bluefive5

We just retuned from a Europe trip and used Airbnb three times. Spent 3 nights in Copenhagen, 3 nights in Budapest and 3 nights in Prague. All apartments were very nice and a great value (around $110 per night.) It was so comfortable to have an entire apartment to ourselves.

Airbnb was easy to use, we had good communication while making the reservations and a host was waiting for us at the door when we arrived. This was really helpful to get wifi passwords and restaurant recommendations. Feel free to PM me if you wish to get more info on where we stayed.

heraclitus

I am finding airbnb to be a godsend. Since having a child I have preferred staying in suite hotel rooms with a separate bedroom so he can sleep in peace and quiet while the Mrs. remain awake. Having other perks like a kitchen and washing machines are wonderful too.

The trouble is that true suites tend to be very expensive premium products at most hotels, especially in central urban areas (as opposed to airport hotels where they are priced more modestly, but in areas that are of little use to tourists).

Airbnb has solved this problem by unlocking a great array of condos perfect for our situation that are priced about the same as a hotel room. So far I have dealt with owners Ive found through VRBO and Tripadvisor, but in some US cities it seems much easier to find places through airbnb and I have recently used it to make reservations at owner-occupied places. The timing of airbnb's ascent couldn't be better as paying $110 a night for a nicely-appointed condo sure beats paying $250 a night or whatever at Sheraton Suites or some other place that can give me a room with those types of amenities that makes travelling with a child a pleasure.

Erewhon88

I used Airbnb when I was traveling to LA, got a room of 3 for $95/night. Overall, it was a wonderful experience (especially, the average price of LA hotels is around $180). Surprisingly, the owner graduated from my college

BlakeySFC

Just booked up with AirBNB for the first time for my trip to Melbourne next year, communications have gone well so far and the reviews for the apartment I've chosen are decent and plentiful so fingers crossed I'll have a great first-time experience using them.

Forrest Bump

I consider Airbnb fees over the top high, which in many cases positioned the apartments I was looking at out of the market, and non-competitive to similar solutions/locations on booking.com and others.

Also the reviews on classic accomodation websites are more spontaneous and eventually truthful, as on Airbnb a logic indulgence towards the host immediately after the stay is understandable.
Plus a tough review is a double edged sword against the guest, equally subject to review.
Bottom line, after several stays, I don't even received any form of recognition from Airbnb, being it a discount voucher or a slash to their fees.

heraclitus

Airbnb fees are high, but they do provide a certain level of reassurance, and the all-in costs are generally still a good value. It's much like the situation with Stubhub... yeah, I could buy game tickets through Craigslist and save on fees, but if I get screwed at least Stubhub gives me some form of recourse... not so with Craigslist.

melissayyz

I used Airbnb almost exclusively while travelling for six months in Japan. It worked out very well and all the places I stayed at were great. I've also used it in Seoul and in Italy. (If it makes a difference, I only stay in places where you get the whole apartment to yourself.)

TalknTalk

I am actually considering renting my house on AirBnB. I have some questions though. I figured that I would lock all of my personal stuff in one room and then rent out the entire rest of the house. Are there people that do that? Or do the renters live in the house WITH you while you stay? Do they cook you breakfast like a "Bed & Breakfast"?

What is the appeal to live in a house rather than at a hotel?

EkekoBWI

IME, they have been present, and I think that's better for everyone, but to each his own. I had a family offer to cook me breakfast, but usually I was out the door too early. If you do take a cook-them-breakfast approach, you should factor that into the rate. However, the level of interaction appreciated by AirBnB-ers varies widely, so I'd tend to just give them run of the kitchen to start rather than try to synch schedules / meals at the get go.

What's the appeal of AirbBnB? Too many to list, but towards the top are getting a better rate and gaining a local's perspective.

TOMFORD

I don't understand AirBnB.

Couchsurfing.org has the same thing, but for free.

Homeaway.com has the same thing, but more homes available.

cbn42

Couchsurfing is entirely different. Sometimes you get a bed, but usually it's just space on someone's couch or a sleeping bag on the floor. It's more about the cultural exchange than a place to stay.

AirBnB actually lets you rent a room or apartment, or even a full house.

I haven't used homeaway.

TOMFORD

Okay good point about couchsurfing.

I recently got a beach-side house (private beach) on Cape Cod for 8 days for $1300 via Homeaway, money well-spent. Homeaway has almost twice as many homes (952K) versus AirBnB (500K) according to Google. To me AirBnB just seems like a Homeaway-wanna-be, or, if AirBnB came about first, then Homeaway is a way better product as there are more people on it.

Mrtrash757

My first (and so far only) AirBNB experience was January of this year.

I flew ORD-BOS to see my gf (had to leave on the 31st of December vs my planned date of 1/1... long story). I pre planned for us to go into boston over night, used the first time discount to get 25 off of the 75/night rate. Lady I booked with told me the room is usually 250 a night

Anyway, major nor'easter blew through day before we got to the City, host was accomidating and the place was excelent ^^^^^^ I was 2 blocks from South Station in the Leather District in a rehabbed studio. Excelent place, I wish I had one of my own...

I would def do it again. Well worth it!

onthego15

I will be making my first airbnb stay starting this Friday in Seattle. I am visiting my step-daughter, but there is no room at her place for me this time (other family visiting at the same time). And there no hotels near her, only expensive B & B s.
I did finally book a place onairbnb, but it was an ordeal. Since Seattle in August is very popular, finding places for an 8 day stay is not easy.
Virtually all of the good places were already booked. So, I ended up dealing with hosts who are new to airbnb. I made a booking in her neighborhood more than one month before my visit, but two weeks later that host cancelled on me. I then spent many hours on airbnb for many days trying to find a new place. I had so many hassles with hosts and with the website that I ended up having multiple conversations and emails with an airbnb staff person. He was very helpful.
What I discovered is that people who are new hosts really don't have a clue about what they are doing. Their descriptions are vague, their pictures sparse, they don't maintain their calendars, and they don't respond to questions. I tried (and failed) to do bookings with about five new hosts, so it wasn't just one person. I would have loved to avoid them, but they were the only people to have listings that were seemingly available.
Finally I gave up on being in my step-daughter's neighborhood and booked a few miles away with an experienced host. I will be staying next to the interstate, but at such a late date I really had little choice.
If I ever do airbnb again, I will avoid new hosts and stick with hosts who know what they are doing. I have talked with a number of friends who use airbnb as guests and as hosts, and their experiences have been positive.
I told the airbnb staff person that they really should provide training to new hosts.
I have rented out my family's beach condo for many years, so I know that there is a lot of information and work required to handle rentals well.

Tchiowa

Several cities are starting to crack down on AirBnB. It avoids many of the taxes and regulations that regular hotels have. The hotels are complaining. The "squatter" in California triggered some heavy responses.