able to tidy up the house. To me, it's not a big deal, as I work all day and just need a place to sleep, but it is another thing to add to the list to think about if you should book an Airbnb or hotel. It's truly a gamble.
My one and only time was a disaster. I booked an outdoor sleeping porch for a "one on one" experience with my granddaughter. Thank God it was in the next town over, because we left and went back home at 11:30 at night. We only spent 1 hour and 15 minutes total there, as I had made plans for us to do some fun things in the evening.
Long story short, I really think our host was either mentally ill, or had had a breakdown of some sort. The whole experience with her was a nightmare. I put in for a refund, she declined, I escalated it to Airbnb, they sided with me. But first, it was like "where do I start?" The host got paid through Airbnb, Airbnb got paid through PayPay, PayPal got the funds through a credit card I use for occasional purchases. So I started with my credit card company, then PayPal. I filed disputes with both.
Overall, I have no complaints with Airbnb as they handled my refund request properly, but I cancelled my account through them as I will never use their service again. I did read the reviews for this property and they were positive, however, the host made a reference to one that they were not good clients and should not have stayed at her place.
Last edited by Lodestar 77; 11-14-2016 at 10:44 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Much easier on the feet than Legos, but pretty gross in the dark of the night.
