I really appreciate a nice hotel and often opt for that, however the ability to rent an entire freestanding home (or flat) is a game changer for families and groups traveling.
I find that there are some pretty simple heuristics you can employ to avoid these bad airbnb experiences ... the quality of the home/unit can instantly be assessed by looking at the bathroom and kitchen pictures. If you see shower curtains, you pass - if you see glass shower doors, you proceed. A high end surface and a nice range/stove in the kitchen pictures tell you everything you need to know about the unit.
As for the hosts, never, ever book with new hosts and always discuss things over the phone and get a sense as to whom you are dealing with.
The nicer and more expensive the unit, the better the experience you will have.
Ain't that a bit of a bootstrapping problem.
There will always be people willing to take a risk.
There's honestly not much that can go wrong with an Airbnb experience as a guest, unless you're doing some weird spa cycle arrangement like the person in this story did, are gambling on a first-time host, or have some bizarre fluke. If they lie about any of the amenities or anything else in the listing it's simple to bring it up with Airbnb.
I've reached the point where I can't find a single reason to actually stay in a hotel anymore, no matter where I'm traveling (internationally or in the US).
The main reasons (cost aside) are unresponsive hosts, late hosts, and incorrect details. I've never had any 'weird' arrangements either, just normal stays.
Hell, people's experiences like this person's are reason enough.
That's interesting. Every now and again I'll look at Airbnb, just to see if it's changed much; especially if I'm trying to stay in an area with few choices.
Often all I see are spare bedrooms or studio apartments that people are putting online for more than the nearby hotels charge. I even remember seeing listings for couches, not even entire rooms. But I don't remember if that was Airbnb, or another service.
But room service, for me, is often a requirement. I'll pay extra for room service because with the way my business trips are scheduled, it's a necessity. Bonus points if it's available 24 hours.
I use Airbnb a lot, but I actually agree with what you're saying. If you want a profession hotel experience, stay at a hotel. Sometimes it's preferable to have more space, maybe a kitchen, and more privacy, even if it means giving up daily maid service, a front desk, or other typical hotel amenities.
I completely disagree with this. 99% of Lyft drivers pass the very low bar of being able to drive somewhere without getting into an accident, which is all most people care about when they need a ride.
I like apartments, cabins, tiny "boutique" B&Bs and similar. I like not meeting any staff; I don't want room service or a spa or a gym or any other such services. I like not being in some obnoxious city center. I like to have a real kitchen with a dining table; I like having multiple rooms and maybe a balcony or private back yard. Those places are generally hard to find, are often marketed towards large groups (and priced accordingly) or rich people, and are often much more expensive than on AirBnB.
There's no technical reason why someone couldn't build a nice hotel like that, of course.
If I want a professional hotel experience, I stay at a hotel. If I wanted a less predictable experience from people playing at running a hotel, I'd stay at one of these amateur hotels.
To be sure, there are excellent hotel-grade Airbnb places. But just like there are excellent Uber/Lyft drivers, there are others who are simply cosplaying taxi driver.
It's the nature of the "gig economy." And why I avoid it.