Lainey

Do you use the airbnb/VRBO type of rental when traveling? How do you fare? We've had mixed luck with them. The most recent, a little disappointing, others more so, but it makes me question if the extra room at a rental is totally worth it. We have rented some really NICE places, in TN, in SC, in NC and in NY. Some really stand out. A studio over a garage on a soybean farm in NY, a house in TN, an apartment over a garage in ME, small home in NC. We don't care to share space, would rather be over a garage or in a separate building, and I like having a washer and dryer. I will happily pay more for what I want.

We've stayed in a few that were very easy to review and give them the coveted five stars. The last couple not so much....The most recent, (last minute planning) was an in-law type set up. How I didn't notice that the living area only had a couch for seating, I don't know. I also didn't notice there was not even a small table to eat at, nor any chairs. We had the couch (not all that comfortable) two end tables and tray tables. The kitchen area small, appliances clean on inside, but outer surface of refrigerator door has lots of rust spots on the white surface. At first I thought it was spills that needed cleaning. The bedroom had plenty of room, the mattress was supposed to be memory foam, but I think it lost it's ability to remember anything. Most uncomfortable. The place was clean but not my kind of clean. Lots of dust on baseboards...

Towels seem to be an issue at these places. This one was no different. I requested extra towels as I often shower more than once a day. We got four towels (which was actually the "set up" for four people. The place had a pull out couch. We were there for two nights. OK, I can make do, but with no exhaust fan in the bathroom, the towels didn't dry all that well between uses. At this particular place, you can request to use the washer and dryer on a seven day stay. So if we stayed six days those four towels were supposed to be enough? I don't mind using a towel more than once but I often use a separate towel for my hair, so an extra towel is appreciated.

We are now in a suite at a Holiday Inn express. It's a nice spacious room. I request a quiet room away from elevator and vending. Guess were we are? I didn't complain...The elevator and vending are not an issue. I wish I would have noticed the road noise before we unpacked. And towels, give me more towels!!... Three bath towels, no housekeeping unless requested that's OK. I don't need housekeeping, we can keep our room neat for a few days and request fresh towels. I asked for a few extra towels and they wanted to exchange for used towels. I told them I didn't have used ones, I just would like a few more...again, they usually exchange for used...I guess I was persistent enough as they delivered two extra towels....

Sometimes I think travel is really overrated. I miss my bed.

zeroptzero

I don't like the idea of using a home that is lived in by others, I much prefer a hotel room. That is just me though, I won't ever use an AirBnB, I understand many hotels can be worse than rental homes but I like the idea of being in a hotel, I would feel safer in a Hotel compared to a home.

Kyras

Funny that you ask. I feel like I got violated by the last VRBO I stayed in for three nights, in on Sunday, Oct 8th at 5PM, and out Wednesday, Oct 11th by 10 AM. It's in Grand Lake, CO. What a ripoff! It was okay with two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, on a river and a nicely decorated log cabin but not worth the money. The add on fees made the intial nightly cost double. There was an additional $3,000 deposit that I want back!! Hotels may not be the greatest but I stayed in a "My Place" hotel in Colorado Springs on Sat, Oct 14th and it was excellent for 1/5th the nightly price.

buckeyesue

$3,000 deposit for 3 nights???

That is outrageous!

Scooterboy

I have an AirBnB booked in Greece for next June. All of the details and pictures look absolutely beautiful. We will see…..

Kyras

I totally agree! I hesitated on booking the place but I ended up doing it. Never again. I have stayed in cabins in Estes Park that were nicer for less money but I waited too long to book one and it was hard to find a place in October.

dlq04

Never did abnb. 9 times out of 10 we had good experiences at HI Express. Don't do enough to need 4 towels but one can hope

Lainey

That is really crazy. Sometimes the airbnb rentals have a better cancellation policy than VRBO, which has worked out for me. When I cancelled our trip to Canada recently, I wasn't expecting a full refund but the owner was really kind and sent a full refund.
I never book a rental without some kind of refund policy, and I realize if I have to cancel last minute, I can't expect a full refund. They have lost business. I've never seen a listing requesting a deposit, must be a real popular place, or they want to discourage the party people.

sam_spider

I've done VRBO quite a few times, zero issues with either the house or the host.

No interest in AirBnB unless they've changed their options, I don't want to stay in a room of someone's house while they're there, that's just weird to me.

S2KRAY

We used VRBO for the house we rented in Naples, Fl. For 2 months. No issues. For the next 5 years we did not use them as we rented directly from the owner and saved around $500. He’s a great guy and his wife is also nice. We have become friends.