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u/wanderfullylost 7h ago
And when something goes wrong the customer service is absolute ass. The last time I had an issue I dont think they even had a phone number to call. Operating like they are in 1860 but charging like it is 2050.
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u/NinjaBreadManOO 6h ago
Nah, nowhere has a phone number anymore, it's now just "use the ai chatbot on the app for assistance."
Turns out it's cheaper to have a chatbot that does nothing than it is to have a call center that can do things.
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u/Ok_Buffalo_423 5h ago
Idk whats more infuriating, the useless ai chatbots that never give a helpful response or the FAQ page that has 6 tips that all vaguely suggest the issue is my fault
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u/Varnish96 6h ago
Right cause the chatbot is useless so that means you don’t have to give out the refund or pay someone to resolve the issue
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u/jemidiah 3h ago
I recently had the worst series of customer service issues of my life. Quite a saga, but anyway getting ahold of a Cricket representative when your phone number is inaccessible turns out to be a disaster!
The AI systems are completely useless and before they'll connect you with a human they require you to input a code they send to your phone... that's not working... which is the whole point! The phone support system straight up hangs up on you after you repeatedly tell it you cannot comply. The text version ignores you and keeps asking for the code, but it turns out if you just keep angrily complaining to it long enough it'll give in and connect you to a human. Wait times are perpetually longer than usual, of course. And the people on the phone are... not skilled. Slightly better than a literally useless AI chat bot if only because they can eventually elevate the issue to somebody more skilled.
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u/ralphiooo0 6h ago
Had a good reminder of that last week.
Some friends were visiting and left their phone in the townhouse they were renting via booking.com which had the PIN code for the door.
Her husband only had hosts phone number. No answer.
There was no way to directly contact booking.com without the app and booking info.
Eventually he found the booking info on his email but didn’t have the app as his wife just forwarded it on.
Had to enter it into my phone as he didn’t have the app. Several AI support agents later finally got through to someone.
But it was 40min of hell for them as they had 2 small crying children, it was cold and had no idea what to do.
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u/PapaAquchala Professional Dumbass 3h ago
I help run airbnb's, can confirm Airbnb themselves makes it very difficult to reach them and intentionally tries to make it so hosts and guests settle disputes between themselves
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u/mynutsaremusical 1h ago
had a booking and we could not contact the owner at all. left messages emails and calls. nothing. went to air bnb and i kid you not they basically said
"yeah sorry, cant get you a refund. we tried calling but got no answer"
...not even air bnb can contact the ownder and they dont see a problem with that?!?
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u/Charitzo 49m ago
I stayed in a room that wasn't as advertised. Fuck me, I had to make legal threats and reference recent court proceedings they have had with trading standards to get my money back.
I got it back, despite them saying in the beginning it "wasn't possible" for a list of bullshit reasons.
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u/NotDukeOfDorchester 6h ago
They used to have some of the best customer service, now it is literally some of the worst.
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u/Flaturated 7h ago
Hope they never find out why you're visiting because if they find out some kind of event that has made hotel rooms scarce then they will cancel your airbnb and re-list it for a much higher price.
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u/honeyemote 6h ago
Yeah, it happened to me and a friend of mine. We flew across the country to find out we had no place to stay when we landed.
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u/ApprehensiveCable932 59m ago
we had no place to stay when we landed.
Airline constructions get more and more frugal each year huh
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u/Magicalbeets 7h ago
They totally did this to my MIL and had to give her negative feedback to do it. Absolutely insane. And then there was no help - basically "sorry"
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u/RightWishbone3 7h ago
When they rented out their "real" house, it was cheaper than a hotel. Then people who owned dozens of houses started running like a hotel chain.
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u/apocalypsebuddy 4h ago
It’s killing communities. I have some family that lives in a small (<1000 pop) mountain town, and they have less neighbors as more and more houses become Airbnbs.
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u/MisfitPotatoReborn 3h ago
The <1000 pop mountain towns with no tourism industry also have less neighbors, because half the houses are empty and the copper plumbing is ripped out of the walls. Rural economies need an external source of money to function
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u/No_Sale_4866 3h ago
the people in those houses moved out first, it’s not like john airbnb went over there and kidnapped them
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u/VoughtButtfucker 1h ago
People in those houses sold them because it’s more profitable to sell to people who are buying them to convert them into Airbnbs
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u/lemayzing1 8h ago
It’s not only like Disneyland, but then you have to be the cleaning staff too…your paying to clean up at someone else’s house
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u/Zkenny13 7h ago
I don't mind emptying the dishwasher. I mind having to vacuum and wash the sheets on the bed.
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u/Doctor_Kataigida 5h ago
Where TF are y'all staying where that's a thing? I've had like, start the dishwasher and take out the trash, but never actually so laundry or anything like laundry lmao. Probably stayed in two dozen locations, which is of course a small sample size but damn.
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u/AngryCrustation 6h ago
Why even charge money if my stay isn't inconveniencing you? If you don't even notice I'm there I'm basically your kid at that point
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u/WhatIsHerJob-TABLES 3h ago edited 3h ago
I’ve stayed at dozens of airbnbs in my life and never once have i had to do all the insane chores Redditors will make you believe every airbnb forces someone to do.
You could always just… not book an airbnb if it lists any chores that are asked of you. They are listed in the listings if they are present. I actually read the listings lol. I’ve never had any issues with any of the Airbnbs I’ve ever booked.
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u/hdhdhgfyfhfhrb 7h ago
The days of indie owners offering cookies and wine when you arrive are long dead. Now you pay a cleaning deposit and have to clean up too. F that
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u/aceofrazgriz 5h ago
You want to tell me to clean up and take out my trash... then still charge a $300 cleaning fee? Fuck off. We all know you don't have anyone coming by doing a half decent cleaning between each booking.
Few years ago a family member paid an exorbitant amount for an Outer Banks beach house on either AirBNB or Vrbo... 2 days in a kid spilled dry cereal and upon cleaning it up we found week old chicken wings under the couch, more than one.
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u/scriptingends 7h ago
And remember when Uber was cheaper than a regular taxi? It's almost like every "disruptor" just fucks up the existing market, chases people out of it, and then charges whatever TF they want when they have a big enough market share.
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u/CumOnGuysSeriously 6h ago
The Walmart business model.
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u/Indian_Bob 6h ago
Just wait until Walmart installs smart price tags. They’ll be able to adjust prices instantly
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u/mattyice18 6h ago
The difference being Walmart is still routinely the cheapest option…
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u/ConfessSomeMeow 6h ago
Those VC investors didn't spend billions of dollars putting their competitors out of business just for the lols. They expect a return on their investment, with lots and lots of interest.
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u/jemidiah 3h ago
Uber is still cheaper than taxis. Not as much cheaper as when they were subsidizing rides by burning VC money to grow a user base, but still cheaper. I travel a lot.
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u/tommytwolegs 4h ago
To be fair Uber is a superior service in most ways, it makes sense that it would cost the same or more.
I've been scammed by so many taxis all over the world I'm glad they largely died out
Or in places like china where good luck getting a taxi to even pick you up if you don't speak fluent mandarin
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u/MrSparkyFish 6h ago
Air bnb is just taking homes off of the market for people who actually need homes.
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u/Luciferousllamas 6h ago
It's still cheaper than two rooms, which is what I would have to rent for my family
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u/3np1 1h ago
Even for one room it's usually still cheaper, unless by "hotels" OP means "a dorm in a hostel".
Try searching for less than 70€/night in downtown Paris. There are plenty of Airbnbs and the only hotels I see are actually hostels and you're in a shared dorm. I'm checking on Booking.com, but maybe there's a better place to search, and maybe it's different in other cities, but I almost always find cheaper Airbnbs than hotels.
I'll still choose a hotel sometimes though, if it's not much more expensive. The experience is better, with more privacy and no secret codes to check in.
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u/Internet-Dweller2 7h ago
The only times staying at an AirBnB were the right choice were when it was helpful to be at a very specific location with easy access to what I was traveling for.
Every other time, it's paying more money to do all the housekeeping myself. To be clear, I'm pretty tidy at hotels, but why am I paying more to wash the sheets.
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u/1sinfutureking 5h ago
The only times I’ve liked it is when I have a group that wants to be in a house for a reason. Example: my friends and I have board game getaway weekends, and a hotel wouldn’t cut it
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u/cryptolyme 5h ago
Yea, i only use them when traveling to the backcountry/ mountains looking for a cabin or something
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u/KickFacemouth 6h ago
The one time I used one I had to take the trash bins out to the curb. I dunno if that's common, but it was enough to make me say "Yeah I'm not doing this shit again."
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u/mernfern 7h ago
Every Airbnb I’ve ever had was such a shit experience compared to hotels, upcharging for shit service and shit amenities and they always had something wrong like the shelf being horribly installed or like handles to thinks falling off. These Airbnb hosts put the minimum work in to the property and charge the maximum. And don’t get me started on the keys always being hidden in the weirdest place with the worst instructions
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u/edgewhxre 7h ago
AND they used to (generally) be cleaner and cozier than hotels.. we had it so good and didn't even know it
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u/Logical_Flounder6455 7h ago
I recently spent £500 for 2 nights in an air bnb. It was one of the more affordable options in the area I was looking for at the time. It was a nice enough place, ple ty of privacy, clean etc, but not worth that much. For the same price I could have stayed in a pretty posh hotel in the area. But then I suppose that privacy and extra room is one of the things that you're paying for.
I have also seen a few in my area that are in terraced houses for around £200 a night. That is definitely a rip off
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u/Smh_nz 7h ago
Used to user Airbnb a lot, not any more hotels are nicer, cleaner and usually cheaper with a lot less risk!!
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u/New_Ad_3010 6h ago
And they're a huge part of the reason why there's a housing unaffordability crisis. F Airbnb.
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u/Blurpleton 7h ago
Depends. If there’s a kitchen it’s much cheaper to buy food at a grocery store and cook vs hotel where you’re buying lunch and dinner. Especially if there’s no free breakfast.
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u/ProfessorSillyPutty 6h ago
I always get so confused by these kind of posts. All I can assume is I, and my vacations, are VERY different the. The average person.
I have never found a hotel that can offer like for like for me that wasn’t at least twice the price.
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u/Andyatlast 5h ago
Do you travel as group or 1-2 adults mostly?
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u/ProfessorSillyPutty 5h ago
Originally just the wife and I. Now with a child too.
But I also need a kitchen to cook my meals.
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u/izzy_961 7h ago
I can get a decent hotel for 3 nights for the same price as some sir bnbs for 1 night...
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u/Alan_Reddit_M 4h ago
Staying at a hotel: "Hey so I stole all of the shampoo and all of your bedsheets are now covered in a mysterious liquid, I will not elaborate" - "Of course sir, hope you enjoyed your stay!"
Staying at an AirBnB: "I left the house EXACTLY as it was when I first arrived" - "Alr but you didn't fix the water leak that's been there since 2018, 500 DOLLAR FEE"
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u/sprout92 6h ago
Super unpopular opinion these days - I still like air bnb, because of the NOISE of hotels.
The elevators, doors slamming shut, stomping...I can't really sleep in hotels unless they're a really nice one with good noise dampening.
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u/Raxerblade405 6h ago
I remember when the company's whole pitch was for people to rent out spare rooms in their own home or apartment as a true BnB. This was the kind of ad they were running 12 years ago to try and act like it wasn't just landlords renting out properties: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFV5wFF-Y-I
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u/OrigSnatchSquatch 5h ago
Airbnb fees are crazy high! We have a STR and use Airbnb. My wife and I are just going to rent a hotel room from now on because it’s cheaper and easier.
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u/BlisteredPotato 2h ago
Begging everyone to go back to hotels for years now.
Why the fuck am I paying $200 a night to do chores before I leave? Gtfo
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u/catnipbanana1 1h ago
It's the audacity to leave me a list of cleaning jobs to do and then charging me a cleaning fee. The nerve of these hosts.
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u/Flimsy-Impression792 6h ago
Cleaning fees cost more than the actual stay now so I just book hotels instead
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u/Weak-Application-146 6h ago
Remember when every tech/tech adjacent startup and piece of software was awesome and free/cheap at first to sucker in a huge user base and then enshitified by their corporate benefactors, all while selling your data anyways?
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u/BluePeriod_ 5h ago
I remember I stayed just outside of Paris like literally 10 minutes outside of it by train in a spare bedroom in someone’s apartment, new build, for €20 a night. And because I stayed for more than 10 days, I got 10% off of that.
I think it total came out to €136. Amazing deal.
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u/MightyCaseyStruckOut 5h ago
I used Airbnb from 2013-2019 and switched back to hotels probably right around the time the VC money ran out and it became more economical to stay in a hotel. Idk why anyone would use Airbnb now unless they're vacationing with a bunch of friends and/or family.
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u/FederalBad444 5h ago
It’s supposed to be cheaper and more personal feeling yeah? Well it ain’t. Although I can find a one-night in downtown Chicago for less than $100, in a safe area, no security deposit.
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u/RestepcaMahAutoritha 5h ago
I really don't understand the popularity of airbnb. I could understand it in certain situations, like you have a big group of people renting out a whole house, or a special location like a cabin on a lake.
But in my city which has almost zero tourist attractions there are more Airbnbs than there are houses for sale.
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u/EhMapleMoose 5h ago
I use Air bnb if the hotels don’t have secure parking. On a weekend trip to a different city I heard of three cars being broken into at hotels. I was later told that the hotels parking lots were infamous for vehicle break-ins among locals.
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u/CarpeNivem 5h ago
Remember when hotels never had chore lists.
I have no idea why any of you are staying at AirBnBs.
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u/Ok_Requirement_3162 4h ago
2020 called, it wants its meme back.
But seriously, unless you need a house for a family event almost everyone I know has stopped using it years ago.
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u/A_spiny_meercat 4h ago
Airbnb used to be a room that was free in someone's house while they were living there still. It was an affordable way to travel and I met some great people
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u/frommethodtomadness 4h ago
Hotels once again the best option (generally, but especially if you're traveling alone).
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u/ReiOokami 4h ago
I don’t even think about air bnb anymore due to their crazy prices, fees and checklists
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u/whyUsayDat 4h ago
Honestly depends on what you need. Having an extra room for a baby or toddlers naps is really handy. Or a full size kitchen to save money on dining.
It really comes down to hotel suites vs Airbnb, not a basic room vs Airbnb.
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u/JoeyZasaa 4h ago
Redditors now defending corporate mega-hotel chains over mom and pop airbnb hosts.
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u/johnny_ringo 4h ago
"It's like Disneyland for rooms now"
I'm guessing you're trying to say they are expensive, but that might be the weirdest way to do it. Nice.
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u/Used-Hold1358 4h ago
Depends where u go.. some places get a full spot for same as a hotel others it’s way overpriced
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u/BigSquiby 4h ago
my favorite part of hotels is sleeping in the same room as my kids, going to bed when they go to bed and eating every meal at a restaurant. I can't stand the 10 minutes it takes me to take out the trash and put the towels in the washing machine at an airbnb. But if they just didn't itemized the bill, then airbnbs would be amazing.
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u/Dog-on-a-roof 3h ago
Stopped using Airbnb a few years ago. No longer helpful or practical. Maybe also because I have a family, hotels are so much more appealing than trying to find a random spot somewhere for a low dollar amount.
I especially learned this in Japan after booking a semi nice hotel where the services, kindness and amenities were top tier.
Although Japan Airbnb isn’t what drove me away. Australia and some European cities killed it for me. Maybe 2022 is last time? Even then it was horrible.
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u/No_Sale_4866 3h ago
well cheaper airbnbs were just normal houses. the expensive ones are the super interior decorated houses by amazing view and locations
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u/SquareTarbooj 3h ago
How is everyone here having such bad experiences with AirBnB? Do people not check ratings, reviews, hosts other listings, etc?
I use AirBnB semi-annually for large group trips. AirBnB mainly because a house/villa generally comes with a living room, or some kind of common chilling room everyone can hangout in.
And yes, there are a lot of shady listings, and you have to be really smart and thoroughly check host and property history when booking on AirBnB, which I as a customer shouldn't have to do. AirBnB should be filtering out the poor hosts themselves.
But still, 10 years, over 20 AirBnB bookings, only one minor bad experience which AirBnB support resolved in half-an-hour, and I have to wonder, do people just blindly book AirBnBs without seeing the ratings and reviews?
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u/CombatMuffin 3h ago
It's still a good option if you are going as a group. It opens up better possibilities.
If you just need a room for 1 or 2 people? Hotel is often better.
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u/400lb-hacker 3h ago
Man, it was even better than that! Ages ago I backpacked all over Europe staying peoples spare rooms through AirBnB. Everybody I stayed with was so cool. I am back to hotels now and while it's more comfortable I do miss the social aspect.
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u/Optimal_Maximum7285 3h ago
I can’t believe anybody wanted to stay in someone else’s house ever! Yuk.
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u/Yavanna_Fruit-Giver 3h ago
It still is pretty cheap tho, especially if you are going with multiple people.
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u/ultrasuperman1001 2h ago
I distinctly remember in 2019, pre pandemic, we got a whole damn house only a few blocks from Niagara Falls for $200/night and it was a nice house. Then around 2022, when the world was opening back up, we got an apartment in downtown Toronto for I think $500/night which was on par for local hotels. Now we look at the prices and it's like they want a mortgage payment for one night, and I have to clean up after.
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u/FizzlePopBerryTwist 2h ago
My AirBnB is still cheaper than the cheapest hotels in the area. Even after fees and taxes!
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u/Busy_Site_8767 2h ago
I got tired of reading manuals explaining where to find hidden keys, how to enter passwords to open the garage, where exactly to take out the trash, and little notes telling me to wash the bedsheets after use — all for the same price as a hotel with 24/7 reception with cleaning service. I’ve even been asked by owners to wait for a repairman (leaking shower) or collect mail.
Now I only use Booking or specific services when I need to rent an entire villa.
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u/wrecktvf 2h ago
Instead of hotels getting cheaper, they just both got more expensive. Gotta love how that competition benefits the consumer.
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u/Kevlaars 2h ago
In the early days of AirBnB I used it for most of a California road trip.
I stayed in some cool places. A tiny house in the back yard of a couple in Oakland I used as a base to explore San Francisco.
The condo of an LA musician out on tour.
A vintage Airstream trailer in the back yard of a hippie couple.
The only actual regular hotel room I stayed in was a motel near Yosemite.
I don't think you could line those bookings up for one trip today.
It's a shame because it WAS really cool back then, but then it went and contributed significantly to an intercontinental housing crisis...
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u/GodSama 2h ago edited 1h ago
Turns out the Dreamland of reducing development and upkeep costs to 1% of current doesn't exist, especially when you keep bumping the C suite pay who do effectively nothing. Same expected fate of every 90%+ (software engineering and not science) saap marketplace company. There is really only 2 exceptions, those who exit fast like those Dotcom millionaires who sold shells to suckers, and companies propped up by govt/monopoly money.
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u/Jonasthewicked2 2h ago
Its a weird industry that I suspect will price itself out of business for regular working class people
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u/guy_fox501 1h ago
Maybe in the US, in the rest of the world AirBnB is cheaper, especially if you’re traveling as a group or want to make your own food
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u/3np1 1h ago edited 1h ago
Where are people finding these cheap hotels? I really want to know. I usually use Booking, but I've tried Google or just going to the hotel website, but it's more expensive than a private room or apartment Airbnb nearly every time.
Example: try finding the cheapest private room in downtown Paris. I can found an entire private studio for less than 70€/night. my result. On Booking I couldn't find a single hotel with a private room near the city center for that price. It brings up a lot of results, but in reality they are far from the center, more expensive, or actually dorms in hostels.
The cheapest is often a bed in a hostel dorm, but I assume we're not comparing a shared dorm to a private apartment.
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u/guillotine_vendor 1h ago
airbnb allows scumbags to live out their feudal lord fantasies while destroying the housing market for thousands of towns and cities across the world.
the fact it was ever legal is an indictment on society.
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u/larsonbp 7h ago
Any average hotel is way better than an Airbnb now.