Giving Negative Review to NICE Host

[Oliver49]

Hi all - I have an ethical conundrum, and I'd really like some other hosts and guests to weigh in. 

My wife and I booked a Christmas Eve stay in an Airbnb, based on good reviews, proximity to our destination, and the description, which seemed great!   The property was described as a yoga studio, and the pictures, while close-cropped (should have been a red flag) looked nice.  

It was a trailer. An OLD one.  Not properly leveled. With peeling linoleum, faded deep pile carpets, etc.  On a creepy back road, in a "compound" with several other mobile homes/shacks. With dogs running about loose.    One of the toilets was actually falling through the floor (giant hole); thank God there were two bathrooms, although I wouldn't choose carpet for any bathroom, nor would  I choose to remove the bathroom door and cut a hole in the wall, creating a pass-through "open concept" area to the bedroom.  

We initially tried to make it work, arriving 'home' after a night out in the city and watching some Netflix in the living room. After turning in for bed, there came an uneven but recurring thumping/banging noise from behind the trailer, which we were NOT going to go investigate...that was the last straw.  We packed our bag, got in the car, and drove 4.5 hours home through a snowstorm, arriving at 3:00am on Christmas morning, exhausted.  

We are not wimps, nor snobs.  If this had said "mobile home" maybe I wouldn't have paid $112, but if it were a nice, new doublewide on its own lot with some pergo floors or something, I wouldn't be upset.  I swear this thing was a disaster - we  chose to undertake a long and dangerous drive rather than try to sleep there. Especially with creepy yard noises. (NOTE: I grew up in the boonies of Upstate NY, so am not averse to the wilderness, nor easily spooked).

If  this were a hotel, I'd be fire-bombing them in a review; however, this is someone's livelihood - and she needs the money.  We met the host when we arrived, and she was super nice and welcoming; all of the reviews mention how great she is.    

My question to you all: do I warn other guests about the misleading listing, and do actual harm to this nice person on Christmas day? Or do I just ignore it, and not leave a review.  I'm inclined to ignore, but I don't want anyone else to have the experience we did.  HELP! 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

Wow...that's a disaster. I am really not sure why you are even questioning giving the place a fair and accurate review. You owe it to other guests and hosts.

[David-and-Fiona0]

At the end of the day the system can only work If reviews are accurate. I would certainly review the accommodation as negative otherwise future guests will have the same issues as you. 

[Bridget0]

The key to negative reviews, on both sides, is to keep them unemotional and factual, allowing readers to make their own decisions. 

" host x was was a friendly person and we enjoyed her personally. We left our stay early as the pictures we saw on listing did not show that yoga studio was contained in a trailer within a yard of other trailers. While clean, it was not well maintained, with holes to the outside and no private bathroom door. "

In the private review area to be seen only by her, you will probably do best by gently encouraging her to update her pictures that include the exterior, the yard and the bathroom so that no other guest can "misunderstand" the listing like you did. Sure, it sounds like she knowingly presented only a limited view but she has also had some guests who had no issue with it.

this is why all hosts are encouraged to put up tons of photos showing all the aspects of a place. Guests who have full knowledge can make the best fit. 

Thanks for for asking how to deal with this. Angry rants just tend to make the writer look bad!

better travels in 2017!

bridget

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

We also had to give a bad review to a host once, but chose to really spell out how unhappy we were privately.  We pointed out the positive things of the listing in our public review, much like what was suggested above, and then added, it wasn't a good stay for us.  We gave a "thumbs down" and honestly said we wouldn't stay again.  She was incredulous that a fellow host would do that and we tried to explain what made us uncomfortable during our stay.  It wasn't an easy interaction but it was necessary since, frankly, it was truthful from our experience and perspective.