Hotels are quite heavily regulated in all parts of their operation, many have unionized staff. AirBNB owners are wannabe landlords with no oversight.
In Montreal an Airbnb cought fire and killed 6 guests and one tenant because the owner converted a house to multiple Airbnb ignoring all regulation (including fire marshal rules)
English article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/old-montreal-fire-airbnb-1.6801216
The french media had some follow up stories describing the owner total lack it respect for regulation. The province ended up banning Airbnbs but I don’t know the details of the bag
I have to take issue with your assertion about hotel staff being unionized (although I recognize that could be true for your region). I’ve worked in hotels before and the reason they stay “cheap” is because they pay the cleaning and non-customer-facing staff the absolute bare minimum.
I’m coming from Midwestern America which certainly colors this experience, but in my case the housekeeping staff was made up almost exclusively of non-native English speakers. They were paid minimum, or close to it, and had room quotas that left them with 15-20 to “clean” a room.
On the events side of the business, the guys who set up tables and chairs were almost exclusively young, poor black men. The hotel only ran the air conditioning in those ballrooms when guests were present so it was regularly 80-85 f in those rooms with minimum wage staff doing manual labor.
Please understand I don’t have any love for the investment vehicle model that has taken over air-bnb, but hotels are by far the most disgusting socioeconomic workplace I’ve been in. I really don’t have the money for air-bnb, but I’ll certainly take some person paying off their rental over large corporation exploiting unskilled workers and immigrants.
First of all, fuck hotels, period.
And well, bad news… here in Mexico city the airbnb industry (yeah, u read it right) comes from conglomerates or already stupidly rich people, so yeah.
Also I work in a hostal in this same city, and yeah the pay is horrible, but keeps me floating while I get something else and there’s a lot of really nice people running the place wich their income really depends on guests making reservations, maybe one or two tips, etc. So yeah, the pay its horrible but it makes jobs.
My recommendation? Get a room in a hostal like the one I work for, usually they r really run by people, that’s one of the reasons I’m still working in there.
Maybe in your country. Here in France AirBnB are both cheaper and the rooms are nicer than hotel. Some of them could be landlords and profit… but some others rent something that would not be fitting as a location (like a vacation flat or a subpart of a house) but is OK for staying just a couple of days.
So I disagree heavily with your generalisation
The strangest part is when the owner suddenly decides to spend the night in the apartment as well, even though you rented the whole apartment alone.
I’ve read so many stories of this happening that it seems to be the norm. That’s part of why I’ll never use AirBNB. Don’t feel like hanging out with the owners.
Yeah I never used an AirBNB but after hearing so many horror stories I’ll never spend the night in one…
Hotels are great if you need 1 bed and nothing else. But hotels get expensive fast if you need an extra room for a kid. Or you take a pet. Or you need to wash your clothes. Or you would like a kitchen.
I almost see it as the opposite.
AirBNB is fine if you are just looking for a place nearby tourist sites that you don’t plan to spend much time at.
Hotels are great when you need the extra features, a concierge, laundry (I have never worked at a hotel that did not have laundry services and/or dry cleaning), restaurants, and the like.
Kitchen I could see being tricky, but if you need a kitchen I assume you might be doing more a long-term stay anyway, in which case a lot of hotels will have those options as well.
The kitchen is usually the big one for me. Finding a hotel with a kitchen (and not $$$$ prices) is hard. Heck, some hotels won’t even give you a fridge (and when they do give you a fridge, it’s probably the tiniest possible). AirBnB absolutely can have some extra bullshit sometimes, but they’re usually considerably cheaper than a hotel and it’s standard to have a kitchen.
Extended Stay is really good for that if you want to stick to hotels. The one I have stayed at had a decent kitchen, a living room, a dining space, and a breakfast.
Breakfast is standard in my province at least.
Kids are the reason why I use short term rentals instead of hotel rooms. I never get them if I’m on a business trip or having a weekend with my wife alone
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Tiny soapbox time: I don’t trust AirBNB hosts to actually treat for bedbugs if they get them. I figure a reputable hotel chain at least has a fighting chance of taking it seriously.
Hahahajahah! I worked for the Hilton here in Mexico City dude, they do exactly the same as any other hotel/hostal in the city.
PSA: learn to how to check for bedbugs now instead of when you travel. Here’s a video that’s kind, but thorough.
Dodged bed bugs at an airbnb in LA earlier this year. When we made the report it didn’t allow us to comment on the listing. So somebody else could possibly run into the same issue without resolution
AirBNB is only good if it is an extremely unique/convenient location and there are no hotels reasonably nearby. Otherwise Hotel absolutely > AirBNB
225 a night hotel would be a freaking dream. Most hotels cost 100 a night. I agree a cabin in the woods our somewhere else special.
But landlords are putting up ordinary homes up and people actually rent them. More money then sense.
It’s useful for short term renting. I’m interning and it’s stupid hard to find a 3 month lease.
Agreed. If I’m going on vacation I avoid cities as much as possible and want to be in the middle of nowhere in nature. That means no hotels for 10s of kilometers, but there’s usually at least one person renting out a room or something similar. I’ve also never experienced any of the things in this meme in places like that, but that could also be because it’s an American thing, which wouldn’t surprise me.
Exactly. Hotels are maybe good in the cities, when you need a simple boring room. But when you’re out in the nature or wish to stay in the more interesting place, have a celebration for family/friends gathering - it’s Air BnB all the way.
My problem is that people talk as if these are the only options.
There are other services, like VRBO, that do the same thing and usually have the same properties. AirBNB is garbage now, so just use an alternative that doesn’t have the same bad policies and high fees.
Yeah exactly.
I’ve stayed in apartments a lot when travelling, but I’ve never used AirBNB. Not because of any reason against them, but I’ve just tended to use other online services/sites.
Hostal > Hotel > AirBnB
Isn’t the point of AirBnB to be way cheaper?
In theory. If you actually take the time to check hotel prices, you’ll often find plenty of options in the same price range as ABNB.
It really depends what you’re looking for. ABNB is good if you’re heading out into the sticks and looking to rent a whole house. If you’re in a city for a few days and need a room to stay in, hotels are often the better option.
For me the advantage of an AirBnB is the ability to stay in a remote cabin in the middle of the mountains with a bonfire and a fenced yard for my dog.
I’m not sure why anyone stays in an AirBnB in the middle of a city (although I’ve found them to be cheaper and with better walkability in parts of Europe)
Maybe people like to do laundry and follow all sorts of rules they wouldn’t have to otherwise. People have weird tastes
It was, when it was just people looking to get a tiny bit of income from renting a room in their house. Then people tried to make it their sole income, and then companies got into the game. Part of it is that the service became popular, so any cheaper rooms are snatched up instantly, and the user now gets to choose between a hotel-looking hotel, or a house-looking hotel, with nasty fees to get more money from you.
AirBnB isn’t even remotely a “hotel”. Hotels have to obey various hospitality laws and can’t just cancel a confirmed booking 2 hours before your arrival, or kick you out because you didn’t empty the bin before 9pm.
I use Airbnb only when I couldn’t find hotel who accepts my dog.
AirBNB was great when it first started out. It was basically people renting out a room in their home for a night or two, for far cheaper costs than hotels and in areas where a hotel wasn’t as readily available. It was a good way for those folks to make some cash on the side and helped the traveler find convenient low cost housing for a couple nights
Unfortunately companies and people decided they could buy up properties and start a business selling out rooms, prices skyrocketed and it no longer became worth it. I just stick to hotels now (or hostels if I ever decide to backpack through Europe or something)
The last few times I’ve used AirBNB it’s been a pretty much like borrowing someones home.
For one we were travelling in Portugal and stayed in this old portugese lady’s home in a small village along the coast. Really sweet lady, but a bit of a language barrier as she struggled with both english and spanish.
Next weekend me and some friends are renting a whole 4 bedroom summer house in southern Norway to use as a base for a weekend of diving.
But in general I’ve grown tired of the concept, and the scarcity it brings to the housing market in some cities is predatory.
I’m Portuguese, Airbnb “crappy clean before you leave” and 600$ fees haven’t caught up yet luckily. Last time I used a Airbnb was in 2016, rented a room on S. Miguel (main Azorean Island) for a fair price.
Since then I mostly just book hotels wherever I go, be it Europe or abroad. In Europe, because it’s just easier, often times cheaper, more flexible check-in/check-out and doesn’t have the language barrier like you said. And abroad because I just don’t feel as comfortable and it’s expensive
It was honestly quite nice. We could communicate decently enough, and I believe it was her kids who handled the booking. Was down by Vila Nova de Milfontes, super nice and calm place, would definitely want to go back one day.
Oh yeah, English is very widely spoken in Portugal, mainly the younger generation but a good part of 40s to 50 year old people do have a good enough grasp of it. Older than that usually French is the main 2nd language and English is very basic to none.
You’re welcome back anytime! Portugal is a great place to retire, not to work though :p
Yeah and I apologize, I was talking in a very US specific context and I should have specified that (the hostel comment kind of muddled it as well). I haven’t tried airbnb abroad, and I’m glad it’s more reasonable over in Portugal and Norway at least so i’ll check it out if or when I decide to head that way. Just venting some general frustration using it in the US in my recent experiences.
Good gods how can you afford to go on so many vacations? :o
Portugal was in 2019 and this years is just a 5 hour drive from where I live. The Norwegian krone (NOK) is pretty weak right now, so we decides to not go abroad this year and save money for an upcoming mortgage. I’m doing well, but we’re by no means in a financial position to do multiple vacations a year 😅
Oh, 5 hours? Wow, yeah, sorry about that. I sometimes forget just how more compact everything is over in Europe compared to the US (or at least the Midwest in the US). Over here, driving for 45-60 min is pretty common for a commute. If one goes on an away-from-home vacation over here, it’s usually for far longer of a distance than 5 hours’ worth. (Not that I can afford that. Lol. 😅)
(Note: I just realized this may come across as making fun of you or sounding superior. Neither of these were intended if so.)
Yall have some rough luck with ABNB properties. I stay 4-6 times per year and it’s been a breeze.
I rarely go for airbnb if I don’t find a good deal, whether in terms of price, location, architecture etc. Sometimes there are good properties on airbnb. And yes, a lot of it is just run by buisnessmen and rich landlords. But there are also decently located cheap apartments sometimes.
If I travel alone and need to be on budget and only need a bed I can always go for a good dorm.
I mostly agree with this. But AirBNB is helpful because it lets me take my two dogs, who benefit greatly from having fenced yards. It saves me from having to pay a boarding fee, I can bring my dogs, and let them run free in the yard. Aside from that, I much prefer hotels.
FYI, I believe most or all La Quintas are pet-friendly. That’s where I’ve stayed when moving long distances with my 2 cats. You won’t have the yard benefits, but it’s still good to know.
I always just let my dogs run in the empty pool. Staff only needs to guard the shallow end and if it’s a peanut pool my dogs can get some wicked wall sprints going on.
Thanks! Definitely good to know!
Right, they have specific values outside of just the standard place to lay down your head. I prefer hotels as well, but will stay in an AirBNB if it more appropriately suits my needs.
Yeah, all you need is one shady AirBNB experience to forever turn you off to the idea. I had a horrible one in 2018 and haven’t stayed at one since.
I agree with other posters—I’ve had some better experiences using similar services to rent like entire villas for large work groups, but other than that I don’t think it’s worth it.
You can’t just say that and not tell the story!
Oh god, where to start.
Pay for early check in, show up, get ghosted by the host for two hours.
Receive a text—“Go to this Starbucks and await further instructions”
Get texted a 20 page pdf full of crazy shit including a line “If someone comes knocking on the door in the middle of the night asking for Chris tell them that you leased the apartment two months ago because he stopped paying and no one has seen him.” PDF includes GPS coordinates to a telephone pole with a master lock lock box on it that contains the keys to the place.
Arrive at the condo and it’s—I’m 100% not kidding—FILLED WITH SAD CLOWN ART. It was literally all pictures and statues of sad clown shit with an added touch of Jewish devotional stuff.
Go to a conference the next day and return to all of my shit moved around.
Literal horror story. Never again.
EDIT: Preemptively I was poor at the time and it was for a work conference that had already been reimbursed. I should’ve contacted AirBNB. But I was young, dumb, and wanted to advance at my place of work.
Holy shit, flipping horrific nightmare fuel
In Montreal an Airbnb cought fire and killed 6 guests and one tenant because the owner converted a house to multiple Airbnb ignoring all regulation (including fire marshal rules)
English article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-old-port-fire-1.6788756
The province ended up banning Airbnbs but I don’t know the details of the bag
How did they end up banning AirBnBs? I was just browsing Montreal AirBnBs yesterday ( funny enough).
I didn’t really follow up on it. Maybe it was just politician saying stuff or it’s banned but not enforced so nobody cares
Tbh I never looked before all this went down (cause why would I lol), so maybe there were changes and it wasn’t a “all airbnbs are banned” sort of thing. Maybe it removed a lot of listings.
Airbnbs were already illegal in the old port before that event. The company still allowed them to be posted. I’m quite sure the province didn’t ban them too, there are still legal postings. Unfortunately, not much happened after this event. Media pressure made it so that Airbnb closed a bunch of illegal ads, but without legislation and enforcement its only temporary.
Exactly nothing changed. There’s still just as many illegal air bnbs in Montreal.
The last time I used Airbnb, we rented 2 rooms in a guy’s house for a few days. At first, the guy seemed okay, only a minor reminder about leaving dishes out. I left a fairly positive review, but when it came time for his review of us he implied we were racist for not keeping eye contact and conversation with his roommate. I never saw the roommate, and my husband is the kind of introvert who doesn’t initiate conversations, especially when alone. It was ridiculous. We were also told that we had access to the rooms, bathroom, and kitchen and not to go into any other part of the house.
I’ll stick with hotels.
Sounds like a real shitboot.
Didn’t know that my autism made me racist too. Damn.
Hostals my friend, just make sure u get a room for u, nothing against sharing one but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it.
