Poll - Have you used Airbnb when you have traveled before?

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Poll - Have you used Airbnb when you have traveled before?

Poll

 

Hello everyone,

 

It's poll time again! The past two polls on 'Do you charge a cleaning fee?' and 'Do you provide breakfast?' turned into really interesting discussions, these are still on-going, so if you haven't taken part yet feel free to join in. 🙂

 

This week we are exploring the topic of traveling and I thought it would be interesting to see if you have ever stayed in an Airbnb?

 

 

To keep track of the results, click here

 

It would be fantastic to hear your thoughts as well, so please do add your comments around this topic. If you have stayed in an Airbnb whilst traveling before, please share your experience and if not, it would be fantastic to hear why you haven't. 🙂

 

Thanks so much. Enjoy!

 

Lizzie

 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


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43 Replies 43
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

Part of the reason I joined Air BNB as a host was to create a travel budget, so I have only recently travelled.  So far I have only stayed in private rooms so far but have booked an entire house in Hawaii (Big Island) for my daughter and I this July.  I am looking forward to the visit and spending private time with my daughter.

@Linda108

Have a wonderful, wonderful time Linda - you have earned it and certainly deserve a break from the discussion rooms (although I must say how much I learn from, and value, your contributions - so thank you.)

 

Aloha!

@Rachael26  So sweet.  Thank you.

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Aww lovely to hear you are going on an exciting trip to Hawaii @Linda108. I hope you have a super time, I know July is still a few months away, but I am sure it will come around really fast. Do you have any specific things you want to do when you are there? 🙂


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Hi @Lizzie  I first took my daughter to my birth state 20 years and now we return to a different island.  The Big Island is the most environmentally diverse - volcano, grasslands, tropical jungles, and of course, beaches.  Also, my father was raised in the Hawaiian Islands and he lost an older brother to an inter-island shipwreck.  Parts of the ship came ashore on the Big Island and my father had a plaque commorating his brother and his shipmates installed on a rock along the shoreline. I want to show her the plaque.

Zacharias0
Level 10
Las Vegas, NV

I've booked with AirBnB once or twice, but with cleaning fees, booking fee, taxes and other add ons such as additional guest fees it comes out to just as much if not more than a hotel. On top of that some hosts are difficult to communicate with and take the full 24 hours to respond to inquiries so youre in limbo for days at a time trying to book a place. The Instant Book locations tend to be higher priced in areas I don't care to stay in when I travel to California. From a guests stand point I've always found it to be more of hassle than its worth especially when I can book at a hotel chain and get reward points for my stay. AirBnB should offer loyalty points for guests or even goodwill points for hosts. In regards to price I'd even like to see AirBnB roll out a feature where the guests can offer the host a price theyd like to pay. The host can accept or deny the offer.

@Zacharias0

I loved last minute dot com when it first starting using its name your own price - what a great idea for Airbnb! And the other sites that use that bid for what you want - like the removal shipping companies where you can list a piece of furniture to be collected and delivered across the States and the moving truck companies bid for the business.

Brilliant!

 

thanx @Rachael26 and @Zacharias0, some great ideas to keep in mind 🙂

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Great to hear your ideas @Zacharias0 and your experiences around finding an Airbnb listing. 🙂


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

I am in Southern Utah, I do not charge more for weekends, holidays, or top season as I live near Zion. The extra money at $48.00 plus $5 for cleaning does not seem like a lot compared to the local hotels. I have provided a small micro, frig and coffee pot plus extras. I will not become a millionaire. I do not share the rest of my home and there is a divider which separates me, my dog and my guest. My bookings are instant so long as they are verified with the correct credentials as needed. I only provide a bedroom, a private bathroom and part of the balcony on their end that has a bistro table. California is terribly expensive, that is why I left. I am sure the taxes account for the rise in cost as well as the areas that you might choose with higher end properties. And Airbnb allows a guest to offer, I have had someone offer less and I did not agree. 

Willow3
Level 10
Coupeville, WA

When traveling, we often stay at Airbnb properties.  We have a holiday to the UK coming up this summer and I'd say 40% of our accommodations will be Airbnb. 

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Lovely to hear @Willow3 and I hope the sun shines brightly when you visit the UK. Are you traveling around the country or staying mainly in one place? 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

Yes, I have, and I will continue to do so: it's just so much more fun to try out an Airbnb listing than to go to a Holiday Inn....you never quite know what you are going to get, but that is part of the attraction!
I go very carefully through the pictures and description. If I find real poor pictures, like way too dark or too much stuff on the counters,  or no lights next to the bed (a must for me as I read before going to sleep), and/or sloppy description with weird house rules, I don't bother, then I'm better off in a hotel room. So I trust my own instincts about a place much more than the reviews. But if a place has visible mark downs or a real bad review, I  won't go. 
I don't tell people right away per message that I am a fellow host, it comes out easily enough when we get to the point of personal contact. Makes no difference to me if a place has IB or not, priority is that I'd want to go to the specific place I selected, I can wait a few hours for the response.
So far it all has worked out great, stayed at great places with nice hosts:) Except for probably one - but interestingly enough that was very early in my Airbnb experience: it was way overpriced for what it was ($185) , but it was the only thing in the whole area, hotel rooms were over $200. they had glowing reviews, looked real romantic, but I decided after my stay that it was a shtick, the hosts were just milking people for as much as they could get.... interestingly enough, their "review" for each guest was and is always the same : "thank you." that's it, but it already tells of the totally impersonal attitude.
Anyhow, the only thing that at times keeps me from renting through Airbnb is that I might not be ready to make a commitment far in advance for a specific date and then , when I'm ready, the places I'd want are already booked. Not wanting to set myself up for disappointment, I then just book a regular hotel room.
Love the whole Airbnb thing! Looking forward to my new guests coming in in a few hours - I already know that they are really interesting!

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

This is really interesting to hear @Annette33 and I think its good that you take your time to look thoroughtly at the listing. Do you think as a host it makes it easier to know what to look out for on a listing, such as nice photos and a detailed overview? 🙂 

 

I hope you have a great time with your guests, by now I am sure they have arrived. 

 

Lizzie


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.