Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
|
|
Dingus, did the bad places you stayed at have previous reviews? I'm not sure I would stay at a place that had not been reviewed by other renters.
|
|
mooser
Trad climber
seattle
|
|
I don't have any experience with it yet, other than having booked three weeks worth of places to stay while my wife and I drive all over Ireland this June and July. The interaction has been really good: quick responses, lots and lots of reviews to consider (including how the proprietor responds to them!), and very welcoming attitudes.
I'll report back mid-July!
|
|
susan peplow
climber
Joshua Tree, CA
|
|
AirBnb is a brilliant concept. Unlike Craigslist, VRBO or other vacation rental sites AirBnb works much like a Broker. All monies are handled through AirBnb then distributed to the host after the guest checks in (via PayPal or oldskool check should you choose). The host doesn't pay to list but the guest is charged a small % for the secure service.
With so much fraud out there I can see why AirBnb is popular (Valued at like 20 Billion). Takes the risk out of it for guests. If you were a small operation with only a single vacation home, seasonal rental or even a room for rent it could seem "sketchy" to the renter. Someone without a legit business, website or reviews.... I wouldn't rent from them either. Using an outfit like AirBnb takes that risk out of the equation for the guest. The guest/inquiry is completely secure with no direct email or contact until after an agreement is struck. This protects your privacy as well as keeping the booking "in house" for AirBnb.
Security for the property owner/host is equally as good. No mystery checks floating around or credit card charges later disputed. When it pays, it pays like magic... you don't' even get dinged for PayPal transfers. As a host you also have the ability to set guidelines for cancellations, cleaning or mystery fees, set deposit criteria or even provide "special offers" with potential guests.
We've used it before as a host and it works great. All we get charged is the 3% for credit card processing which is how AirBnb receives the fees. Note, this would be the same should we process ourselves.
Cool concept... so much so TripAdvisors ripped the idea off and spun a similar platform with FlipKey.
As for the name.... AirBnb is huge in Europe where most nightly rentals are true B&B's. Love me some fresh eggs, french press coffee and pastries :)
|
|
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 7, 2015 - 01:44pm PT
|
"No mystery checks floating around or credit card charges later disputed."
Really? If a rental is significantly misrepresented for some reason, the renter could still attempt a chargeback with the issuing bank for their credit card, and that bank could easily dispute or recall the charge. Who takes that hit...AirBnB, the rental, or...?
|
|
mooser
Trad climber
seattle
|
|
|
Jun 29, 2015 - 06:47am PT
|
OK, so just FYI...I'm a little less than half way through my journey through Ireland, and Air BnB has been fantastic!
|
|
mooser
Trad climber
seattle
|
|
|
Jul 11, 2015 - 04:41pm PT
|
OK, just got back from three weeks in Ireland, and had a fantastic time--a big part of which related to the fantastic hosts through AirBnB. Here's the setting of one of 9 beautiful places we stayed:
|
|
ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 04:16pm PT
|
Maybe people who have had positive experiences (or negative, for that matter) can post their stays here. I'd guess most of us take trips in many of the same locations -- e.g. Moab, Bishop, El Portal ...
I'm looking at places to stay in Park City right now. Really like the idea of having a decent kitchen (as opposed to a mini-fridge and Mr. Coffee), so that I can buy groceries in town and dine at the kingly standard to which I am accustomed.
|
|
NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 05:25pm PT
|
I've had a few decent experiences with AirBnB, and one funny one last year...
I had to travel for work to Denver area, and normally stay in mid-range hotels in the typical $100-$250/night range. But during this trip, it was a perfect storm of some national convention of teachers and some kids baseball championship and basically there were no hotel rooms within a 50 mile radius. Not even Motel6 or similar.
The ONLY thing I could find was an AirBnb listing with a cute girl and "couch to crash on" for like $40 per night. The place had no reviews. I exchange some screening type texts/emails with the person, and it is booked. She also offers to give me a ride from the airport! Bargain!
Only problem is my flight is late, trams at DIA are broken, and I wish I had just paid for a taxi or used Lyft/Uber, but now I think they are "almost there" so I have to wait. But it ends up taking another hour of me sitting on the curb at 2am. I was exchanging texts with the girl, but she was saying her boyfriend was on his way.
The guy seems nice enough, but he drops me off at the house, saying he doesn't live there. Neither does the girl, who I never actually spoke with if she exists. There is a "caretaker" couple who sleep on a bed on the floor in the living room. There is a bedroom where I am supposed to sleep, with 2 sets of bunkbeds and 3 strangers snoring- I can't turn on the lights. I keep my possessions close to me and bumble into my bunk, facing the wall, so someone will have to crawl over me to take my stuff. The air is heavy and sticky with marijuana.
I'm supposed to be dressed nicely wearing pressed clothes and meeting people to give a business presentation in about 3 hours... ha! An iron was not part of the amenities of this residence. I was a bit delayed in the morning because I missed my window to get in the bathroom a couple of times. There was a lake of water in the bathroom that I wasn't sure whether it came from the shower or the toilet, so I wore my shoes. My presentation went ok, but I was pretty darn wrinkly. It's a good thing I'm not a sales or marketing guy these days.
As much as it sucked, I was thankful I had something. Other people in my group were staying 75 miles away.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 05:43pm PT
|
I've had a few decent experiences with AirBnB, and one funny one last year...
^^^ I'm glad you thought that was 'funny'.
|
|
phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 05:57pm PT
|
Nutagain, that sounds dreadful!
I used them again last April for 3 places in Italy. It was great!
I did have a friend tell me that her friends had all their stuff stolen at an airbnb place and that sounded like an organized scam not a genuine robbery. But I think if you use a place with lots of positive reviews it's a good and safe option.
|
|
Randall_C
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 07:23pm PT
|
I've used airbnb and other vacation rental sites repeatedly in the last six years and have never had a bad experience. Last summer stayed at a super cool airbnb stand alone cottage in Soquel up in the redwoods. The price per night was cheaper than the Motel 6 in Santa Cruz. Another bonus was the property owners were not on-site and lived in San Jose.
Other positive experiences: Kailua Beach, Bend, Vancouver, Bisbee, Scottsdale, Mammoth, Lost Wages (Summerlin), Oceanside, Santa Clarita and Napa to name a few.
With that said, my sister has had a few shitty experiences, but continues to use when it fits the bill.
|
|
Bluelens
Social climber
Pasadena, CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 09:31pm PT
|
Stayed a couple nights in this furnished AirBnb Lakota teepee in Ranchita, CA on a trip to Anza Borrego State Park. The location is just off the PCT. Hikers can camp on the lawn or rent the glamping teepee. Washer, dryer, kitchenette and invitation to yoga classes in the yurt. No power in the teepee.
Had a great time! Owner was on the premises.
I rented an AirBnb bungalow in Ojai for a week for out of town guests for my wedding. The place had a professional manager who manages nearby resort properties. Good experience. Lots of warnings about the old plumbing and parking restrictions.
AirBnb does take longer to orient yourself to than a hotel, as each property has its quirks. You will have a better time if you take time to read the information about the quirks you are going to encounter.
|
|
JC Marin
Trad climber
CA
|
|
|
Oct 18, 2016 - 10:39pm PT
|
Stayed at an AirBNB in J-Tree earlier this year--caught the flu and about 2 days into the worse sickness I've had in 20 years, the wind picked up and literally blew the roof off the house--I really thought I was going to die at a couple of points. Got of bed the next day, got in my truck and drove home...def not going back to that house + AirBNB is literally changing our little town in West Marin.
Though I have stayed in a couple of nice cabins over the last few years...
|
|
Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
|
|
|
Oct 19, 2016 - 08:42am PT
|
I have two bedrooms on Airbnb and have had them listed for over a year and I have ZERO complaints about the site, or anyone who has stayed.
It has given me a great second income and I've met some super nice people some so nice we invite them to have dinner with us.
I have stayed as a guest as well and I highly recommend staying in someones home over a loud, and noisy and usually more expensive hotel.
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
|
|
|
Oct 19, 2016 - 01:24pm PT
|
wow, Melissa's place looks divine!
link is broke though, manual search shows it.
All Yosemite properties that much a night?
|
|
crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
|
|
|
Oct 19, 2016 - 02:24pm PT
|
I use VRBO all the time, for all different size rentals and in multiple states. Haven't used it for out of the country (yet). I read the reviews posted by other renters - sometimes they're spot on sometimes not. Make sure you pay through VRBO though - not directly to the person renting the place out, etc. I find that these rentals are usually peoples' own vacation homes or investment properties and have never been cancelled on by a VRBO host. Many rental companies post their properties on VRBO as well - so sometimes you will be re-directed to their sites.
Air BnB in concept seems great. However my experience has been that the likelihood of the host cancelling on you is greater, as is the chance the place could be dreadful once you get there. We had a brownstone home rented (far in advance) for our daughter's wedding in New York. Had the entire immediate family of 9 set to stay there. The host cancelled on us 3 weeks out, leaving us in a giant lurch. Air BnB says they will help you find a new rental on their site - in our case no luck. We were refunded right away (good service from them). You're mostly dealing with people renting their OWN homes (i.e. not necessarily their investment or vacation properties) so probably more of a chance that they can cancel you right up until the day you arrive.
As for Santa Monica and some other cities putting in regulations or stopping Air BnB altogether - the nightly rental thing occurring in established non-commercial neighborhoods has been a problem in SM for many reasons. For example, we live next door to a property where the absentee owner was renting several units on Air BnB before he was stopped, primarily for other reasons and not by us.
With transient people there we got excessive people noise, car noise, smoking, parties, doors slamming...the property owners on the other side of the property were constantly having the Air BnB guests come to their door asking for towels or keys and so on, even though it was clearly next door (different property, different address).
This was our experience. It's not to say that all people who stay nightly behave this way but it's certainly worth regulating and possibly coming up with a plan in various cities for where this type of lodging works and where it doesn't work, neighborhood-wise. Plus a lot of the Air BnB hosts were getting away with not paying their nightly rental taxes which of course the city was unhappy with!
|
|
Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
|
|
|
Oct 19, 2016 - 03:01pm PT
|
Have used a few times...for both Vegas (ok spot, in an strangely quiet tall apartment building probably being foreclosed on) and internationally (recently in Croatia).
Hit or miss. Some fab, some not.
Read a hilarious review of a place we thought about renting where the person have a mostly thumbs up review, but, had to go to the hospital as the bed bug bites were horrible. WTF?
We bailed on a place on Hvar (Croatia) a couple of weeks ago. Partly my fault for not doing the due diligence I should have done prior to pulling the trigger (didn't see that smoking was allowed and the place smelled of it). Most of the light bulbs didn't work. Sink leak was repaired with masking tape and dripped into a tub below. Electrical outlets were shot. Place was drab. Rentals above and below were full time, low budget deals with messy tenents (didn't see that in the on line photos!). Drive way and off street parking nearly unusable as it had rained and created a mini dirt swimming pool. We stayed a night then bailed. Oh well. It was cheap and maybe we got what we payed for.
Two days later we hit our next scheduled lodging which was another airbnb property. Fantastic. Great location. Well appointed. Owner was there but her parents let us in and helped when a couple things didn't make sense to us. As advertised and better than expected.
So...I'd continue to use AirBnB. But, I've also found that by searching through Trip Advisor or Google I can usually locate a rental property in the area I want to stay and book directly with the owner. Or, just use a local travel agent nearby.
|
|
David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
|
|
|
Oct 19, 2016 - 03:38pm PT
|
Could i offer another take? i live in a residential neighborhood in SF, I'm a long term home owner, picked my house precisely because it is in a quiet corner, with great neighbors-but in the last few years there have been a lot of airbnb units developed here. I know of 4 in 2 blocks. It sucks! The guests seem nice, but clueless-they ring the wrong doorbells, they park across driveways, they litter(really, seen it, seen em coming form a rental unit) and they (well not the guests, the owners) remove housing units from the market. I have stayed in arbnb units, but now i feel like a hypocrite-um not sure i can do it anymore. And ill certainly never take an uber again, hearing tales of woe from a buddy cabbie. The arrogance of silicone valley and the "sharing Economy" is staggering-just do what you want, don't give a sh#t about established businesses or neighborhoods, just take the money and run-oh, forgot cloak it in the guise of some new save the world bullsh#t.
i just wish the airbnb on my block would shutter up. Would i be a dick for reporting them because they lack the appropriate certification to the city?
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!