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This is why I went back to hotels. Airbnb is a scummy company and can’t seem to survive without out of control “gotcha” fees added by either itself or its hosts

This is why I went back to hotels. Airbnb is a scummy company and can’t seem to survive without out of control “gotcha” fees added by either itself or its hosts which now make many hotels cheaper. I also am not obligated to do work for the host with a hotel. Some of the hosts have become super entitled over the years due to Airbnbs policies. It’s a shame as using Airbnb was an excellent experience when it first began but that obviously was on borrowed time much like the rest of the gig economy.

seattle_spring 4y ago
I’ve stayed in 100+ Airbnbs and literally never have paid or been asked to pay an extra fee. I have, however, been surprised several times by hotels charging an extra “resort fee” upon arrival.
- prepend 4y ago
  You’ve never had to pay a cleaning fee?
  - ornornor 4y ago
    These are so egregious and can be 50% of a night cost. I’ve had so many bad experiences with Airbnb. It’s never like in the pictures. It’s always noisier, low quality mattress and furniture that looks good on pictures but isn’t functional or breaks if you touch it. I also feel like I’m living in ikea showrooms around the world. And given how expensive the cleaning is, it’s rarely passably clean. Moldy corners in the bathroom, dirt under the bed, chipped dishes… And good luck trying to get Airbnb to help you. Best they can usually do (after you explain your case over from scratch because it’s always a new customer service person) is “alright we’ll check you out, you get a refund, and good luck finding a place for tonight out of pocket” Never again. It’s hotels for me every time as well.
    - JacobThreeThree 4y ago
      >It’s hotels for me every time as well. I like to search for newly built hotels as they usually offer the nicest accommodations.
  - lb1lf 4y ago
    Not the OP, but at least in my jurisdiction (Norway), AirBnB dutifully lists any cleaning fees before I press the 'confirm booking' button. I think the point was 'No -surprise- fees.
  - robocat 4y ago
    They clearly meant a surprise fee, from context. The AirBnB cleaning fee is expected and already included in your bill. Edit: top context is “That is against AirBnB rules” and “refunded” i.e. AirBnB has explicit rules against surprise fees or bonds, and it can enforce rules. I am guessing you just responded quickly but it is always good to spend time to try to “Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.” - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - hackernewds 4y ago
      I think you're guilty of what you're accusing the responder with. The exorbitance of a $200+ cleaning fee is a well-known criticism of Airbnb. And no, not until recently could you see the actual total prior to sunken cost of Reviewing your booking. That too, Airbnb finally implemented once the Biden administration compelled them by law - that is, not before making much fanfare about it with the pretense of them "doing it for the customers"
      - wdb 4y ago
        $200 cleaning fee? How big are the houses you stay in?
        thebiss 4y ago
        When I used a cleaning service 10 years ago, it was $275 for 2 maids to clean 1100sqft house. 1 bath, 1 bedroom, vac+mop everywhere, kitchen dishes. They were done in ~3 hours. NYC area.
        jacurtis 4y ago
        $200 isn't even that large of a cleaning fee by AirBnb standards (i'd say that closer to the median for a full home in the markets I travel in). The last 3 bedroom home I rented on AirBnb had a $500 cleaning fee. We were there 4 days. Its ridiculous, but it's becoming the standard on AirBnb.
      - 4y ago
- luciusdomitius 4y ago
  It is not the hotels, who charge it, but governments, most often the municipality. Usually there is no obligation to hide that from the guest or include it in the price. Just to pay. You can also go pay it straight in the town hall, the hotel is just doing you a favor.
  - nerdbert 4y ago
    A resort fee is not the same as a tourism tax. Tourism taxes are per head, per night and generally Airbnbs are required to charge them as well (though they often don't). A resort fee is a bogus surcharge added by hotels to "cover" advertised amenities, like if a cinema charged you a Dolby Surround fee after you showed your ticket at the entrance.
    - GFischer 4y ago
      Anecdotal evidence, I have paid tourism taxes on both hotels and AirBnBs.
- atkailash 4y ago
  [dead]
- therealdrag0 4y ago
  Ya we got charged a mandatory 20-30$ a day fee at a hotel recently for their “arcade”, which was 2 pinball machines.., and “bar“, which was a mini fridge in the lobby… (1 “free” drink a day).
- rmason 4y ago
  I've always refused to pay the resort fee and only a single time has the hotel not caved. Course this only works if the hotel isn't sold out. I tell them its a separate service because not everyone uses it. So if I am not using say the pool or the gym then I shouldn't have to pay it. The single time I paid the fee was when it included Internet service which I needed. I wrote the CEO of the chain after my stay arguing that charging extra for Internet is like charging extra for electricity or water. Never received a reply.
- omgomgomgomg 4y ago
  I was inclined to say "speak for yourself", but then that would have been rude and your username indicates we are living half way across the planet. Things are different on this side of earth, rest assured. I have paid extra every single time. Further, there is always things like "parking available", but then either its not free of charge or always busy or its....public parkings. Same with internet access. Available, if you pay and if its tourism months. And the internet you get comes from a router in the hallway and is shared and at times it seemed like it has the capacity for one concurrent user. Airbnb enables hosts to publish such things in the name of revenue. But if a host gets in trouble, they have a half arsed wannabe collection team which will drop them like a hot potato soon. There are no reviews of truthfulness of the offers etc. If you have had a good experience, then irs thanks to the host, not thanks to airbnb.
  - nextos 4y ago
    I have also found some Airbnb ads to be inaccurate. Online descriptions and reviews should be more regulated. Google, for instance, keeps removing legitimate reviews from myself and others regarding a builder that rented / sold houses with horrible snagging problems, e.g. bursting pipes and leaky roofs.
    - lobocinza 4y ago
      I have a similar experience with Google removing negative legitimate reviews while not removing fake positive review from the owners itself + family & friends.
suzzer99 4y ago
The latest scam is having to pay either a $1500 deposit, or $59 "deposit insurance", which I assume the host gets some kickback on. I know I'm not going to trash the place. But I also don't like just putting $1500 out there either. A deposit that high only exists so someone can make money off the deposit insurance.
- omgomgomgomg 4y ago
  They, speaking of the hosts, do not make anythong from deposits, I am working in finance, rest assured the reason is a different, much more nefarious one. They want to charge you for potential damages, done by you or not, as well as wear and tear. Never, ever put a deposit for them, not even by credit card. And if you pay for the stay, always , always use a credit card, not a debit card. That way, you can pull the chargeback trigger on them. A chargeback is their worst nightmare, trust me, it can have so many implications and hurt airbnb so badly if they are subject to chargebacks.
  - tekknik 4y ago
    > And if you pay for the stay, always , always use a credit card, not a debit card. That way, you can pull the chargeback trigger on them. You can chargeback with a debit card, I’ve done it a few times myself.
    - relyks 4y ago
      Isn't it only possible within the first 24-48 hours?
      - tekknik 4y ago
        Not in my experience. The network carrying the transaction may still be mastercard or visa in most cases and a chargeback is just debiting the merchants account for the amount.
  - precommunicator 4y ago
    Keep in mind you should treat chargeback as nuclear weapon. AirBnB/other website will terminate your account.
Shorel 4y ago
It forced hotels to have more competitive prices. Honestly, there was not much else it could do in the long term.
- omgomgomgomg 4y ago
  It did not. Booking.com did that. I do however always choose an apartment for corporate trips, but always via booking.com.
- jacurtis 4y ago
  This is sort of a funny argument. I promise that AirBNB prices have no impact or influence on hotel prices. It is generally the opposite, AirBnB rates are often influenced by the prices of surrounding hotels. The number of travelers staying at an Airbnb versus a hotel is under 1%. This is clear by looking at overall inventory available. Even a decent market _might_ have 100 AirBnB listings, that same market will have several thousands (possible 10,000+) of hotel rooms. Generally the opposite is true. AirBnb hosts will justify their nightly rate based on comparable hotels in the area. But the average Marriot for example isn't all that worried about the handful of AirBnbs nearby that they might be losing customers to.
  - lobocinza 4y ago
    That depends on the place. Where I live the near touristic destinations have poor tourism infrastructure so AirBnB and similar is thriving there.
PaulHoule 4y ago
I've never had a terrible experience with AirBNB (although the week I spent working in Montreal living on top of one of the greatest party corners came close but it wasn't the fault of the host or AirBNB.) Personally though I've come to appreciate hotels more and my experience is that you can usually find a decent hotel room for about what an AirBNB costs and I usually like going to a hotel better. (There was that one in Chinatown in NYC that the experience of finding it was somewhere between The Blade Runner and a James Bond movies, I'm not sure if that is a good review or not.)

seattle_spring 4y ago

I’ve stayed in 100+ Airbnbs and literally never have paid or been asked to pay an extra fee. I have, however, been surprised several times by hotels charging an extra “resort fee” upon arrival.

prepend 4y ago
You’ve never had to pay a cleaning fee?
- ornornor 4y ago
  These are so egregious and can be 50% of a night cost. I’ve had so many bad experiences with Airbnb. It’s never like in the pictures. It’s always noisier, low quality mattress and furniture that looks good on pictures but isn’t functional or breaks if you touch it. I also feel like I’m living in ikea showrooms around the world. And given how expensive the cleaning is, it’s rarely passably clean. Moldy corners in the bathroom, dirt under the bed, chipped dishes… And good luck trying to get Airbnb to help you. Best they can usually do (after you explain your case over from scratch because it’s always a new customer service person) is “alright we’ll check you out, you get a refund, and good luck finding a place for tonight out of pocket” Never again. It’s hotels for me every time as well.
  - JacobThreeThree 4y ago
    >It’s hotels for me every time as well. I like to search for newly built hotels as they usually offer the nicest accommodations.
- lb1lf 4y ago
  Not the OP, but at least in my jurisdiction (Norway), AirBnB dutifully lists any cleaning fees before I press the 'confirm booking' button. I think the point was 'No -surprise- fees.
- robocat 4y ago
  They clearly meant a surprise fee, from context. The AirBnB cleaning fee is expected and already included in your bill. Edit: top context is “That is against AirBnB rules” and “refunded” i.e. AirBnB has explicit rules against surprise fees or bonds, and it can enforce rules. I am guessing you just responded quickly but it is always good to spend time to try to “Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.” - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - hackernewds 4y ago
    I think you're guilty of what you're accusing the responder with. The exorbitance of a $200+ cleaning fee is a well-known criticism of Airbnb. And no, not until recently could you see the actual total prior to sunken cost of Reviewing your booking. That too, Airbnb finally implemented once the Biden administration compelled them by law - that is, not before making much fanfare about it with the pretense of them "doing it for the customers"
    - wdb 4y ago
      $200 cleaning fee? How big are the houses you stay in?
      - thebiss 4y ago
        When I used a cleaning service 10 years ago, it was $275 for 2 maids to clean 1100sqft house. 1 bath, 1 bedroom, vac+mop everywhere, kitchen dishes. They were done in ~3 hours. NYC area.
      - jacurtis 4y ago
        $200 isn't even that large of a cleaning fee by AirBnb standards (i'd say that closer to the median for a full home in the markets I travel in). The last 3 bedroom home I rented on AirBnb had a $500 cleaning fee. We were there 4 days. Its ridiculous, but it's becoming the standard on AirBnb.
    - 4y ago
luciusdomitius 4y ago
It is not the hotels, who charge it, but governments, most often the municipality. Usually there is no obligation to hide that from the guest or include it in the price. Just to pay. You can also go pay it straight in the town hall, the hotel is just doing you a favor.
- nerdbert 4y ago
  A resort fee is not the same as a tourism tax. Tourism taxes are per head, per night and generally Airbnbs are required to charge them as well (though they often don't). A resort fee is a bogus surcharge added by hotels to "cover" advertised amenities, like if a cinema charged you a Dolby Surround fee after you showed your ticket at the entrance.
  - GFischer 4y ago
    Anecdotal evidence, I have paid tourism taxes on both hotels and AirBnBs.
atkailash 4y ago
[dead]
therealdrag0 4y ago
Ya we got charged a mandatory 20-30$ a day fee at a hotel recently for their “arcade”, which was 2 pinball machines.., and “bar“, which was a mini fridge in the lobby… (1 “free” drink a day).
rmason 4y ago
I've always refused to pay the resort fee and only a single time has the hotel not caved. Course this only works if the hotel isn't sold out. I tell them its a separate service because not everyone uses it. So if I am not using say the pool or the gym then I shouldn't have to pay it. The single time I paid the fee was when it included Internet service which I needed. I wrote the CEO of the chain after my stay arguing that charging extra for Internet is like charging extra for electricity or water. Never received a reply.
omgomgomgomg 4y ago
I was inclined to say "speak for yourself", but then that would have been rude and your username indicates we are living half way across the planet. Things are different on this side of earth, rest assured. I have paid extra every single time. Further, there is always things like "parking available", but then either its not free of charge or always busy or its....public parkings. Same with internet access. Available, if you pay and if its tourism months. And the internet you get comes from a router in the hallway and is shared and at times it seemed like it has the capacity for one concurrent user. Airbnb enables hosts to publish such things in the name of revenue. But if a host gets in trouble, they have a half arsed wannabe collection team which will drop them like a hot potato soon. There are no reviews of truthfulness of the offers etc. If you have had a good experience, then irs thanks to the host, not thanks to airbnb.
- nextos 4y ago
  I have also found some Airbnb ads to be inaccurate. Online descriptions and reviews should be more regulated. Google, for instance, keeps removing legitimate reviews from myself and others regarding a builder that rented / sold houses with horrible snagging problems, e.g. bursting pipes and leaky roofs.
  - lobocinza 4y ago
    I have a similar experience with Google removing negative legitimate reviews while not removing fake positive review from the owners itself + family & friends.

suzzer99 4y ago

The latest scam is having to pay either a $1500 deposit, or $59 "deposit insurance", which I assume the host gets some kickback on. I know I'm not going to trash the place. But I also don't like just putting $1500 out there either. A deposit that high only exists so someone can make money off the deposit insurance.

omgomgomgomg 4y ago
They, speaking of the hosts, do not make anythong from deposits, I am working in finance, rest assured the reason is a different, much more nefarious one. They want to charge you for potential damages, done by you or not, as well as wear and tear. Never, ever put a deposit for them, not even by credit card. And if you pay for the stay, always , always use a credit card, not a debit card. That way, you can pull the chargeback trigger on them. A chargeback is their worst nightmare, trust me, it can have so many implications and hurt airbnb so badly if they are subject to chargebacks.
- tekknik 4y ago
  > And if you pay for the stay, always , always use a credit card, not a debit card. That way, you can pull the chargeback trigger on them. You can chargeback with a debit card, I’ve done it a few times myself.
  - relyks 4y ago
    Isn't it only possible within the first 24-48 hours?
    - tekknik 4y ago
      Not in my experience. The network carrying the transaction may still be mastercard or visa in most cases and a chargeback is just debiting the merchants account for the amount.
- precommunicator 4y ago
  Keep in mind you should treat chargeback as nuclear weapon. AirBnB/other website will terminate your account.

Shorel 4y ago

It forced hotels to have more competitive prices. Honestly, there was not much else it could do in the long term.

omgomgomgomg 4y ago
It did not. Booking.com did that. I do however always choose an apartment for corporate trips, but always via booking.com.
jacurtis 4y ago
This is sort of a funny argument. I promise that AirBNB prices have no impact or influence on hotel prices. It is generally the opposite, AirBnB rates are often influenced by the prices of surrounding hotels. The number of travelers staying at an Airbnb versus a hotel is under 1%. This is clear by looking at overall inventory available. Even a decent market _might_ have 100 AirBnB listings, that same market will have several thousands (possible 10,000+) of hotel rooms. Generally the opposite is true. AirBnb hosts will justify their nightly rate based on comparable hotels in the area. But the average Marriot for example isn't all that worried about the handful of AirBnbs nearby that they might be losing customers to.
- lobocinza 4y ago
  That depends on the place. Where I live the near touristic destinations have poor tourism infrastructure so AirBnB and similar is thriving there.

PaulHoule 4y ago

I've never had a terrible experience with AirBNB (although the week I spent working in Montreal living on top of one of the greatest party corners came close but it wasn't the fault of the host or AirBNB.) Personally though I've come to appreciate hotels more and my experience is that you can usually find a decent hotel room for about what an AirBNB costs and I usually like going to a hotel better. (There was that one in Chinatown in NYC that the experience of finding it was somewhere between The Blade Runner and a James Bond movies, I'm not sure if that is a good review or not.)