do you do airbnb ??

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looking
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do you do airbnb ??

Post by looking »

Anyone has some experience with --------airbnb
I try to to vacation kona,hawaii and the airbnb said i can pay $65$ per night for two,people, sounds pretty cheap,,
So i'm not sure how good is or is this a good deal or , i have no clue on this thing
adamthesmythe
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by adamthesmythe »

Never done it myself. I like the impersonality of hotels and can afford a decent one, especially if I shop a bit.

$65 would be a very good price- but WHERE is it, and is it a big room, small room, is the bath down the hall,...you have to look into all those things before making a comparison.
cyfan
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by cyfan »

I have used Airbnb in downtown Boston and consider that particular experience a success. However, keep in mind you are renting from individuals and no 2 experiences are likely to be the same. The best thing you can do is to check user reviews on any property you are considering and pay particular attention as to whether you are getting the whole place to yourself, or renting a room in someone's residence. For $65, you are likely renting a room in someone's residence. In our case, we met really interesting hosts and it worked well and expect this is common, but for me, all other things being equal, I still like my private space. We took a chance to save a couple hundred dollars a night compared to hotels and under the same circumstances would try it again.
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triceratop
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by triceratop »

This thread is now listed in the Personal Consumer Issues forum.

I personally stayed a week and a half at a hostel in Lahaina (on Maui) for $35/night/person while traveling alone, reserved through airbnb. It was a hostel, so there were multiple people sleeping in a room. You get what you pay for, and obviously I only spent time in the room to sleep. I had no issues.

The most rewarding thing I found was the friendships with other travelers, an unexpected upside of staying in airbnb/hostels. There were many Europeans traveling, willing to become friends and rent a car together to explore the island and go on trips. Still keep in touch too.

Good luck!
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dubsem
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by dubsem »

I have not had any problems with AirBnB. However, the cynic in me cautions you to protect yourself from any unusual circumstances (ie. cameras, leaving possessions in the open, cleanliness) just like any hotel.
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Random120424
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Random120424 »

All the time all over the world. Much more affordable as a traveling family of 6, and I prefer the space of a whole house rather than 2 hotel rooms. There are some great deals out there with some really nice prosperity.

The only hard and fast rule that I follow and has yet to let me down - no reviews? No chance of me taking the risk. 4 kids in the equation - I want to know that what I'm walking into is as advertised with minimal chance of some ugly surprise. Hasn't failed me yet.

Past behavior predicts future results.
john94549
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by john94549 »

Personally, I would not touch Air with any vacation involving air travel. Think about it. You spend a gazillion dollars getting there, only to find out the place is a wreck. I mean, seriously, you spend well into the five figures for plane tickets for you and the kids. Then, there's the car rental. Finally, you get to your AirBnb and it's a disaster.

You can: (a) sue AirBnb, (b) sue the lister, or (c) pay rack rate at the local hotel. Good luck with (a) or (b). Plan on option (c).
Last edited by john94549 on Thu Mar 31, 2016 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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siamond
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by siamond »

I started to use it more and more in the past couple of years for domestic trips. Very convenient, definitely less expensive and more comfortable than a hotel (or even motel) room, if you do minimal homework. I only had one room which was not up to my -low- standards (in the attic, little furniture, smelling paint), everything else was perfectly fine, and I only met very nice people (the owners). But well, of course, it's a bit of a lottery, hence the importance of reviews.

Be careful with cancellation policies, the terms can vary greatly, depending on the owner.
Northern Flicker
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Northern Flicker »

My concern is arriving late and not finding anyone who believes they've rented a space to me where I was directed to go, so I've not used it.
jbuzolich
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by jbuzolich »

Have not stayed anywhere yet using airbnb but we do rent out our cabin near Yosemite through them and it has been a good experience so far. Most guests were very polite and followed directions. Only a couple were slobs and caused damage or extra cleaning before the next guest. Last summer was our first season renting it part time but we've already received about 20 nights of bookings for this coming season.
fareastwarriors
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by fareastwarriors »

I had nothing but positive experiences with well reviewed places. I stayed at many AirBNB places in NYC and one time in Seoul, S. Korea. All good.
jridger2011
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by jridger2011 »

I haven't tried it personally since I like having a front desk and some amenities like a gym, etc. I can see AirBnB being a great value for a larger group traveling together, it is easier to spread out in a bigger space.
renue74
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by renue74 »

Last summer at the tail end of a 3 week vacation to Italy, my wife went home before I did and I took the Bernina Express train to Pontresina, Switzerland for one day/night.

I used Airbnb to book a room. It was in June, so the town was quiet and the place I stayed was 1 room in large ski chalet....I think folks basically rent it year-round, but they only show up in the winter to ski.

It was OK...but not great.

I think AirBnB is hit or miss. I have pretty low standards and can sleep anywhere, so I don't mind.

The area was beautiful and the train ride was very memorable. If you aren't hung up on the amenities, it should be fine.
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ObliviousInvestor
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by ObliviousInvestor »

We use airbnb or vrbo for most of our travel (including in Kona Hawaii). We have not had any problems with it. We do make a point of only using places that have several reviews, all of them positive.
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Jeff Albertson
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Jeff Albertson »

Don't know how risky these are compared to hotels. Here's one horror story -
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/15/your- ... .html?_r=0
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SmileyFace
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by SmileyFace »

For me some risks aren't worth the savings. I want a room at a reputable hotel where I can lock the door and feel safe. Nothing's full proof but staying in a room in a strangers house just isn't something that's worth saving a few dollars for in my opinion. And I'm always skeptical of on line reviews...
sabhen
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by sabhen »

used it in Germany. great experience.
puhmuckel
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by puhmuckel »

I will not AIRBNB again. I was cx for our trip to Germany leaving me no other options than the Hilton Hotel. In New Orleans I paid $200 a night and the AC did not work properly. I have family on the big Island and cannot imagine what you will sleep on for $65 a night.
nimo956
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by nimo956 »

I used it for my trip to southern Spain in Feb and am a total convert. My strategy was to stay in someone's actual house because it's likely nicer than a rental property and you get the benefit of local experience. Just read the reviews and look at the pictures.

I think I paid $30 a night to stay in a wealthy retirees' newly constructed apartment in the center of town. It was like a 5 star hotel. Also the hosts offered to drive me around the countryside/coast. In another city, the host took me out to concerts and bars with her friends. It was a really great experience since I was by myself and didn't speak the language.
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ABQ4804
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by ABQ4804 »

I have used AirBnB with mostly positive results, about 12 different locations throughout the US, on vacations and visiting family without guest rooms, and also 4 different AirBnB's for the Bogleheads' Conferences, near Philadelphia. I read all the reviews carefully, and focus on hosts with 10+ reviews, all positive. Only odd experience was arriving at one AirBnB in Harrisburg, PA. Great location, and only for one night. The owner was absent and had painting contractors working on the exterior who assumed I was related to owner and asked me questions on the painting job! I just texted the owner and he returned and took care of the painters.

I prefer the mother-in-law apartments or rooms with separate entrance and bath, or entire vacant house. I avoid the cheapest rooms, someone's couch or shared rooms, and brand new hosts. I also stayed once with a family (renting out their college student's bedroom) near Gettysburg battlefields. The host couple were history buffs who sketched out the troop locations and movements during the battles, plus invited me to share a home cooked dinner! As other have said, be careful to do your homework, read all the reviews, check out the neighborhoods on Google maps, and very important to initiate email dialog with the hosts BEFORE making a reservation. Hope this is helpful - I haven't spent my own money on a hotel for 3 years, since starting to use AirBnB.
Last edited by ABQ4804 on Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
anonsdca
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by anonsdca »

I just did it in SF. Great experience, hotels were running $350 due to some conventions in town and I got a really nice place for $150. It was a "shared" house but my room was on the 3rd floor of the three level house. Own bathroom, etc. It felt way better than a hotel. I was only there for 1 night but the experience was good.

I would mainly look for "entire house" or a situation as I just described in that if it is a shared house you are blocked off as best as you can be. The people were great. I plan to use the "entire house" for our Asia trip getting a condo.
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curiouskitty
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by curiouskitty »

People like to act like Airbnb is risky and hotels are not. I don't know what hotels they stay at but I've had numerous bad experiences at hotels including rooms that are much smaller than pictured, broken wifi, hidden resort fees, poor cleanliness, etc.

I've mostly switched to using Airbnb because the locations are often superior, the prices are often less, I get a kitchen/laundry/backyard most of the time, many items are thrown in for free ("feel free to use our sleds or laundry detergent" e.g.), and I am not stuck in another indistinguishable Marriott.

If you're nervous, simply ask a lot of questions or only book places with reviews. Just like with a hotel, it's the reviews that give you the best idea what to expect. With Airbnb, they actually had to book through the site which makes the reviews higher quality as opposed to games reviews on Tripadvisor. I've had my bad reviews taken down off of Tripadvisor because the hotel owner questioned my obviously true claims.
MathWizard
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by MathWizard »

No. I can't ever imagine myself doing it.
I don't use Uber either.

I'll stick with hotels and shuttles or cabs.

My wife and I just got back from a trip and of 4 hotels over 7 nights, we
only had one stay over $100/night and we got breakfast at all of them.
4 of the nights were in suites, none of which was the $100 night.

My wife was the genius in booking the hotels. All were well known chains,
and all were nice rooms.
perl
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by perl »

I used to use it. Then I had a host change their mind about renting to us the day before we arrived. Airbnb allows hosts to cancel at minimal or no cost. It really messed up our trip. Never again.
southbay
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by southbay »

looking wrote:Anyone has some experience with --------airbnb
I try to to vacation kona,hawaii and the airbnb said i can pay $65$ per night for two,people, sounds pretty cheap,,
So i'm not sure how good is or is this a good deal or , i have no clue on this thing
vacation rentals are nothing new. airbnb just makes it easier.

as with any vacation rental, you want to do a little research. just because it is on airbnb doesn't mean it is good/bad.

$64 a night sounds very cheap for Kona.
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siamond
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by siamond »

curiouskitty wrote:People like to act like Airbnb is risky and hotels are not. I don't know what hotels they stay at but I've had numerous bad experiences at hotels including rooms that are much smaller than pictured, broken wifi, hidden resort fees, poor cleanliness, etc.
Exactly right. I traveled a lot in my life, business as well as pleasure, and for sure, some hotels & motels were absolutely horrendous (with extremely misleading Web sites). And as I said earlier, my standards are pretty low.

It's really simple, the Return on Investment with Airbnb proved to be way superior on average. But of course, there are bad apples everywhere...
Boats day
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Boats day »

Aloha,

I am an owner of a condo in Kona Hawaii. Airbnb vets its owners very carefully they ask for prof of ownership, passport and owner does not get paid until
1 day after guest check in which protects travelers . we have our condo listed on Airbnb. Like most vacation spots price varies depending on the accommodations and time of year. At $65 a night you are on the low end but still may be fine depending on your expectations. Rates in Kona range from $60 to $3000 per night. Look at ratings from previous guests if the ratings are good I say go for it.
WL2034
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by WL2034 »

We've used AirBNB on 5 continents with great results. Have had a few small surprises, but overall it has been a wonderful experience. Some of our favorite experiences have been staying with people in their homes while traveling abroad. We've met some great people, learned about how locals live, and stay in touch after returning home. It's like anything, use common sense. If someone has 10+ good reviews, verified on facebook, email, physical identification, then you can be pretty sure you are getting what is advertised. If the listing is just verified by email and facebook and never been reviewed, well...who knows what you'll find when you get there? I prefer it over VRBO, in most cases. Mobile friendly, and much quicker responses.
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celia
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by celia »

YES!!! We have had many successful airbnb experiences, and when we've met the host, they were interesting to talk to and could give tips of what to see or where to eat. Some of them even put frozen meals in the freezer with ice cream bars (individually wrapped) along with cereal, milk, coffee, tea. The only place we wouldn't go back to was in the downtown area of a large city that was like a "ghost town" at night on the weekends (when we arrived). Nothing was open late so we couldn't eat out after we arrived. [There was nothing wrong with the host, nor the apartment, but it was just a one-night place to stay until we reached our next destination.]

The properties we've stayed at are much nicer than hotels and don't have things broken like hotels/ motels have. They are quieter since they are usually on private property, like in the rear guest house, rather than a hotel/motel which is a string of rooms with people coming and going all night. The guests staying at airbnb places tend to care more about how they leave the place because they usually have face-to-face contact with the owner and have a chance to know a little about each other. They also know the owner will give them a guest review just as the guest can give the owner/place a review. It is not cold and impersonal like hotels are.

OP, For the $65 place in Kona, there is a difference if you are sharing a room, renting one bedroom/floor within a house, or have your own separate entrance and living space (the "whole place"). You just need to read the entire listing to see what you are getting. We find that the photos represent the places accurately and the listing shows the amenities that are/aren't included (wi-fi, computer use, hair dryer, cooking utensils, bicycles, etc.). So take everything in the listing into consideration including reviews by previous guests. [Open up all the <plus sign symbols> to expand various sections on the listing.]

We have found a few tree houses listed (a relative stayed in one and found it romantic), as well as a docked boat, parked RV in the rear yard, a rear guest house with an outdoor enclosed tub/shower in a rural area so you could watch the moon/stars, and a nudest colony. There's something for everyone!
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Drew777
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Drew777 »

I don't use airbnb. I just have so many hotel points that it would never make sense for me. Why pay to stay at someone's house when I can stay at a Park Hyatt for free? A little over a year ago I didn't even know about hotel points.
hoopy
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by hoopy »

I've stayed at Airbnb places several times in the last few years. I much prefer Airbnb or VRBO to hotels. The places often have a lot of character, as opposed to often sterile feeling hotel rooms, which could be in any country.

Also, I travel light, and like to eat healthy. Access to a washing machine and my own kitchen are really nice, it adds a lot to my vacation or travel. I can carry fewer clothes, as I can wash them. Being able to shop for local ingredients and prepare them myself is nice. Better than eating at a tourist trap restaurant.
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Psyayeayeduck
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Psyayeayeduck »

I used Airbnb a couple of weeks ago for the first time and it was definitely something worthwhile. As with any 1st time user, I was incredibly skeptical and wary to use it to save a few dollars but with a little research and communication I was able to find a place that suit my needs. I had three rules: 1) only rent from hosts who had recent and positive reviews, 2) be able to rent the entire home, and 3) have photos of the place. The first rule is there to make sure that the host is experienced, and the visitors had an good time (b/c they have no incentive to go either way). The second rule is there because I like my personal space and to ensure that my valuables are not with someone I just met. The third rule should be obvious but, just in case, it is there to see what I'm paying for.


My 1st experience was so positive that I am doing it again for my South Beach vacation this 4th of July weekend. Compared to the hotels, I'm easily saving 40% on accommodations which will be spent on more vacation booze. 8-)
ensign_lee
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by ensign_lee »

I've done it twice now and both experiences were AMAZING.

I was traveling by myself and opted to rent a room in someone else's place, so the host was there too. Both times I became really good friends with my host, and they obviously know their own area well. They gave me my privacy when I wanted it, and were available to chat and hang out as well.

If possible, try to stay with someone in your age range? I'm in my late 20s and found hosts in the same general age range.

Both times, doing airbnb vs a hotel definitely enhanced my experience on the vacation.

And, to answer a question someone posed earlier of "What happens if your airbnb is messed up?" Well I mean, I can always hotwire a hotel...
NOLA
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by NOLA »

We rent out first floor(first & second floor are separated by different entrances) in VRBO. Been a great way to earn some extra $ to invest in index funds & guests really seem to enjoy it. Our house is in a historic neighborhood and we are pretty picky who we rent it to. We prefer couples 50+, since they tend to take well care of our house and don't come here to party all night.

Many guests want to rent it again in the future, so it obviously seems like they had a positive experience. However, make sure the host have plenty reviews and pictures. We have about 15 reviews and all 5-stars. Some might be scared to say anything else since they have met the owners:-)

Good luck and enjoy Hawaii!
traveler90
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by traveler90 »

I prefer VRBO but Airbnb is also good. Just do your research and check on the reviews and location. Always prefer these to hotels in a big city.
jharkin
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by jharkin »

We have never used AirBNB but we have used HomeAway (they own VRBO) twice now. Once for a condo at a ski resort in NH and for an upcoming trip to Sanibel.

In both cases we did this as we were looking for kid friendly condo's for week long stays so we can cook in the room etc. I would be hesitant to use it for hotel type stays or international trips (can you?). In our case we didn't have any problems but what I did find is that most of the people listing there are just using it as a site to get their ad posted, and once you talk to them they ask you to book directly through their condo association or property manager. In the cases I did this I was not concerned as the property managers where verifiable legit business operations I could have booked though without even knowing about HA, however these sellers are most likely violating HA terms of service.
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by KyleAAA »

I've had mostly good experiences with airbnb and it is, as you've found, usually significantly cheaper than a hotel. Just keep in mind that the people you're renting from are not professional landlords or hoteliers and you should be fine.
boomergeneration
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by boomergeneration »

I used airbnb one time last October when all the good hotels in Baltimore were going for over $300./night, I think a marathon was going on that weekend. I found a room in a person's house for around $100./night. The hostess was supposed to be there when I arrived but wasn't because of an emergency where she worked. It took several phone calls to arrange to get the key to get in.That was irritating but the stay itself ended up being great.

I made sure the places I considered had at least a dozen positive reviews. One thing to keep in mine, though, is that people will be very reluctant to leave a negative review because your host and others see it. If you are looking to book another airbnb in the future, future hosts may see your negative review and turn you down because of it. Your host also reviews you.
caseynshan
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by caseynshan »

perl wrote:I used to use it. Then I had a host change their mind about renting to us the day before we arrived. Airbnb allows hosts to cancel at minimal or no cost. It really messed up our trip. Never again.
If a host cancels one day before arrival, it will automatically show up in their reviews forever. So there is a significant cost.

From your link An automated review will be posted to your listing's profile indicating that you canceled one of your reservations. These reviews can't be removed,
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BeerMoney
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by BeerMoney »

Absolutely. I've probably saved $1-2 grand by now using AirBNB over hotels.

You get a pretty wide range of options as far as how nice or cheap you want your accommodations to be. The hosts are generally very friendly and can give you lots of local info and recommendations you might not have otherwise known about.
slbnoob
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by slbnoob »

Use AirBnB all the time, all over the world. Currently looking at places in Japan for a trip next week. Too late I know.
AirBnB usually gets me better locations at a price. I use the reviews as a yardstick. I know I'm missing out on cheaper priced places trying to get into the AirBnB game but don't have any reviews yet.
perl
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by perl »

caseynshan wrote:
perl wrote:I used to use it. Then I had a host change their mind about renting to us the day before we arrived. Airbnb allows hosts to cancel at minimal or no cost. It really messed up our trip. Never again.
If a host cancels one day before arrival, it will automatically show up in their reviews forever. So there is a significant cost.

From your link An automated review will be posted to your listing's profile indicating that you canceled one of your reservations. These reviews can't be removed,
Nope. If you read my link carefully, you'll see that a review is an additional penalty that airbnb can choose to apply. It isn't automatically applied. We tried to post a review describing the cancellation, but airbnb didn't allow it because we hadn't stayed at that property. It was frustrating.
AnilG
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by AnilG »

We have used AirBnB to stay in San Francisco, Vancouver BC, Tokyo, and Sendai, Japan. We have only positive things to say about our experiences staying with AirBnB hosts. We rent private accomodation and rarely interacted with hosts during our stay.

We also had positive experience with AirBnB customer service last year. Due to a major urgent surgery, we cancelled our 4-month trip to Asia including all our reservations with AirBnB in different cities. AirBnB was very accomodating and refunded 100% (~$5,000) including hosts and AirBnB fees.
caseynshan
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by caseynshan »

perl wrote:
caseynshan wrote:
perl wrote:I used to use it. Then I had a host change their mind about renting to us the day before we arrived. Airbnb allows hosts to cancel at minimal or no cost. It really messed up our trip. Never again.
If a host cancels one day before arrival, it will automatically show up in their reviews forever. So there is a significant cost.

From your link An automated review will be posted to your listing's profile indicating that you canceled one of your reservations. These reviews can't be removed,
Nope. If you read my link carefully, you'll see that a review is an additional penalty that airbnb can choose to apply. It isn't automatically applied. We tried to post a review describing the cancellation, but airbnb didn't allow it because we hadn't stayed at that property. It was frustrating.
I'm not talking about the guest posting a review. I'm talking about the 'Automated' review by airbnb. That is a big negative.
See this persons site you will see two Automated postings about cancellations (one 9 days and one 63 days) .
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1055728

Casey

PS. Not beating up on this specific condo, I ended up staying despite the warnings and had a good time.(His price at that time was significantly below market.. I think it could have been related to the 'Bad Automated Review', thus a cost.. )
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Go Blue 99
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Go Blue 99 »

We have used VRBO for many vacations, including Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Paris, and Maui. Have had great experiences, especially in Paris and Maui. Those are expensive areas and we stayed in awesome condos for cheap. I only rent from people with great reviews.
2b2
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by 2b2 »

Please be aware that there are laws governing short term rentals.
Here is some information for New York City: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/868/new-york--ny
TheGreyingDuke
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:34 am

Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by TheGreyingDuke »

We have used both VRBO and Airbnb on Kauai, in NYC, upstate NY, Boston, never a problem. I really hate the impersonal nature of hotels, but realize others may feel differently.

Probably a total of 10 rentals
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. Wells
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Hector
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Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:21 pm
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Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by Hector »

Yes. Since we found it, we choose it all the time when its an option.
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ClevrChico
Posts: 3246
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:24 pm

Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by ClevrChico »

I've tried a few times as a guest. I booked, and then received a cancellation from the owner as it was unavailable. I found that very annoying, and used the tried and proven concept of a hotel instead. :-)
southbay
Posts: 471
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:40 pm

Re: do you do airbnb ??

Post by southbay »

KyleAAA wrote:I've had mostly good experiences with airbnb and it is, as you've found, usually significantly cheaper than a hotel. Just keep in mind that the people you're renting from are not professional landlords or hoteliers and you should be fine.
some are professional. some professional management companies list their properties on airbnb/vrbo etc.
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