Which is safer, hotel or Airbnb?
#61
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
I have stayed at both hotel and airbnb the last 2 months. I would say airbnb feels much safer. The hotel I stay at, everyone was wearing masks (guest and staff). However, guests don't wear mask at the pool and restaurants (outdoor seating). The pool and restaurants were packed every day/night. We ate at the hotel restaurant once and did not use the pool. I feel like we were paying for a lot of things that we did not use at the hotel.
Since then I have booked 2 more airbnb stays. They are both later this month at SoCal. If they were hotel stays, the hotel would have cancelled them as they are non-essential. Airbnb, so far, has not cancelled yet.
Since then I have booked 2 more airbnb stays. They are both later this month at SoCal. If they were hotel stays, the hotel would have cancelled them as they are non-essential. Airbnb, so far, has not cancelled yet.
#62
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,358
Hotels really, really need to start actually enforcing the mask policies. They keep emailing me about heightened cleaning protocols, but I will not stay in a hotel unless they can convince me that their employees PROPERLY wear masks and enforce guests wearing them. Full stop. Wiping down surfaces is the equivalent of TSA security theather.
Last edited by Zeeb; Dec 8, 2020 at 7:23 am
#63
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: SAS EBS / *A Silver, Hilton Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,630
Very much this. There are lots of things that would be perfectly safe to do during this pandemic if not for the fact that the type of person who insists on going out to do those things is often the type of person who won't wear a mask and keep their distance. Hotels and airports being a great example of that phenomenon. Which is why for the time being I'll stick to places I can drive and rent out a whole house.
#64
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Plat
Posts: 754
While traveling in October I wanted to stay at AirBnBs and had some time to go check them out first (I was temporarily staying at a friend’s house). Most hosts said no, but one said fine. It turned out to be a rental company. The “boss” met me at the unit. He had a mask on. When we went in 3 people from the cleaning crew were in there, bleach and all. But none of them were wearing masks. So on the one hand they clean the surfaces of virus, but then spread their own droplets all over them as they vacuum, change bedding, etc. I did not stay there. At one other AirBnB I was interested in the host showed up with no mask. I asked if they had a mask they could put on. “No.” That was the end of that tour.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: my heart is on the shores of the north Italian lakes
Programs: LX Senator Lifetime, Relais&Chateaux Club5C, ex ! "Amanjunkie", ex LHW LC, hate chain hotels
Posts: 2,512
Never thought I will become a fan of Airbnb
Masks don't turn unsafe activity into a safe one. They are just the last resort to somewhat lower the risk if one really has to engage in such activity (e.g. essential travel). People who think wearing a mask is an excuse for high-risk behaviour are the problem and the reason why the second wave hit Europe so hard despite mandates.
Regarding Airbnb I have become a big fan of them and always reserved and paid for the night BEFORE my arrival. It is a fantastic platform and a certain guarantee (I never thought I will become a fan of them .
P.S. At the actual stage of the Pandemic I think it is totally irresponsible to leave home.
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,329
#67
Join Date: Oct 2020
Programs: Iberia
Posts: 46
Some hotels are probably just blowing hot air about increased sanitation standards and housekeeping doesn't even wipe down surfaces (which, if it's a huge hotel and you have underpaid housekeeping staff who have to get through hundreds of rooms, would you be surprised?) I would go with an AirBnB personally just because I'd be sharing less "airspace" with other people, and would bring my own wipes to wipe down commonly used surfaces.
An Airbnb could be better or worse than that, and I have stayed in Airbnbs with the odd suspicious hair on the sheets. Could it be a hair from the cleaner when the clean sheet was put on? Or from a previous guest?
I remember staying in youth hostels where you had to strip your bed on check out, and when checking in you are given fresh sheets to put on. Maybe that's the way to do it to be sure!