iahphx

I believe this is typical behavior of guests, and is why many experienced travellers (including myself) use airbnb as their last option for booking accommodations.

It's actually funny to read hotel reviews, where guests complain about EVERYTHING, and then read airbnb reviews, where guests complain about NOTHING. While both systems are a bit weird, at least the hotel reviews are "real," and you can choose to filter out the negative reviews which seem petty or not deal-breaking. The problem with the airbnb system is that there is virtually no constructive criticism. Your best shot is to look for code words: like a "cozy space" is actually a " very small room."

Because there is no criticism, I'm left with picking only 5-star properties when I need one and, if I have the time, pouring over the photos and reviews for clues as to what I'm really getting. This way, I've avoided terrible properties, but it's still difficult to pick out the gems from the "only OK" listings. For this reason, I prefer booking rooms at smaller properties on booking.com over airbnb, as booking.com customers are far more critical in their comments and give me a better idea of what I'm getting into.

I do think that airbnb knows this is a problem with their review system, but I doubt they have a solution. It's very hard to change a system where all their listings look like great choices. But they need to, as they will lose repeat customers like myself, who know enough to not trust their reviews and who therefore prefer to book though other, more reliable channels .