What is the allure of an Air BnB?

Just something different people can do on a trip I guess.

Cheaper.

I’ve used AirB&B twice. Both worked well for the needs.

One was an apt. in Cyprus. It was cheaper than a hotel room, within walking distance to the attractions, and spacious with all of the amenities needed for a week’s stay.

The second was a secluded log cabin in the mountains. It was a 3-bed/3-bath house, ideal for a reunion of three college girls who have stayed in touch but not seen each other in ~35 years. We watched the daughters of one friend play univ. volleyball on the living room large-screen TV, caught up over morning coffee on the veranda surrounded by woods, cooked, and played card games just like we did at school. The cabin was a superior setting than 3 hotel rooms.

Because a furnished house or apartment is preferable to being squeezed into a room, particularly if you can acquire the house for less.

Airbnb accommodation is very varied and you have more choice of location and style of property than if you choose a hotel. It is usually cheaper too and better value. When I am on holiday in a city, I find it more interesting to stay in a residential area living among local people rather than be in an anonymous hotel. Airbnb hosts are also very helpful and can give you useful tips about getting around and what to see and do. I feel I can relax more in an Airbnb as there is none of the formality of a hotel and you are not usually restricted to living in a single room.

There was nothing fancy about the Air BnB where I stayed. It was just a house. I stayed there to save money. I just need a place to sleep. Why pay $200 a day for a bed when there’s a bed available for $50 a day?

Generally cheaper, better and more unique.

As an aside, my landlady has one in the other half of my duplex. She charges 160 a night. But you get the whole unit which sleeps up to 5 I think.

Living alone, I don’t see any advantage!!! My neighbor has 5 children & a husband, she swears she saves a ton of money. I’ve seen too many news reports of spy cams being found in strange places. Over in SC, one owner mainly rented to young people or adults with young children. His house was near the beach. A spy cam was found conveniently hidden in the bathroom so he could watch youngsters in various stages of undress. Last I heard, he was sitting in jail awaiting trial. No clue IF he’ll ever be prosecuted.

I see Air BnB’s being a more modern version of the old B&B’s except you need to cook for yourself & clean up behind yourself when departing.

They’re certainly more interesting and less generic. They tend to have much more character than most hotels for similar prices.

You don’t have to deal with plastic and depressed or otherwise-non-wonderful people typically found in/around hotels for similar prices.

You do sometimes get unique unexpected information and at least a little interaction with someone who runs an Air BnB. e.g. real restaurant recommendations, discussion of the local people and places.

You are mostly paying a local human, rather than paying a hotel or a hotel corporation.

Why is it called an Air BnB?

@Dutchess_III AIR mattress Bed aNd Breakfast

You don’t get breakfast like you do at a BnB though

Everything that’s already been mentioned. More flexibility for location, more interesting, sometimes cheaper.

Also during the pandemic, I appreciated that they were more isolated than a hotel.

@raum That’s true about the pandemic. Most of the time, there is a few days or more in between guests too.

Now for the advantage of a chain hotel/motel: you know what you’re getting and you know there is going to be a certain level of quality. If not, you can complain to someone higher up who will get the job done, as far as allowing you to change rooms or if it’s not to your satisfaction, you can write to the CEO. At an AirBnB, you can complain to AirBnB, but as for what is going to rectify the problem on the night you’re in the room, probably not a whole lot.

There are groups on FB and YouTube videos of horrifying looking AirBnB rooms, and there are posts in decorating groups where people post their rooms that they’re going to rent out, asking about others’ opinions on the decor. When I check into a Holiday Inn or a Doubtree or a Hilton, I know the decor is going to be contemporary and well kept up. I don’t have that same assurance with an AirBnB. It might be beautiful, it might be horrible. It’s a gamble.

A friend has a condo they rent out on VRBO and it’s a good price for a one bedroom place, view of the water, etc. However, the decor is a bit dated and the couch is not actually a couch, it’s a settee. I’d rather check into a hotel and know I’m getting what I’m getting, but there are some that will gladly take the dated decor and the settee for the price. It’s a matter of who you ask.

You can pick the perfect setting for you. It’s private and usually nice. Many like to cook at home and full furnished means no lugging thing’s around.
And some leave their cats, dogs or other pets you can enjoy.

Yes, having a fully-loaded kitchen is nice. Laundry for longer trips. And when the weather is hot, a pool is great.

When a Marriott family hotel is available I almost always opt for that. I rack up points, and so I’m a platinum level now. I get upgrades, gifts, club level which includes free food and drinks. There are benefits for being loyal to the chains.

B&B’s can be great for unique locations, and sometimes the owners are really nice and helpful. I’ve only stayed at B&B’s where the owner is there and I stayed in a room, I’ve never “rented” a whole house or apartment through AirBnB or something similar for just a few days or weeks.

I used to take care of my friends house who rented it out through AirBnB and her house was great, and better than staying at a hotel here, because the person renting gets a resident card and can get all the resident benefits. Free golf, free activities, and staying at hotel you wouldn’t get that here.

Also, as people mentioned above, sometimes it’s much cheaper to stay in a BnB.

I, too, wonder.

We want to take our whole family, 5 adults and 2 teens, and getting 3 hotel rooms Is very expensive.

I’ve rented an AirBNB in Puerto Rico twice. It was a house that was converted into 2 apartments. Both times I went off season and I had basically the house and the whole place. First. The house had easy parking and beautiful grounds with pool and jacuzzi. Grill for grilling and beautiful patio for lounging next to the pool. That would be shared by both places. Downstairs was 2 bedrooms with 2 bath, laundry room, living room, Kitchen and dining. Sleeps 6. The upstairs was 3 bedroom 2 baths, enormous kitchen,. Dining room and large deck with a table for 6 and a smaller deck on the other side. All with a beautiful view of the mountain and the ocean and that slept 8. I paid 115 per night for the down stairs the first time I went and then paid 135 (would’ve been 150 but I got a discount because the first time I stayed they were working on the pool, so I was promised a discount for my next return trip).
So going back. I could come and leave as I want and if I had a lot of guests it would’ve been way cheaper than a hotel.
My sister rented and AirB&B by the beach that accommodated 14 people and allowed a dog for a week. It was the easiest way for the family to get together for a week and eating out for such a large group would’ve been expensive. So meals were cooked there daily. You save money that way and can use more of your money on excursions.
My brother in law just rented one for a 60 days because he just moved here with his family and needed to find a place close to his son school and his job until his shipment arrives. It also gave him time to find a place to rent. So the AirBNB was 6000 for 60 days, but sleeps 6 and the hotels near there would’ve been 300 a night and they all share the same room, with not kitchen or laundry room for possibly 2 months. So that would’ve cost more than 18,000 once you include taxes.

Did you sleep on an air mattress @Pandora?

@Dutchess_III No. It was actual beds. On the bottom floor it had 2 queen and upstairs 3 queens and both had futon sofas in the living room that was full size.

I looked up the “air” in Air BnB. Turns out some college kids started the trend, renting out their dorms and apartments for parties. They had so many takers that they had to get air mattresses to sleep them all.

@Dutchess_III Well most ratings include personal descriptions by people who rented. I’m sure near college dorms you may find some party places but most of them are rented by people who either own two homes and are looking to make enough money to pay off one of them or have two homes paid off and use one of them to make extra income. The nicer the place the more they can charge. Some of the really large homes that are rented for families can be pricey if they are by a beach and won’t be rented to party kids. They usually want to know who is renting and who is staying. Its all about location though. Not every Air BNB is successful. Bad reviews about cleaniness, or bad beds, or neighborhood or the owners can sink the business. There is also VRBO. Forgot to mention, my BIL place that he is currently staying cost him 6000 for 60 days. That comes out to 100 a night for 4 people in 2 bedrooms. Its a private home where they converted the basement with a walk out patio into an apartment for up to 6 people. They have a pull out sofa. The owners live above and I was told are very nice and sweet people. Retired couple in a big home. So this is their way of making extra cash.

@Pandora…I was discussing the history of AirBnBs, how they got started. I wasn’t commenting on the current industry in general.

@Dutchess_III Ah

I just used AirBnB to book a third accommodation. My partner has been chosen for jury duty in another town. We don’t own a vehicle, so his choices are a long commute each way every day or staying near the court.

A decent apt. was found. It is close by the courthouse, cheaper than a hotel, and meets the needs he’ll have for two weeks.