Very basic newbie question, kind of silly:

[Gary746]

Say that I wanted to check-in Tuesday afternoon, and  leave Friday morning.

At a hotel, I'd be paying for 3 days--Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Does Airbnb work the same way?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Gary746 

yes, you are paying for nights spent, not days.

One night starts at check-in time (usually after 2:00 PM ) and ends at check-out time ( usually around 11:00 AM)

[Gary746]

Branka & Sylvia-

Thanks so much for your prompt and polite answer. May I ask a couple of other newbie questions?

I'm 71, this would be my first time using Airbnb. Traveling alone from the U.S., I'm going to Basel, Switzerland, for a few days in March. I DO NOT want anything to go wrong! 🙂

1. I have read some horror stories about hosts canceling at literally the last minute. Is this common?

2.How important is it to book with a Superhost?

3. As I'm sure you know, many internet sites use paid or phony reviews. How reliable and how important for me to use are the Airbnb guest reviews?

Thanks again!

-Gary

[Susan1404]

@Gary746it isn't common for hosts to cancel at the last minute and as with anything, there will always be a few who cheat the system.  Check with your host thru the Airbnb message system and ask for their assurance that they will not cancel on you for any reason.  Hosts are actually penalized by Airbnb for canceling reservations, so most prefer to avoid those penalties.  As for booking with a superhost, I have had a handful of guests tell me they felt more comfortable booking with me just because I am a superhost.  However, the superhost badge given by airbnb is not a guarantee of a great host and you would very likely receive great treatment from hosts regardless of whether they have the badge or not.  As far as reviews, nothing is 100% reliable, but from my 1+ years on Airbnb, I think you can be moderately comfortable with what you read on Airbnb's review system. 

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[Emilia42 · Accepted solution]

To add to @Susan1404's comment. Keep in mind that there is only one of an Airbnb rental (whereas hotels have many, many rooms where guests can be moved if there is an issue/problem.) Sometimes a host must cancel for things completely out of their control. It is so important to have a good steam of communication between guest and host. Don't ever book with a host who doesn't communicate well with you. Same can be say from a host's standpoint with a guest. You will likely be able to tell what type of person the host is by their communication. 

[Gary746]

Emilia-

I greatly appreciate your reply. Of course, sometimes things happen beyond our control. What I was wondering--as a potential first-time user--was this a very common phenomenon with Airbnb or simply isolated instances?

Your reply and the replies of others have made me feel that it's the latter.

Thanks again, have a good holiday season.

-Gary

[Gary746]

Susan-

Thanks so much for your prompt and kind reply. Just the kind of thing I was hoping to hear, makes me less hesitant about trying it.

Decent hotels in Basel are quite expensive and I don't need anything fancy at all: simple, neat and clean will do.

Have a good holiday season!

-Gary

[Colleen253]

@Gary746  None of us ever 'wants' anything to go wrong, but as you well know, it's just life, that things can and will go wrong. So my question to you is, do you have trip insurance? 

You say: "I have read some horror stories about hosts canceling at literally the last minute. Is this common"? I don't think it's common, but it can happen, certainly. If I had some unexpected disaster where the house suddenly became uninhabitable, or an unexpected and unavoidable personal emergency and you were booked with me, I would certainly have to cancel your reservation, as there would, regrettably, be nothing I could do. If you're booked with a hotel, and something goes wrong with your room, they can very easily put you up in another one. Think about it.

Reviews on Airbnb are very reliable, as are superhosts, but again, as above, life can get in the way regardless. I feel that you are looking for assurances that just can't be given. 

Have a wonderful time on your trip, and I hope all does go well for you. 🙂

[Gary746]

Colleen-

Yes, no sane person wants things to go wrong. Unfortunately, many people do a very poor job of planning & organizing and they're always surprised when in their lives things do keep going wrong. I always want to say (but don't, since I try not to be gratuitously cruel),"It's not other people, it's not the world, it's not your stars, it's you !" 🙂

Anyway, always realizing the possibility of disaster or at least discomfort, as an older first-time user I'm just asking some common-sense questions. But I appreciate your concern and thank you for your reply.

Have a good holiday season.

[Sarah977]

@Gary746  It's generally pretty safe to book with a Superhost (but not infallible), since Superhosts lose that status for even one cancellation, unless it's an extenuating circumstance, like the plumbing just sprung a leak, or the host had an accident or became ill.

Look for listings which have lot of good reviews, and ones which are listings run by the homeowner themselves, rather than some property management company with tons of listings.

And as others have said, communication is key- I've read posts here from guests who just Instant Booked a place, sometimes months or weeks in advance, never bothered to message with the host, then were all upset because when they messaged the host a day before check-in, the host didn't answer, or said those dates weren't available. Better to put in a booking request or an inquiry first and see what kind of response you get and ask any questions that would set your mind at ease. Then, if the booking is for dates somewhat far in the future, check back in with the host at least a week before check-in, to ensure that all is good to go.

Also, as a guest, make sure you thoroughly read through the entire listing description, scrolling all the way down on the page, past the reviews and map to see the House Rules and the cancellation policy, and clicking on everywhere it says "Read More" so you are completely aware of what is being offered and what is not. Many guests fail to do so, and then are surprised and upset on arrival to find that there is, for instance, no kitchen usage or washing machine offered, when that was in fact clearly stated under the amenities section. Listings vary greatly in what is offered, so never make assumptions- instead, read all the info provided and ask questions of the host if you find anything unclear or confusing.

[Gary746]

Very helpful, thanks much!