Tbh I’m a bit surprised how quickly Airb’n’b enshitified. It’s not even a competitor anymore imo.
We're going backwards
Submitted 2 weeks ago by Stamets@lemmy.dbzer0.com to memes@sopuli.xyz
https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/pictrs/image/3b93ffb4-bd9b-4628-8304-79ee7ad1a6da.webp
Comments
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
AlexLost@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Too many people who should not own and rent investment properties bought investment properties to rent as ABnBs. It broke the spirit of the thing, which was to rent space in your house, not a property used solely for that purpose.
explodicle@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Why haven’t zoning laws caught up?
Kushan@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The early days were actually great. People renting out spare rooms for cheap was a win/win, but of course “entrepreneurs” had to turn that into a side business and AirBnB had to maximise profits so it all went to shit.
FosterMolasses@leminal.space 2 weeks ago
Once again, Late Stage Capitalism in the root problem in all enshittification of an otherwise innocent and slightly innovative idea.
uncouple9831@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Sure, they were…but Airbnb is now so old Trump wouldn’t try to fuck it, so why are people still giving them money?
ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 2 weeks ago
Tbh ive booked no less than 8 airbnbs in the last 3 years and have always had zero issues in any of them. No ridiculous rules or deposits or anything, and a lot more privacy than getting a hotel. More importantly, always far cheaper than getting a hotel that isn’t questionably shitty
In that same span of time, Ive booked like 4 hotel rooms. One was a four star property that was great but stupid expensive. One was a “3 star” property that was shoddy as fuck, had bedbugs, and refused to give me a refund despite bringing one of the bugs to the front desk and politely declining to be put in another room. The other two hotels were decent but cost more than what they were worth. Hence I roll on with airbnbs
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Just an FYI, since privacy seems to be a big concern for you… AirBnB used to allow hosts to hide cameras inside of their rented spaces. It was explicitly allowed in their renting rules, under the premise of allowing owners to enforce rules and collect evidence in case of excessive mess/damage/theft. They banned hidden cameras in 2024, but over half of rental owners still admit to using them, and about half of all guests still report finding one inside of their rented spaces if they bother to look.
cogman@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
What sort of hotel are you staying at?
I just looked and the cheapest air BNB in my city is literally someone’s RV for $100 a night.
In most cities I can grab a room in a nice hotel for $100 to $150 per night. Cheap hotels are more like $80 a night.
h3rmit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
They have also destroyed rent in lots of places. Here in Spain prices have more than doubled for rent since AirBnB is a thing. Landlords even tell you that they get way more money from airbnb, so supply and demand and all that.
buttnugget@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Supply and demand isn’t really a thing with housing. I understand that Spaniards are upset, but that’s why you tell your socialist government to convert everything to public housing.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
worst, its behind the housing crisis in many countries.
presoak@lazysoci.al 2 weeks ago
[deleted]gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
The way I see it is that enshitification is inherent to late stage capitalism, which has unfortunately become endemic in our culture.
I suppose that’s a 6/half-dozen distinction, though
Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve stayed at dozens of ~$80 a night motels in my day and never once has it been a negative experience. I check the room over with a UV light regardless, but I’ve never found anything. The service is always under paid burnouts so if you’re cool they’re cool. Plus the vibe is always this beautiful liminal emptyness that you can’t get anywhere else.
Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
I’ve seen roaches, which was gross, but never any bedbugs thank Christ.
foodandart@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Roaches are easy to avoid picking up. When you travel, take a “kitchen” size garbage bag with you and if you land at a place that’s got roaches and it’s the only available option for the night, put your travel bag into the garbage bag and hang it off of the shower stall rod.
Bedbugs is a sleep in the car option OTOH… Yikes!
shalafi@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
beautiful liminal emptiness
Love that!
qevlarr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Hostels are the best. Just give me a bed to crash and tomorrow morning I’ll be off again.
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I would love for the Japanese capsule hotels to become a thing here in the US. I’ve always hated paying $150 or whatever for a full room (or suite) during a road trip late at night when all I do is crash out on the bed and then get up and drive first thing the next morning.
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Weirdly, the capsule hotels tend to be more expensive than traditional hostels, and that’s for 150 dudes in a room.
qevlarr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Capsule offers no benefit over regular bunk beds. I’ve been in both but I try to avoid capsule now. You don’t even save that much space, people still need to get in and out of their space anyways. But getting to your bed from the short end is just a damn hassle
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
I sleep in my car, often. If I drive until 2 am, and have to be back on the road around 8, I don’t see the point in spending a bunch of dough.
If I was home, I’d probably be sleeping in my TV chair anyway.
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Last hostel I stayed at in Berlin (the one with the cool painted facade they were forced to change) the bathroom was so small I had to sit sideways on the toilet. Was still a fine room to be honest.
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Hostels always got some weird ass shower and bathroom setups tbh
MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
The hotel I stayed at in Park Slope Brooklyn for a few months was $90 per night after I worked my hotel discount magic (this was a few years ago). As a 6’ long person, I nearly had to sit sideways on the toilet. I couldn’t close the door because of my knees. No problem!
Paradachshund@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Not to mention a lot of them even have private rooms for pretty cheap.
Sneptaur@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
My favorite hotel is the “C’mon inn” in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, etc. It’s a small family-owned chain that charges about $100 per night and has rustic decor and always has a pool and a bunch of jacuzzis. Amazing service, tasty breakfast, low price, and I’m not feeding some gigantic corporation. It’s a matter of finding the smaller outfits, I tell ya.
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’d love to try if weren’t for the fact that you have Trump harassing foreigners.
LifeLikeLady@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You think he’s leaving the citizens alone? We’re all fucked.
Sneptaur@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
I don’t know what to tell ya. This country sucks and always has. I’m just hoping this is things getting worse before they get a lot better.
helvetpuli@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Thankfully we have the option of not visiting.
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I stayed at one AirBnB where the owner had replaced all the kitchen counters with untreated butcher block. The instructions basically said “don’t use the kitchen”. For bonus points, my parents got the one bedroom and I had to sleep in the kids’ room … on the bottom bunk with the actual kid’s sheets because there weren’t any other sheets in the house. I just felt sorry for the kid.
Evotech@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Hope they wash them at least
Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
You can’t truely wash porous surfaces.
uncouple9831@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
This makes an assumption that the Airbnb you booked actually exists. That is usually but not always a correct assumption. 🫥
Lemminary@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
And if it does exist, sometimes it’s not legal. 🤡
I once had the guy tell me to enter and exit the building discreetly because the other tenants weren’t supposed to know he was subleasing the apartment. I think they knew.
bstix@feddit.dk 2 weeks ago
I had the same thing happen to me in London. Twice.
Both booked from hotels.com. The place didn’t have the advertised room available so we got moved to another location. Both times.
uncouple9831@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Yeah so many places have those types of rules and yet shocker nobody ever enforces them ever.
pennomi@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
All depends on how many people you’ve got with you. If you’re traveling with 8 people, splitting an AirBnB starts to make sense. Traveling solo? Hotels all the way.
Datorie@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve recently rented an AirnBnB with 6 other People and at 21:26 the owner knocked and complained about noise. At that time we were playing cards and just enjoying each other’s company. The next day they wanted to kick us out because “partys” were not permitted. In no way other than drinking like 2 beers each we were having anything close to a party. I don’t know what they expected when they decided to offer a room for 8 Adults, but apparently they only welcome monks with a vow of silence.
sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
8 people? Sounds like the perfect excuse to rent the penthouse. (Disclaimer: I’ve only seen penthouse hotel suites in movies)
SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Oh this sounds like a challenge.
MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Yeah if we’ve got a big team together for work we use AirBNB. I’ve stayed in some nice houses, and if everyone pitches in to keep the place clean it’s no big deal. This included plenty of drinking and weed, on outdoor cameras. Only problem I had was in NH right over the state line from Mass. The old-ass neighbor bitched multiple times every day about us having a fire in the fire pit and talking. Nobody was loud or drunk. We had to get up at 5 every day so it’s not like we were up late. He complained to the owner, she looked at the cameras, and took our side. Gave us a great review. She was probably tired of his shit too.
locahosr443@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I rent apartments a lot on booking.com for staff travel, it’s never any hassle.
Used Airbnb once, never again.
Family book it often if I don’t get ahead of them, apart from one time the places are always sub par and half the stuff is broken.
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
AirBnB may have some niche uses, but it is no replacement for hotels if you are just looking for general lodging.
criss_cross@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve never Airbnb’d and I never intend to. I like my hotels thank you very much.
Matriks404@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve never used AirBNB. What’s so special about it?
madjo@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
It used to be the cheaper option compared to hotels. Because it used to be people renting out a spare room.
dogs0n@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
And now it is (helping) ruining the housing market for us normal folk, with all these “entrepreneurs” buying up houses to list for high short stay rents on airbnb.
bytesonbike@discuss.online 2 weeks ago
Yep! And those hosts bend over backwards. Like here’s a spare room, here’s some local chocolates from our town chocolatier. I made these jerkies. You’re invited to our 8pm fireplace time and have s’mores.
It was a real community. They still exist. But they’re overshadowed by shitty Airbnbs that want you to clean the gutters and mop the floors now for twice the price of a hotel.
bytesonbike@discuss.online 2 weeks ago
I have a fondness for AirBnB. It’s gotten way bad in the past decade, since it’s being gamed.
Back then, there wasn’t much of a review system for shitty places. Today, Google Maps, Yelp, forums, social media - they can warn you about shitty places. And from my experience back then, a lot of hotels were scams.
Need a place to crash? You can either get a scary motel for like $40 that might have bed bugs, or a hotel for $300. I remember my first time in 2000 booking a hotel over the phone, having them save me a room, only to get there and these fuckers tried to upcharge me. I walked and they said, “Good luck finding a room in the middle of the night!” My mom eats specific foods because of her health issues, and Airbnbs often have shared kitchens. Hotels only recently started adding kitchenettes. And some hotels had locked devices. TV was extra. Fridge was extra. Touch snacks, fucking extra. You expected to pay $250 and here’s a bill for $600. Don’t want to pay? Well we’ll call the cops.
Airbnb and Uber gave people options, and you can give bad reviews to these bad actors. Having all this competition, hotels and taxis improved dramatically.
Of course, now Airbnb hosts (not Airbnb the company) took a lot of the shitty behavior that hotels used to do. Not to mention a lot of the Airbnbs are now owned by real estate companies who are trying to squeeze every penny.
So yeah, hotels have come back around to being a better service. And now if you get fucked over by the Marriot or something, take photos, leave a bad review, and they bend over backwards to apologize.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
Rent a house instead of a hotel room. We’ve used that and other services like VRBO to rent cabins in the mountains. There’s nothing really “special” about it and it’s not really different from those other services like VRBO that came before. I think originally the difference was letting people rent a spare room, but I’ve personally never met anyone who has used that functionality (leasing or renting side).
Psythik@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Why would anyone want to stay anywhere but a hotel/resort on vacation? How does AirBnB handle housekeeping services? It’s not really up to the guest to clean, right?
PokerChips@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
15 years ago it was much cheaper than a hotel. Depending on the type of reservation, you may also get a kitchen and basically a house.
But things have changed and now they’re not the cheapest route anymore. Some people get horror stories as you can imagine because… People do shitty things sometimes as is human law of statistics.
_stranger_@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Location and large parties. You can usually find a short term rental in places where there aren’t any hotels (like near national parks, remote beaches, specific parts of certain cities).
It’s often cheaper to split a short term house rental between a large party than it is to get everyone rooms in a hotel. I’ve spent $700 a night at an AirBnB before because it was for a house with enough bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens for 14 people (with beach access). It was like renting an entire small hotel for a weekend.
The_Jit@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I will do an AirBNnB when traveling with the wife and kids and another family, so all the kids can interact with each other early in the morning and us adults can all hang out later at night. We have had really good places, but we also do research on the place. I also skip anyplace that has no picture of the front of the place so I can find it on Google Street view and I skip any where with all the BS like in the picture. Otherwise, hotels all the way are better.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Why is the Airbnb $225? This is the point of it to be cheaper. Also, I haven’t used an Airbnb in approximately seven years.
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Airbnb no longer ads much value over hotels. Their pricing is frequently similar.
mean_bean279@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’d say AirBnB’s pricing is worse since my hotel stay means I can just pack my stuff and leave. Most of the AirBnB’s I’ve stayed at have required me to cleanup after myself like I didn’t just pay a “cleaning” fee.
psx_crab@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Airbnb used to be about renting your room for short stay, nowadays it’s renting the whole unit/house, so the price reflect that. Then there’s also cleaning fee that usually around 30%/40% of the total price, which then they demand you to clean the place before leaving. They also jack up the price after covid. It might worth it if you have a big group, but for 1 or 2 persons hotel is still the best option.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Ok yeah I’m remembering like renting out part of the house that was converted to an airbnb so that you can come and go without interacting much with the host, but they still live there in the other part of the house.
Psythik@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Perfectly sums up why I always pick a chain hotel for my vacations. I’m here to relax, not follow a cleaning checklist.
I mean, seriously, does AirBnB really not include housekeeping services as part of your stay? Why would anyone agree to this?
balsoft@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
To me, it’s simple.
Crash our in the evening, be gone in the morning? A bed in the dormitory will do fine.
Stay for a few nights, go out every day to see the city/hike/etc? Gimme a cheap hotel room with a shared bathroom.
A longer stay for a workation/etc? Get a cheap apartment (at least a studio with a bathroom and a kitchet), because going out to eat fucking sucks.
alekwithak@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I usually opt for a Staybridge Inn or Homewood Suites. All rooms have kitchenettes regardless of size with a full size fridge, oven, stove, etc. They have studios at regular hotel prices and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom suites for not much more. Complimentary breakfast and dinner as well as two free drinks per night (at least at Staybridge). Onsite laundry, gym, and usually a pool as well. These places were Lifesavers when I used to travel for work.
merc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Part of the reason for the rise of AirBnB is that hotels suck too:
- “Your $225 per night hotel”, oh sorry, all those rooms are booked, we do still have these $250 per night rooms though…
- Oh, you didn’t want to be next to the ice machine and hear that crunch sound all night? There’s another room here but that will be $275…
- Not next to the elevators? Well, there’s this $300 room down the hall
- Yes, the room has a mini-fridge. Oh, we didn’t tell you but it’s 100% full of overpriced things, and if you touch one you bought it. No, there’s no way to put your own things in the fridge.
- Oh, you wanted to use the TV? Well, we have HotelTV and every time you turn it on it goes to the HotelTV channel, you can get all the local TV stations too. HDMI? No, sorry, we don’t have that feature.
- Of course we offer a free “continental breakfast”, it’s offered between 4:35 and 5:20 AM, and consists of reconstituted dehydrated eggs, malk, cereal, taste-free muffins, and pancakes. We’re out of pancakes.
- Internet? Of course we offer Internet. Just sign on to this captive portal and you can use Google. Send emails? You should be able to get to gmail… Play games? You mean like backgammon? I think we have a backgammon set in the back here. VPN? That sounds like hacking…
VonReposti@feddit.dk 2 weeks ago
What kind of hotels do you frequent?
merc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Normal ones? But as infrequently as possible.
titanicx@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
None it’s this is remotely true of the vast majority of hotels. I stay in hotels 30 to 40 nights a year and, yea, just no. Most of it’s the opposite. Oh this room is booked, here is a nicer room for the same cost. Oh we have plenty of rooms, here is a huge discount. A mini fridge, cool. Place to put your left overs. Very few have in room anymore, unless it’s like a Vegas resort. And even most of them don’t any more. And cost wise, your still high. I stay in Orange county near Laguna Beach multiple times a year. The last place I stayed was 155 a night, for a nice room 20 minutes from the beach. They upgraded me to a double room suite the last 2 nights for free because the toilet stuffed up. I stay in Montana regularly and the place there is 260 a night, but it a King suite with a hot tub in the room. So, worth it. Yea, there are times I slum it and pay 40 or 50 a night, and it isn’t great, but on average I think I pay around 125 a night in almost every state in the West. Hell last year I spent a week in Atlanta and it was 85 a night. Great place too.
mean_bean279@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Not to mention that AirBnB doesn’t give me “points” to stay nights for free. So if you travel for work especially you basically squander your money away. AirBnB only makes sense if you’re a group of people and even then my last trip with them ended up being one where I regretted just not paying for me and my friends to stay in individual hotel rooms because it would have been cheaper and more convenient for parking and amenities.
cooligula@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Idk, but I’ve never paid more than 30€/night on AirBnB
BC_viper@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I stayed at an airport bnb once. Never again.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Okay I see this meme a lot, but just curious, is taxis/rideshares in the same situation or not.
I rarely ever need to use those but just curious in case I might need it someday.
vga@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
I went to Rome with my wife and stayed at an Airbnb thing. The guy who rented it to us looked like a mafia boss and wanted the payment in cash.
But the apartement was actually really nice, and right in the middle of old Rome!
GaMEChld@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Holiday Inn Express. I feel smarter already!
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ha, with a great Veteran discount (off season), I’m staying at a Fab hotel in downtown Burlington, VT for $130/night.
LifeLikeLady@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Before ABB was forced to add all the cleaning fees because Big Hotel was losing their ass. I loved getting a good Airbnb.
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
$225 a night seems pretty stiff but it depends on where you are
MyDarkestTimeline01@ani.social 2 weeks ago
You’re also 100% less likely to contribute to the local rent markets becoming wrecked if you stay in a hotel.
scytale@piefed.zip 2 weeks ago
Sometimes there’s free breakfast too. And less chance of hidden cameras.
Speculater@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Also zero expectation to tidy up. Not an excuse to be an animal, but a reasonably behaved adult won’t have to worry about sneak attack fees.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
And all the cum stains you can lick
Falafelicious@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I forgot where I saw it, but someone took a blacklight to Hilton Hampton Inn and then to a airbnb in the same area of Chicago, and the Hilton was way cleaner. Think it was on tiktok. Most Hiltons I’ve stayed in are spotless. Except one time in South Bend Indiana, the DoubleTree, one of the worst hotels I’ve ever been too.
pebbles@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Hey airbnb’s have fine cum stains. Adequate even.
markovs_gun@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
As opposed to Airbnbs which ask guests to clean their own sheets and I guess use the honor system that they actually did it.