Do you think there should be a suggested standard for airbnb amenities ?

[Anthony1095]

Hello All,

So far my airbnb experiences have been generally good, but with some reservations  as well. I've stayed in about five places 

so far here in the Orlando FL area. One thing I have noticed is that there can be big differences in the amenities of the accommodations. 

The one I am staying in now is just OK. But here's what is lacking : no dresser in the room I am staying in now to put your clothes. Not a huge deal but I would 

think that is a pretty basic thing to have available. There is a TV in there, one with a fairly big screen and a good brand, but not hooked up with no remote and no way to watch it. There isn't a small table or desk in the bedroom to put my laptop though there is ample room for one. No place to hang your towels in the guest bathroom they go on the floor. Two airbnb's ago I stayed in a place that was more like a dorm. 8 people sharing one bathroom, 4 bunkbeds in one of the rooms and double beds in the other two. There was also a place to sleep out near the pool in a cabana setup so that makes 9 people sharing one bathroom. 

Frequently no hot water because too many people using the one shower. I haven't given anyone any bad reviews because the people converting their homes into airbnb's are often needing to do that to pay their mortgage, utilities, or other bills. However I think there should also be some minimum standards Like a limit on people using one bathroom. However it does pay to offer honest feedback to the hosts about their facilities. I did to to the nice lady who ran the airbnb with the 9 personage usage of the bathroom. She took my feedback graciously and is scheduling a contractor to add another bathroom and a half to her home as she is the owner. Plus a second hot water or a bigger replacement. So don't be shy if you think your airbnb could use some improvement. 

[Sarah977]

@Anthony1095  No, sorry, I don't think it should be standardized. There are all sorts of accommodations offered on Airbnb, and guests are free to choose one that meets their needs. It should evident from the listing information, including the amenities list, the photos and the reviews, in addition to your ability to message the host and ask questions before committing to a booking, as to what to expect.

Surely the place with the bunk beds and one shared bathroom for 9 people was eveident that it was so from the listing? If not, that's a failure of accuracy on the host's part and you should mark them down for accuracy. If the listing was accurate, why did you book it if you didn't want to live in that type of hostel situation?

I would venture a guess that you are booking on the basis of price, choosing unexpensive listings. As in most walks of life, you get what you pay for.

I agree that 9 people sharing a bathroom is a bit much and may even violate local accomodation laws. And there is nothing wrong with some friendly feedback to a host about what, as a guest, you feel they might do to make their place better. But guests also make the most absurd suggestions to hosts, such as adding another bathroom- in the place you mentioned, I agree that she should either not try to host so many people at once, or add some bathroom facilities, but in most cases, what this would amount to is a guest who's paid $25/night suggesting to a host that they spend thousands of dollars on some major remodel of their home. Which is ridiculous, and not in the same league as suggesting they provide guests with a bedside lamp or a desk and a chair.

There are entire threads here on the forum with the most ridiculous suggestions hosts have ever had from their guests. There's some real doozies.

In the future, I'd suggest that you book places that provide the amenities you would like, rather than being disappointed that there weren't things that were never offered in the first place. There are plenty of listings that provide guests with dressers, closets and hangars, desks and chairs, cable TV, and anything else you deem necessary for a good stay. For which you might have to pay a little more than you have been.

Booking an Airbnb isn't much different than booking a hotel in what you can expect. Book a Motel 6 room and you aren't going to get the same amenities as you would if you booked a room at the Four Seasons. If the hotel industry insisted that Motel 6's had the same level of service and amenities as the Four Seasons, you'd never have the option of a cheap motel room.

[Anonymous]

@Anthony1095   I agree with @Sarah977 .  It's important for the host to represent their amenities accurately, but it's your responsibility as the customer to filter your searches, and determine based on the information provided whether a listing matches your personal needs.

If you look back at the listings from places you've stayed in the past and found that they were genuinely inaccurate, it's fine to express this in your review. And if upon arrival you find that the misrepresentation is so egregious that you don't want to complete your stay, and the host cannot remedy the situation, you are probably covered by the Guest Refund Policy to get a refund for the unused nights.