@Katie672 Yep, I understand. I host more than I travel (on ABB anyway) and the times I have considered booking as a guest I found the whole process quite exhausting. By the time you wade thru the incomplete, scary, sparse, overpriced, underpriced...and then have something you’re halfway considering then the host might be MIA, incompetent or evasive... it’s a problem for sure.
There are some gems - a hotel won’t be an open-concept repurposed barn with porch swings & chickens to feed afterall - but you do have to be willing to go on a hunt to find them.
Oh, and a tip, throw a wider net, you shouldn’t be messaging just one host at a time. Expect that there will be some duds along the way. SuperHosts or listings that are clearly frequently booked are a good start. And there are multiple listing services and most properties are on several.
Good luck!