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Started By
Message
Airbnb tips from longtime host
Posted on 3/2/24 at 9:19 am
Posted on 3/2/24 at 9:19 am
Been seeing a lot of negative stories on Airbnbs on other boards. This post isnt to defend Airbnbs vs hotels but instead to give some inside(somewhat) tips to get a good price and good experience.
-For a 1-2 night stay where you or your party only needs one room, in US hotels will be your best bet price and experience wise. Europe is a bit different but for 1 night, hotel is still probably best bet.
-For a late check in(8pm or after arrival), especially in Europe where there could be language barriers, a hotel the first night is a much safer option. Europeans are not as good with the easy self check-ins. Never expect it to be simple.
-Always select the "display total before taxes" option before you start looking. This will factor in the fees so you dont get hoodwinked on checkout page by a huge cleaning fee.
-The cleaning fee is set by the host. For reference, I pay $150(in AL)to have my 3br 3ba ~1900 sq ft house to be cleaned
-This may be obvious...but search using the map feature. You can zoom in to your preferred neighborhood and then switch to the scrolling if you prefer that
-The listings that are superhosts and "guest favorites" have hosts with much more to lose by having a bad guest experience and getting a negative review.
-Look at profile and profile pics of hosts. If there is a guy/girl dressed in business casual, its good good indicator. I guy/girl with an obscured face...avoid.
-In general, be super cautious about new listings.
-Professional pictues=professional listing. The more effort they have put into listing, the more they have to lose by having a bad guest experience
-*READ THE REVIEWS* If you book a place without reading reviews and have a bad experience, dont blame Airbnb, blame yourself
-If you dont want to get a bad review on your stay, DO NOT indicate by message that you are gonna give a bad review. In general, it does you no good to complain at all. Asking for something if its missing or broken is another thing, but NEVER send a message like "the place is kinda dirty" "its not really what I expected"
Just leave an honest review at the end of the stay and never mention your discontent to a host before you both leave reviews.
*Money saving tips
-Book a day or two before. You dont save money booking far ahead of time. Not one host on planet Earth raises their prices as dates approach. Only book far ahead of time for an exceptional place youve stayed at before(and dont wanna risk). This is especially true in places with a lot of listings to choose from.
-If a place has lots of competition and you are an attractive guest(one with multiple 5 star reviews and staying 3 or more nights), it doesnt hurt to ask if a host can give you a better price. Hosts dont really price for
long stays so if you are say staying 5-10 days and the price seems super high, send a message like "would you take X amount for these nights". These are the stays hosts like the most and they are most likely to give good deals.
-For a 1-2 night stay where you or your party only needs one room, in US hotels will be your best bet price and experience wise. Europe is a bit different but for 1 night, hotel is still probably best bet.
-For a late check in(8pm or after arrival), especially in Europe where there could be language barriers, a hotel the first night is a much safer option. Europeans are not as good with the easy self check-ins. Never expect it to be simple.
-Always select the "display total before taxes" option before you start looking. This will factor in the fees so you dont get hoodwinked on checkout page by a huge cleaning fee.
-The cleaning fee is set by the host. For reference, I pay $150(in AL)to have my 3br 3ba ~1900 sq ft house to be cleaned
-This may be obvious...but search using the map feature. You can zoom in to your preferred neighborhood and then switch to the scrolling if you prefer that
-The listings that are superhosts and "guest favorites" have hosts with much more to lose by having a bad guest experience and getting a negative review.
-Look at profile and profile pics of hosts. If there is a guy/girl dressed in business casual, its good good indicator. I guy/girl with an obscured face...avoid.
-In general, be super cautious about new listings.
-Professional pictues=professional listing. The more effort they have put into listing, the more they have to lose by having a bad guest experience
-*READ THE REVIEWS* If you book a place without reading reviews and have a bad experience, dont blame Airbnb, blame yourself
-If you dont want to get a bad review on your stay, DO NOT indicate by message that you are gonna give a bad review. In general, it does you no good to complain at all. Asking for something if its missing or broken is another thing, but NEVER send a message like "the place is kinda dirty" "its not really what I expected"
Just leave an honest review at the end of the stay and never mention your discontent to a host before you both leave reviews.
*Money saving tips
-Book a day or two before. You dont save money booking far ahead of time. Not one host on planet Earth raises their prices as dates approach. Only book far ahead of time for an exceptional place youve stayed at before(and dont wanna risk). This is especially true in places with a lot of listings to choose from.
-If a place has lots of competition and you are an attractive guest(one with multiple 5 star reviews and staying 3 or more nights), it doesnt hurt to ask if a host can give you a better price. Hosts dont really price for
long stays so if you are say staying 5-10 days and the price seems super high, send a message like "would you take X amount for these nights". These are the stays hosts like the most and they are most likely to give good deals.
This post was edited on 3/2/24 at 8:24 pm
3
Posted on 3/2/24 at 10:00 am to Tigertown in ATL
quote:
Great post. Thanks!
Youre welcome!
Posted on 3/2/24 at 1:42 pm to scottydoesntknow
I book mostly airbnb when I travel. Especially central America, South America and Mexico. I find the best deals and most places use keynotes or door codes.
Plus cheap cleaning fees. Ditto with Disney I mean I could pay $500+ a night for a motel on property (most resorts have doors facing outside; motel) or rent a house with a private pool for $120 a night. No brainer to me.
Cleaning fees you need to look at ahead of time. But I've never felt ripped off by one.
I try to be a good guest. Take out the trash. Pick up my messes and in 3rd world toilet situations make sure to throw my paper in the bin not the toilet. Flooding a bathroom in Cartagena learned me that lesson.
Every time I book a trip I go to airbnb first. The only time I really use hotels in when roadtripping and not having a fixed stopping point. I'll pull up Hotels dot com but I don't like the new rewards system.
.
I book about 5-7 arbnbs a year at least. I love the service. I wonder what my rating is.
Plus cheap cleaning fees. Ditto with Disney I mean I could pay $500+ a night for a motel on property (most resorts have doors facing outside; motel) or rent a house with a private pool for $120 a night. No brainer to me.
Cleaning fees you need to look at ahead of time. But I've never felt ripped off by one.
I try to be a good guest. Take out the trash. Pick up my messes and in 3rd world toilet situations make sure to throw my paper in the bin not the toilet. Flooding a bathroom in Cartagena learned me that lesson.
Every time I book a trip I go to airbnb first. The only time I really use hotels in when roadtripping and not having a fixed stopping point. I'll pull up Hotels dot com but I don't like the new rewards system.
.
I book about 5-7 arbnbs a year at least. I love the service. I wonder what my rating is.
Posted on 3/2/24 at 2:25 pm to Napoleon
quote:we do too, 20 nights a year at least. My wife guards her 5 star rating like a marine. she won’t even let me put my name on the reservation LOL. We leave every place as spotless as we can
I book about 5-7 arbnbs a year at least. I love the service. I wonder what my rating is.
there’s a couple of very cool and very unique places we go back to often and she will not allow any risk of not being welcomed back
the other thing we never do is stay in places that are owner occupied. That’s just weird and creepy and I can’t ever get comfortable
Posted on 3/2/24 at 2:38 pm to cgrand
I've only ever gotten the whole unit. Either apartment or house. I've never done private room or owner occupied.
I now someone who likes just getting rooms in people's houses. No way I could do that.
I now someone who likes just getting rooms in people's houses. No way I could do that.
Posted on 3/2/24 at 2:51 pm to Napoleon
quote:
I book about 5-7 arbnbs a year at least. I love the service. I wonder what my rating is.
Unless theyve changed this, I think you can see. Out of over 1000 guest stays, ive probably left 3 or 4 less than 5 star reviews. My places do price out less than ideal guests most of the time but if I do have a bad guest, I usually just dont leave a review. I try to avoid retaliatory reviews at all cost
Posted on 3/2/24 at 2:57 pm to cgrand
quote:
the other thing we never do is stay in places that are owner occupied. That’s just weird and creepy and I can’t ever get comfortable
I thought about including this. I did stay at a couple of places in Europe that were the home of the host and they were ok, not great. In general full time Airbnbs will mean you will get more hotel like service.
I do also break the rule about newer listings...as I like helping out new hosts. I will almost always leave a great rating and if its just bad, ill forgo leaving a rating
Posted on 3/2/24 at 3:54 pm to scottydoesntknow
another no go is places with ring cameras, virtual assistants, etc. the only time I’ve left a negative review was for a place that was basically a surveillance operation that did not disclose that on the listing. Otherwise if the place has that shite, we don’t book
Posted on 3/2/24 at 3:59 pm to cgrand
I put electric tape over the Ring cameras when I come across them. Only twice.
I agree it's shitty.
Stayed in a place in LA one time that had cameras all over it. But none I could see inside at least.
I agree it's shitty.
Stayed in a place in LA one time that had cameras all over it. But none I could see inside at least.
Posted on 3/2/24 at 5:40 pm to scottydoesntknow
I can’t find my rating on the app.
Posted on 3/2/24 at 6:59 pm to dirtsandwich
The only crazy experiences I've had were in Europe including driving a sprinter van for 2 hours down the tiny streets of Marbella Spain trying to find the key dropoff location, which it turned out was inside a mens clothing store (as if that made any sense at all)
Posted on 3/2/24 at 8:22 pm to dirtsandwich
quote:
I can’t find my rating on the app.
Yeah I cant find mine either...I can only see my host reviews. Maybe it would show it on desktop
*Upon further review, guests cannot see their rating. Youd just have to ask a host you are staying with as they will be able to see it.
This post was edited on 3/3/24 at 9:04 am
Posted on 3/3/24 at 9:49 am to cgrand
We have a Ring doorbell at our AirBnB house at the front door, in the garage and overlooking the driveway. I don’t have them there anywhere to spy on guests. We use them for security, to see when UPS delivers something and to see what’s happening weather wise. As you read more and more about squatters I want to know what’s happening at my property, not what’s happening with my guests.
Posted on 3/3/24 at 10:02 am to deltafarmer
quote:
deltafarmer
Since people seem concerned with this I wonder if letting people know this might be beneficial? That they are only outside I mean.
Posted on 3/3/24 at 11:22 am to Tigertown in ATL
I have wondered that but so far have not done it. Two of the 3 cameras are disabled this morning after the last renters left so informing guests that the cameras are there, where they are and why they are there is probably going to be in the guest handbook from now on.
Posted on 3/3/24 at 4:31 pm to deltafarmer
like I said, just disclose the cameras in the listing. I’ll always pass but it probably won’t bother most people
Posted on 3/4/24 at 8:12 am to scottydoesntknow
quote:
This may be obvious...but search using the map feature. You can zoom in to your preferred neighborhood and then switch to the scrolling if you prefer that
That's one of my biggest gripes on vrbo. Their site sucks when it comes to the map feature. airbnb is so much better.
I typically stay in maybe 3-4 a year and have never had a bad experience. Already have two booked for trips this year. Taking the family to southern Utah between Zion and Bryce for spring break and then back to Moab for a guys trip in October. We'll be getting one for a beach trip in late Sept.
I also don't mind cameras outside. I understand it for security reasons. Cameras inside would be another story.
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