Luckylxe

I've used it several times and will again for my upcoming trip to China. So far, I have been thrilled with the value of the rentals I've made and all the people I've dealt with. No hidden fees, and all deposits have been returned without hassle.

awardticket

I usually pay around 150 a night for my hotel rooms. I am going to Bali this summer and was looking into Airbnb. The advantages are that I can get a private home with a pool for about 80 -150 a night.

Is Airbnb basically just like staying in someone's house, and if you get a unit that says whole house the owner just moves out for the week? My wife usually goes for the nice Western hotels, however as we just had our first baby we wanted a quite and more private setting. So trying to figure out exactly what Airbnb can or cannot be. Thanks any tips welcome!!

sfx

it is everything from the owner going away on holiday themselves, though to people doing it constantly with an extra flat.

there are even stories of people in London and NYC renting several flats from landlords then making a profit on short rentals.

basically checkout the reviews left....

awardticket

Hey maybe I should get involved in the business angle! Lol!

mkt

Several good experiences, one bad experience. I was left without a place to stay in Madrid, and the host cancelled me while I was inflight.

I'll be using them in DC next week.

Romelle

I'd been fighting the Wish List process. Seemed I would put things in and they would just vanish. I'd deleted offers and they would stick. Tried to delete entire wish lists and they would just come back. I emailed Airbnb.

Sharing their response:

"If you’re having troubles with your Wish Lists, using a different web browser is the best solution for quickly seeing many errors disappear. It is always best to view Airbnb in Google Chrome or Firefox, since our site is not optimized for Internet Explorer or Safari."

They went on to say they are working on the problem, so it may get corrected.

I'll still book with them, as I've been happy with prior stays. The Wish List process is nice, but copying URLs to an open document on my desk top worked fine. Just wanted to post this in case others of you are having similar problems.

Romelle

annihilistic

I stayed in Manhattan for $40 a night which, in my opinion, is an absolute bargain. Would definitely use it again.

Was careful to find a place with good reviews and had moderate/flexible cancellation. Lucky I did because I had to move dates due to Hurricane Sandy. I also tried to find a place with no security deposit or cleaning fee. Really though, the fees are pretty upfront on airbnb.

MactasticMendez

i've only used it once about 2 years ago and i had a great experience i was staying in a small basement apartment in san Francisco owned by a guy called glenn. he was the most helpful and caring person gave me some great advice about places to eat or visit.

with airbnb i think its more a case of reading the reviews of someone and seeing if there a good host as unlike a hotel where you hope for some form of consistency between them your dealing with individual people and there homes etc but they can make a trip that bit more personal and special with the knowledge of a local at your fingertips.

forumpersona999

This may be difficult to find outside the USA and half a dozen select countries. Not sure if you realize but AirBNB's much hyped 1M US$ "host guarantee" insurance is only available in a bunch of countries.

Hosts in most of the world have no recourse if a guest trashes the place or stuff disappears. The security deposit is also a useful pseudo credit-check tool for the host.

sfx

apart from the Police and legal systems, and their insurance.

forumpersona999

Not applicable in Manila / Bangkok I can assure you.

So an AirBNB guest lights a tea light and places it on the brand new golden teak table then walks away. Comes back and has burnt a nice 1 inch diameter hole into the surface.

Then he checks out and promises to pay later because he is all out of cash now and has a plane to catch. Without a security deposit from AirBNB you expect me to call the Royal Thai Police over this ? Sue a foreigner who has just left the country over a 100 dollar damage ? Use the non-existant landlord's insurance ?

sfx

then get insurance.

forumpersona999

None exists. There is no such thing as landlord's insurance in Thailand.

In Australia it exists and I have seen people being denied claims on AirBNB stays because the insurer argued that a short term lease a 'la AirBNB is not covered because they are effectively running a motel.

The argument stands: The security deposit which AirBNB hold in escrow is not an evil thing. I has its place.

sterlingarcher79

I have had nothing but great experiences through AirBnB.

My first time, I got myself a room (on a shared house) in London, just north of the city. The host was an american who went home for new year's eve and when we got there, the room was ready for us.

On my RTW, booked an apartment in Hong Kong, a room in Nelson, NZ, a house in San Francisco and a guest house in Los Angeles.

I guess the biggest difference is (besides price) the fact that you get to stay in residential areas and if you're lucky, you're able to meet great people.

In Honk Kong, the owner invited us to dinner on a local restaurant. Luckily for us, he translated the menu.

In Nelson, NZ, though having stayed just for the night, the owner was kind enough to point all the sights in New Zealand's South Island, which was a treat.

And in San Francisco, not only did I get a great and confortable house, but I was able to meat a great host who made all the difference during the stay.

And as much can be said for LA.

Pricing, amenities & rules are transparent and the rest, well, it's all about common sense. Read the reviews, search with patience and contact the owners for more information. Only book when you feel confortable with your choice

Mauibaby2008

I rent a room via Airbnb. It is a great service for both sides. Love it