My preference for hotels over Airbnb is mostly familiarity and consistency with the service and product. If I'm booking a basic room, I know there will be towels in the bathroom, toiletries, a bathrob and a hairdryer. In the main room, there's a bed usually in front of the flat screen tv, air conditioner/heater, a desk or small table to the side, a couple of chairs and of course a Bible in the nightstand. Hotels will usually have 24 hour staff so I can check in early if there's a room available or check out late if possible.
When it comes to Airbnb, I have to look carefully at what amenities are offered. I have noticed some Airbnbs where I have to use my own account to access streaming services. One time, I overlooked that the Airbnb did not have a hair dryer. Another Airbnb I stayed at did not have its own heater. The amenities showed a heater was available, but what it did not say was that it was controlled by the owner upstairs. So, I had to request if they had a portable heater or if they can turn up the heat (I tend to run a bit cold). Also, if the owners live above you, they'll usually disclose if you'll hear footsteps and other noise above you. There was one time where I was overseas and the owner of the Airbnb was also in another country. The kitchen faucet was not working properly. So, I had to schedule a time where the owner was available for us to talk about the faucet. And since I was overseas, I used my Google Voice number so I can use Wifi for the call, otherwise I'd be charge an insane amount for roaming. Once the owner and I connected, he walked me through how to fix the faucet. Apparently, this has happened before and it was the first time I was a plumber at the place I booked. Airbnbs also have additional fees like cleaning. Each Airbnb host will charge a different cleaning fee, which gets annoying when I am comparing which space is a better value.
My very first Airbnb experience, I shared the home with another couple, because I was trying to save money. However, my bedroom did not have a door. So, needless to say it was strange to walk into my room without a door. I can’t remember if I didn’t read the reviews carefully enough or if it wasn’t mentioned.
Check-in has also sometimes included lots of back and forth text messages. Sometimes my flight is delayed and sometimes it's early. Also, if I already know I'm going to be early, I have to ask if I can at least store my luggage at their location. Hotels will almost always have a place for me to store my luggage in case I am unable to check in early.
With all the headache of Airbnbs, why do I still book with them? It's almost always because of location and additional amenities such as a kitchen and a washer/dryer. Airbnb locations are places I want to be in. Hotels are usually clustered in a downtown financial district, or entertainment district or airports or tourist spot. Those usually are not the places I want to stay. Maybe I need to start sucking it up and stay in a depressing 9-5 downtown financial district if it means I know what I will be getting? That has crossed my mind. Hotels are also an easy phone call or elevator ride down to the lobby to ask for anything I need.
Despite all the drawbacks I feel Airbnb's have, it's still a tough decision. For example, the last few times I was in Vancouver, BC, I stayed at an Airbnb. On one visit, I was in the Yaletown-Roundhouse neighborhood. There are two hotels in the area. There are about 6-7 Airbnb hosts.
San Francisco is another place where I have stayed at Airbnbs. The options for neighborhoods like Noe Valley, Inner Sunset, Mission or Dogpatch are either extremely limited or non-existent.
Given the lack of hotel locations, it is hard to break away from Airbnb.
I also generally cannot stand the in-room coffee hotels provide. I would rather purchase a small bag of coffee and creamer from a grocery store and brew my own coffee. Having a kitchen is nice because you can bring leftover food back and reheat it later. Eating out every meal gets expensive, and sometimes you're just not that hungry. You want something small, but not a snack (which is usually junk food). You still want a real meal and leftovers are perfect.
I think the resolution to my first world problem is for short 1 or 2 day stay, a hotel (preferably a boutique hotel) is fine. But anything more, an Airbnb has more options for a better stay, as long as you read carefully what amenities are offered and check all the features you want.
For longer stays, I want to feel more at home. A kitchen for when you want to cook something light or reheat leftovers. Washer/dryer so I can re-wear my clothes and not bring home a suitcase full of dirty laundry, and be in a location that I enjoy. So unless something better comes along, I still include Airbnb as part of my search when I travel.
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