Have you read this?

[Laura2592]

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/airbnb-breakup/

So many things to unpack. 

First, guests are frustrated with service too. So pretty much across the board everyone reviles ABB customer service. Why is something not done? Drastic action not taken?

Second, the writer complained that he was notified to vacate then WENT WINE TASTING instead of resolving the issue. So uh, there's that. 

Third, apparently Brian Chesky reads travel blogs but not the community forum. Otherwise we would probably all have his personal cell.

Fourth, the guest wants a "unicorn" space in LA with an in home host but doesn't want to deal with the fact that the host is home, talking in the next room. And then won't mention that they are leaving because of a perceived safety issue. So sounds to me like this person would be better suited to a remote host situation or at least a deep dive into reviews. Perhaps they are picking places for price and not an actual fit? 

What are your thoughts?

[Huma0]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 

Exactly.

I wonder how many times he has terminated his stay at a hotel and demanded a refund. Not many I bet.

[Sarah977]

@Huma0  Almost every guest who doesn't get the refund they want, or any other thing that Airbnb does that doesn't result in them getting what they think they are entitled to, seems to lead to the blanket statement that Airbnb favors hosts, simply based upon their own personal experience. 

All they would have to do is spend an hour reading host posts here to know that isn't true. 

These types of articles base themselves on an attitude that hosts and guests are antagonists, that it's "us against them" and usually are based on ignorance, like him saying hosts receive few penalties, coupled with a refusal to consider that the bad situation they found themselves in was partly due to their own irresponsibility in booking something just because it was cheap, ignoring the bad reviews, not communicating sufficiently with the host, or failing to read the listing info.

There are a few guests who are seasoned Airbnbers, who've had lots of great experiences who know that isn't true, and it's simply that CS is incompetent with all its users, both hosts and guests. Those guests understand that hosts and guests are not antagonists at all- that it's a symbiotic relationship that relies on mutual respect, personal responsibility, and good communication in order to  work for both parties.

I've found it interesting when a guest posts here, starting out with the attitude that Airbnb favors hosts, but through the course of the thread, with hosts patiently explaining the reality to the guest, they start to understand that what they are blaming hosts for is misplaced- that we are actually reasonable people who receive poor treatment from Airbnb just like they do, and that we would not only like to see changes that are advantageous to us, but that many things that don't work for guests don't work for hosts either.  

There should be more venues for that- meetups where hosts and guests have an opportunity to listen to each other and see things from the other side, to lead to more understanding.

And this guy's attitude, of booking home shares but resenting dealing with the hosts, is just bratty. But he said it right at the beginning of the article- that Airbnbs are often cheaper than hotels. He views renting a private room in someone's home as if he has just rented a cheap hotel room, where it isn't necessary or desirable for him to interact with anyone. 

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

I imagine this is quite a common problem. People often book homeshares because they are cheaper, not because they actually like the idea of staying with a host. 

Think of the recent example that I posted where the guest had 'short listed' a bunch of Airbnbs and sent a list of generic questions, none of which had to do with the host or listing, just his own, very specific needs for quiet etc.

Then there was the guest who recently posted ranting about a bad review. He seemed to only stay in homeshares but was so demanding that one of his hosts had to move out of her own place so as not to disturb him.

Personally, I have never stayed in a homeshare on Airbnb (although I have many moons ago before Airbnb even existed). All the Airbnbs I have stayed in have been complete units or traditional B&Bs . It's not that I wouldn't stay with a host, but I would consider it very carefully, bearing in mind the hosts rules and think about whether the set up allowed for the privacy I required and also whether my schedule or habits might be a nuisance to the host. In other words, is it a good fit for me/the host and this particular trip?

If one is searching based on price alone, without considering any of these things, it's often a recipe for disaster. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Huma0 @Sarah977 

Shopping for and choosing an accommodation is a guest's responsibility. When choosing a hotel, I avoid outdoor balcony access for the noise factor - interior carpeted hallways are quieter, for example. Being near a pool guarantees noise. 

I love homeshares, and as a lifetime low maintenance traveler, I've gone out of my way to find them and to be an excellent guest. In remote locations I've asked my travel agents to find and book them for me. It takes a special sort of guest and host mentality to make this work well and be wonderful. 

My listing tells it like it is, here, with both words and photos. My homeshare is not cheaper, rather it is priced to the level of what it provides. I provide a Destination, and a built-in Experience. My guest suite is a separate wing of the house.  The construction and configuration of the layout provides soundproofing for us, and for guests. There are shared spaces - entrance, full kitchen, and visually "shared" balconies, as this house is all glass, to feature the vast wilderness views. 

Obviously I do not use Instant Book, as it does not allow for a pre- booking conversation, and when I tried it, it was far from satisfactory for anyone. 

I've had requests based on internet speed, for example, which is not what our place is about, so I advised the prospective guest to book elsewhere. 

I've also advised a prospective guest who wanted to cook full meals at very odd hours in the shared kitchen - in our Great Room - to either make do with the kitchenette in the guest suite or book elsewhere. 

So far, I've had 8 years of excellent guests who book here deliberately on this platform. They pay attention to our amenities and remote location which is also an amenity. I've written our listing for guests to self select, and urge them to ask lots of questions about anything  they might  not understand, both at booking request and before leaving home. Prior to listing with Airbnb, I've hosted for many years, and other similar locations, with excellent guests who came to me for the right reasons. 

I maintain that traveling and hosting is both an Art, and a Passion. Above all it is a Labor of Love, and if not, one should choose another profession.

[Stephanie365]

Nomadic Matt wrote: "I’d rather stay in a hotel where I know I’ll get a consistent level of service. No surprises, no pets, no 24-hour rule, no midnight fights. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than Airbnb."

Uh, consistent level of service?  No surprises? Where has this dude been staying?

I booked a the La Quinta in Danbury, CT two months ago. The price seemed a bit high, but they advertised pillow top mattresses, which is (usually) a refreshing break from the rock hard mattresses one usually finds in hotels. 

I booked and paid. And when I showed up, the room looked right out of the 1970s. The everything in the room was Orange!

The bathroom counter/sink was falling off the wall, literally. There were huge cracks in the shower surround. The "pillow top" bed was a joke. There was more padding from the blanket than the so called pillow top. Worst night's sleep I'd ever had. 

And when I was packing up to leave the next morning, I saw the rack rate on the back of the door. (Rack Rate is the maximum the hotel can charge for that room). I had been charged $40 more than the rack room rate!  When I went downstairs and asked if I had possibly been overcharged, the assistant manager told me, "Honey I can charge whatever I want. If I thought I could get $500, I'd charge it."  
Me: "I don't think that's legal, but OK."

I looked up the laws in CT and it definitely was NOT legal. I contacted La Quinta and they told me to pound sand. I contacted the BBB and asked for a 50% refund (which was still higher than their average nightly room rate).

Funny how when the BBB stepped in, I received my refund.

This isn't my only less than stellar experience at a hotel, but I would say it was definitely the most egregious. 

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

I do wonder when Nomadic Matt refers to the hotels he stays in, which he does state cost more than a homestay on Airbnb, exactly HOW much more they cost. 

You have to compare like for like. If the hotel cost considerably more than the homestay, then it's a completely worthless comparison. Again, shoddy journalism.

I have had the good fortune to travel a lot for work (pre-pandemic) and had the good fortune of being put up in mostly 5 star hotels and the occasional 4 star one. I would NEVER dream of comparing these to  a stay in a host's home. If the companies booking these hotel rooms for me had put that budget into booking an Airbnb, I would have stayed in a palace.

[Huma0]

It would be interesting to know from other hosts if they have ever had to up and leave an Airbnb early because they were dissatisfied. Are we more accommodating because we are more understanding. On the contrary, I have read many thread on the CC where hosts have said that other hosts can be the most demanding guests...

I wonder.

I haven't stayed in a tonne of Airbnbs, but I've left 5 stars for all of them and never complained. They weren't necessarily perfect, although one was pretty close, but bearing in mind the cost and what was listed, I felt they still deserved 5 stars:

- Group booking at gorgeous, spotlessly clean Airbnb in Athens. Nothing to complain about. Yes, there were a couple of rogue cockroaches during our stay, but that is to be expected, considering it was Athens during August. The place really was very, very clean, so I am sure that was no fault of the host's.

- Another booking in Athens. One of the main draws was the big roof terrace, but the large parasol shown in the listing photos wasn't here and it was hot as Hades (much too hot to sit out during the day without shade). When I asked the host about it, he apologised, explaining the last guests had broken it. He offered to leave work to buy a new one and bring it to me. I told him not to worry at all. His consideration deserved  5 stars as far as I was concerned.

- A B&B in the UK. Host's communication was pretty rubbish and the bed was one of the most uncomfortable I've ever slept in. There were a few other small issues. However, lots of PROs to make up for the CONs. Amazing breakfast. Spacious room. Super clean. So, 5 stars for that one too.

Am I being too generous, or, are other people being far too fussy?

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Huma0 

I think you are being real and reasonable. I only require perfection of myself. 

[Huma0]

@Kitty-and-Creek0 

Lol. Yes, I think that's true of me too!

[Sarah977]

@Huma0  There's another hosting forum I follow and hosts on that forum say much the same as you. They are very forgiving when they travel as guests, they know nothing is perfect, they fully understand that there will be insects in the tropics, dust in the desert, that a home share where the host has made it evident they have pets will likely have some pet hair in common areas, and as long as it was evident that the host has made an effort to present well and address any real issues, they are not critical and leave 5 stars.

That doesn't mean they forgive clearly unacceptable things, though. One of the hosts there said that while the place itself was basically impressive, it hadn't been cleaned- the whole place was quite filthy, the toilet seats were even dirty. (She spent the first hour there cleaning. They didn't just turn around and leave, which she said she would have done had she been travelling on her own, because they had friends joining them the next day, and a dog, and it was an area with few accommodation alternatives)

Kitchen had old, scratched up teflon pans, and barely any utensils, and no way of locking the house from the outside was provided, in fact, the host, who lived next door, instructed them to leave the door unlocked when they were home so he could come and go as he pleased. He barged in unannounced the first day, unmasked, which made the guest/host so uncomfortable she simply didn't contact him about any of the other issues, because she didn't want him coming over again. He got a suitably bad review, because he obviously doesn't have a clue how to host appropriately. And he left a super snotty response to her review, which was simply a factual account of her stay.

I've never travelled as a guest  before, but I would be forgiving of "not perfect" myself. And if I felt the host was trying to get it right, I would tend to give private feedback. It's pretty obvious if a host, or anyone in any profession, actually cares, or if they are closed to suggestions and really don't give a hoot.

I would feel bad for a host who had the previous guest destroy something, like that umbrella, no way would I expect the host to run right out and replace it, and could certainly have a good stay without it.

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

Exactly. It was a bit too hot to sit outside for more than a few minutes during the day without the umbrella, and I am quite heat tolerant compared to many. On the other hand, this was Athens in August. What did I expect, that it wouldn't be very hot? I just made the most of the roof terrace after sunset and it was lovely to chill out there in the evening enjoying the skyline with a glass of wine.

The main thing for me was that the host was responsive, very polite and kind and willing to resolve any issues. Also, the listing was inexpensive, so I wasn't expecting perfection. I appreciated the little touches, like the very detailed local guidebook he had put together and printed out for his guests.

Unfortunately, some people just look for the negatives and overlook the positives. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm always glass half full kind of person in every situation. I do expect decent customer service and can't abide rudeness, blatant lies or laziness, but if I know someone is trying their best, that is usually good enough for me!

[Anonymous]

This guy bemoans the drab, lifeless investment homes that exist only to be cashed in as STR,  but when confronted with the reality of staying in a home that doesn't revolve completely around him and his precious sleep, he flees. He speaks disdainfully of overtourism while behaving exactly like the kind of tourist every city wants less of. He seems to earnestly believe that whining about petty grievances somehow becomes journalism or public service just because it's done in a blog.

You've gotta love these self-proclaimed "nomads" who believe the whole planet owes them Authentic Experiences but throw a tantrum when the outside world doesn't behave like their parents' house. 

[Sarah977]

Digital nomads are the exact opposite of traditional nomads. Traditional nomads- bedouins, gypsies, etc, are/were independent and self sufficient. They pack up their tents, their carpets, their beds, their pots and pans, load them up on their horses, camels, caravans, sleds, and travel on to the next place. They rely on no one else, moving on to where food, water, and grazing for their animals are plentiful, depending on the seasons.

Digital "nomads" carry next to nothing with them, expecting to use other people's homes and gear and wifi signals. And it all better be quite up to their standards.

[Stephanie365]

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@Sarah977 wrote:

Digital nomads are the exact opposite of traditional nomads. Traditional nomads- bedouins, gypsies, etc, are/were independent and self sufficient. They pack up their tents, their carpets, their beds, their pots and pans, load them up on their horses, camels, caravans, sleds, and travel on to the next place. They rely on no one else, moving on to where food, water, and grazing for their animals are plentiful, depending on the seasons.

Digital "nomads" carry next to nothing with them, expecting to use other people's homes and gear and wifi signals. And it all better be quite up to their standards.

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Absolutely! Regardless of what the listing states as far as available amenities.... </sarcasm>