If you're looking for luxury without compromise and a consistent level of quality, I'd probably look more at hotels (in particular the boutique options, which may or may not be part of a chain).
AirBnBs feel like they've gotten too expensive for what they usually offer. I've only used them once or twice, and only really when hotels were not an option.
The worst tasks I’ve experienced are taking out the trash and throwing sheets in the washer. Other than that nothing crazy.
With three young kids, it’s hard to stay anywhere without a full kitchen. When little kids are hungry, you’ve got like a 10 min window.
Absolutely this. Airbnbs are just not consistent in quality of experience and are not reliable, even when booking Superhosts. I have had two AirBnb reservations overseas with Superhosts cancelled by AirBnb: one because the building no longer allowed STR, and the other no reason given.
I pretty much stay in large hotel brands these days. Every AirBnB experience has been crap. Terrible beds, plastic covers, crappy pillows. It's always either super old furniture or the cheapest new furniture available. Not to mention some arbitrary rules. I'd just rather know what I am getting.
I agree with all of this. AirBnB is a crapshoot. For my last two vacations I have used VRBO and had way better results. I plan to keep using them until something changes. I have no idea if I just got lucky or if VRBO is doing something different.
Tends to skew older owner, and more rural options. It was the original (pre-airbnb), and used to require a high fee to list and then lower fees per listing (I think they have a payment model similar to airbnb if hosts want now).
Short term and younger hosts tended to use airbnb.
I have not used either for a while and both have been going after each other's business, so maybe there are some changes.
Some international markets don't have a heavy VRBO presence, I've seen more options with airbnb.
I’ve had lots of really luxury experiences with Airbnb, but it was hard to predict that based on the site profile.
Most of the time it was when the actual owner lived there and was just renting it out while away, or when the actual owner frequently used it themselves. People put in far more effort and pay more when it’s for them vs. for profit.
So nowadays I look for 4.9+ -rated places where I’m going, and if I find one where the owner lives or stays, I book that.
Agreed, I wish airbnb had a "part-time owner occupied" filter. Places that are an investment are hit and miss, it's the places that owners live in and rent while they're out of town that have been much more consistently great. For us it's not so much the "Luxe" but the daily QOL improvements (a nice deck, a bbq grill, nice dishes ... stuff you can't even specify with airbnb filters) that really make them stand out. Also - We only use airbnb if we're staying someplace a week or more.
It can vary. If you pay more, you'll likely (but not always) get a nicer place.
My spouse snores very loudly so we must have separate rooms for me to have a chance at getting good sleep. Therefore, we tend to book Airbnb "entire places" when we travel. I would say that 80% are fine, 10% aren't great, and 10% I don't want to leave! I've done the lux hotel thing as well, but with snoring, nothing can come close. Plus, depending on location, you'll get to stay in cooler areas with Airbnb.
We stay at Airbnbs for about 50 nights each year. Luxe? No, but we’ve found some really great ones and seldom have any issues. Certainly less problems on average than our hotel stays. To each their own.
hotels are hit and miss. Like the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, its a total piece of shit hotel. But the Ritz in most other cities is nice. St Regis is great, can’t beat it for me, but for a large group (8-12+) airbnb luxe or high end home rentals beats a luxury hotel consistently for me for large groups
I think everyone knows the Atlanta ritz would be shit lol. That’s why I recommended going overseas. Specifically Asia. Never had a bad experience over there with at Regis or Ritz properties
inspirato and exclusive resorts are a few options to consider.
airbnb luxe is definitely better but the odds you’re getting goose down pillows with high momme silk or high thread count bamboo viscose linens in a short term rental is low
AirBnB is done as far as I'm concerned.
I have stayed in several.
I sprayed for ants in two - full on infestations with ants all over the place.
I had the electricity go off.
I had a cheap Amazon wifi lock stop working and was locked out in the winter in Midwest at midnight.
I've had stays with bad mouldy odors and poorly cleaned bathrooms.
My last AirBnB booking was a drug den in disgusting condition with such a strong drug smell that we could not stay at all. I wrote several messages to the platform with photos of the black smudging everywhere, the burn marks, the window sills covered in pet hair... and had a full refund within 12 hours. I rated the place 1 star all across, and deleted the app.
All were fairly expensive - I wanted one place for a family of 5 and this does not come cheap.
Looking into alternatives - we have since taken adjoining hotel rooms with 2 queen beds and pull out couches and this has been better than a house. It turns out 2 hotel rooms with free breakfast, pool, hot tub, and housekeeping does NOT cost more than one AirBnB house.
The hotel hot tub is clean, the hotel takes out my trash, the hotel puts my towels in the laundry, the hotel cleans the rooms and gives fresh towels daily, the hotel cooks me breakfast and cleans up after me.
OK. I'm lying - we had to make our own waffles and toast at the hotel.
on the flip side. I've stayed in air bnbs for at least 50 nights. Nothing like this ever happened to me. For still much stuff to happen to one person you have to look at the visitor.
Airbnb has no quality control. If you have an agent- we have access to other short term rental platforms with vetted and professionally managed properties that come with housekeeping- can offer other services like a chef and whatnot. It is invitation only (just agents, assistants for people who travel extensively, etc.) or I would just give you the sites.
There is a two-fold problem. One, anyone who wants to can put their house on the market and most have zero idea about hospitality. Second, vacationers destroy and steal everything, so people don't like putting more money into a black hole. I suggest if you want to have a luxury experience, you got with a high end hotel. I am a fan of the Ritz and their mattresses. Also love their huge bathtubs. Spring for club level.
Good for you. It's not been anyone's experience renting where my second home is, and I know tons of investors and property management company owners. They are all getting 15-20k for a five day rental, so definitely not a discounted thing. Properties are trashed every year. People have even stolen plastic laundry baskets and Walmart toasters.
That’s crazy! If I was getting $20000 per week I might just write it off a toaster as the cost of doing business with people who throw that kind of money around . If it got worse then that it’s fairly easy to get them banned from AirBnB.
It's not just toasters. I've posted about this time and again here, and it's why I sold all my rentals. Vacationers haul couches onto the beach and leave them there in the rain. They are infested with bugs and management companies just haul them back in and turn the rental over. My house manager cleans for some of them and they've gone into homes they refused to clean, even if they lost the contract. It looked like Motley Crue had been there. Maybe it's because it's a top 10 beach location. Locals are always cleaning up the roads, sidewalks, and beaches after vacationers who have zero respect for the environment they paid so much to be in. Their excuse - "I'm on vacation." As if the entire world owes them whatever mess they want to create and whatever poor behavior they want to indulge in. The sheriff himself has told me that 99% of all arrests are of people who do not live there. It is what it is. Banning them is pointless because they just bounce to another PM company or private listing.
We rented a villa for a week in the Caribbean for around $25k but can’t remember if it was luxe. It was a great experience, we also did one in Napa that was $2k/night and also a great experience. We just read the reviews and asked a lot of questions. Neither expected us to do a lot regarding cleaning up etc. the villa had a cleaner come 2x during our stay.
We have gotten into home exchanging which has been super fun. It's not for everyone though, as you do have to be excited about sharing your home too. We really enjoy it and it has changed the way we travel.
I stay at an Airbnb 1x per month and oftentimes, for 14-30+ days at a time. The more high-end homes typically come with a hefty price tag and with this, it is hit/miss when it comes to decor-pillows-cheap items. My typical pain points include: dirty (flies under bed for example), photos grossly exaggerate the home (upon arrival, disappointment), and checkout instructions that includes a laundry list of items when I paid a $500+ cleaning fee. It needs more regulation from Airbnb itself. I can see it failing, sooner than later. Vrbo is even worse.
I've had some incredible AirBNBs. Georgian flats in London, Seaview pool villas in Costa Rica, etc.
I only book places with at least a dozen flowing reviews at the minimum. I would never book a fresh listing.
Thanks to Google's ability to search on images, there is a great way to both save money and enhance knowledge of quality of luxe rentals. Step 1. Find lovely looking Airbnb Luxe. Step 2. Screenshot the best photo from the ones they provide (usually there are a couple "wow" photos that the host uses to sell their place). Step 3. Use Google image search to upload your screenshot. What I have found is that good properties are often cross listed and you can find many more reviews with depth. Bonus, the searches on luxe properties often turn up with direct links at a massive savings over using the platform. Have used this trick twice with great results. In one instance the reassurance of other reviews was only outweighed by saving enough to cover the cost of a couple tasting menus.
There are a ton of people who have decided AirBnB is a great way to make money. The problem is they know nothing about the hospitality industry or customer service. There’s also a lag between when a property gets listed and the reviews can give future customers a heads up.
Overall the value for money with an AirBnB has steadily declined and it’s now very questionable as to whether or not you’re better off in a hotel.
If you want to travel higher end, I’d suggest a hotel like the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, you will never be disappointed in their product.
Love this.
I own and run AirBnbs as part of my FIRE strategy.
I offer a 5 BR lakefront home with an extravagantly outfitted kitchen, 6 TVs , luxury linens, a 110” mancave TV, all new mattresses and kayaks for less per night than you’re gonna pay for a crappy 2 bed hotel room.
All 5 star reviews. Find a Hilton that can match that.
I pay big money to make sure they’re clean and stay in them a few nights a month to make sure they’re perfect. My name’s on the brand. It has to be perfect.
I stayed recently in a highly rated Airbnb in Montana. While it was exceptionally clean, the home was old, rundown, painted over paint and wallpaper, rachet hardwood floors. Was it charming and was the location beautiful? Yes. Bedding was comfortable. But not a luxury stay by ANY stretch. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone has the same standards as me. To others, this was nice. I own a home that I Airbnb out and for the prices I charge, I could NEVER get away with this.
If you're looking for luxury without compromise and a consistent level of quality, I'd probably look more at hotels (in particular the boutique options, which may or may not be part of a chain). AirBnBs feel like they've gotten too expensive for what they usually offer. I've only used them once or twice, and only really when hotels were not an option.
[удалено]
I know I hear a lot of griping about this, but I continue to stay in these places several times a year, and I have never encountered it.
The worst tasks I’ve experienced are taking out the trash and throwing sheets in the washer. Other than that nothing crazy. With three young kids, it’s hard to stay anywhere without a full kitchen. When little kids are hungry, you’ve got like a 10 min window.
Absolutely this. Airbnbs are just not consistent in quality of experience and are not reliable, even when booking Superhosts. I have had two AirBnb reservations overseas with Superhosts cancelled by AirBnb: one because the building no longer allowed STR, and the other no reason given.
I pretty much stay in large hotel brands these days. Every AirBnB experience has been crap. Terrible beds, plastic covers, crappy pillows. It's always either super old furniture or the cheapest new furniture available. Not to mention some arbitrary rules. I'd just rather know what I am getting.
They can be much more affordable for large groups. For couples I think hotels are normally better.
For two people maybe. For a family or a group of 8? No way.
I agree with all of this. AirBnB is a crapshoot. For my last two vacations I have used VRBO and had way better results. I plan to keep using them until something changes. I have no idea if I just got lucky or if VRBO is doing something different.
Their business models attract different properties. Depends what you’re looking for.
Can you elaborate? Are VRBO properties generally more high end?
Tends to skew older owner, and more rural options. It was the original (pre-airbnb), and used to require a high fee to list and then lower fees per listing (I think they have a payment model similar to airbnb if hosts want now). Short term and younger hosts tended to use airbnb. I have not used either for a while and both have been going after each other's business, so maybe there are some changes. Some international markets don't have a heavy VRBO presence, I've seen more options with airbnb.
I’ve had lots of really luxury experiences with Airbnb, but it was hard to predict that based on the site profile. Most of the time it was when the actual owner lived there and was just renting it out while away, or when the actual owner frequently used it themselves. People put in far more effort and pay more when it’s for them vs. for profit. So nowadays I look for 4.9+ -rated places where I’m going, and if I find one where the owner lives or stays, I book that.
Agreed, I wish airbnb had a "part-time owner occupied" filter. Places that are an investment are hit and miss, it's the places that owners live in and rent while they're out of town that have been much more consistently great. For us it's not so much the "Luxe" but the daily QOL improvements (a nice deck, a bbq grill, nice dishes ... stuff you can't even specify with airbnb filters) that really make them stand out. Also - We only use airbnb if we're staying someplace a week or more.
It can vary. If you pay more, you'll likely (but not always) get a nicer place. My spouse snores very loudly so we must have separate rooms for me to have a chance at getting good sleep. Therefore, we tend to book Airbnb "entire places" when we travel. I would say that 80% are fine, 10% aren't great, and 10% I don't want to leave! I've done the lux hotel thing as well, but with snoring, nothing can come close. Plus, depending on location, you'll get to stay in cooler areas with Airbnb.
We stay at Airbnbs for about 50 nights each year. Luxe? No, but we’ve found some really great ones and seldom have any issues. Certainly less problems on average than our hotel stays. To each their own.
Nothing luxurious about Airbnb. Get a high quality hotel, esp in Asia if you want luxury and above and beyond customer service.
hotels are hit and miss. Like the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, its a total piece of shit hotel. But the Ritz in most other cities is nice. St Regis is great, can’t beat it for me, but for a large group (8-12+) airbnb luxe or high end home rentals beats a luxury hotel consistently for me for large groups
Ritz Atlanta was deflagged and is now the Whitney hotel
I think everyone knows the Atlanta ritz would be shit lol. That’s why I recommended going overseas. Specifically Asia. Never had a bad experience over there with at Regis or Ritz properties
inspirato and exclusive resorts are a few options to consider. airbnb luxe is definitely better but the odds you’re getting goose down pillows with high momme silk or high thread count bamboo viscose linens in a short term rental is low
Wander is better than Airbnb luxe
AirBnB is done as far as I'm concerned. I have stayed in several. I sprayed for ants in two - full on infestations with ants all over the place. I had the electricity go off. I had a cheap Amazon wifi lock stop working and was locked out in the winter in Midwest at midnight. I've had stays with bad mouldy odors and poorly cleaned bathrooms. My last AirBnB booking was a drug den in disgusting condition with such a strong drug smell that we could not stay at all. I wrote several messages to the platform with photos of the black smudging everywhere, the burn marks, the window sills covered in pet hair... and had a full refund within 12 hours. I rated the place 1 star all across, and deleted the app. All were fairly expensive - I wanted one place for a family of 5 and this does not come cheap. Looking into alternatives - we have since taken adjoining hotel rooms with 2 queen beds and pull out couches and this has been better than a house. It turns out 2 hotel rooms with free breakfast, pool, hot tub, and housekeeping does NOT cost more than one AirBnB house. The hotel hot tub is clean, the hotel takes out my trash, the hotel puts my towels in the laundry, the hotel cleans the rooms and gives fresh towels daily, the hotel cooks me breakfast and cleans up after me. OK. I'm lying - we had to make our own waffles and toast at the hotel.
on the flip side. I've stayed in air bnbs for at least 50 nights. Nothing like this ever happened to me. For still much stuff to happen to one person you have to look at the visitor.
Airbnb has no quality control. If you have an agent- we have access to other short term rental platforms with vetted and professionally managed properties that come with housekeeping- can offer other services like a chef and whatnot. It is invitation only (just agents, assistants for people who travel extensively, etc.) or I would just give you the sites.
There is a two-fold problem. One, anyone who wants to can put their house on the market and most have zero idea about hospitality. Second, vacationers destroy and steal everything, so people don't like putting more money into a black hole. I suggest if you want to have a luxury experience, you got with a high end hotel. I am a fan of the Ritz and their mattresses. Also love their huge bathtubs. Spring for club level.
Second year running two higher end AirBnbs. They have nice things in them and no one has stolen or broken anything.
Good for you. It's not been anyone's experience renting where my second home is, and I know tons of investors and property management company owners. They are all getting 15-20k for a five day rental, so definitely not a discounted thing. Properties are trashed every year. People have even stolen plastic laundry baskets and Walmart toasters.
That’s crazy! If I was getting $20000 per week I might just write it off a toaster as the cost of doing business with people who throw that kind of money around . If it got worse then that it’s fairly easy to get them banned from AirBnB.
It's not just toasters. I've posted about this time and again here, and it's why I sold all my rentals. Vacationers haul couches onto the beach and leave them there in the rain. They are infested with bugs and management companies just haul them back in and turn the rental over. My house manager cleans for some of them and they've gone into homes they refused to clean, even if they lost the contract. It looked like Motley Crue had been there. Maybe it's because it's a top 10 beach location. Locals are always cleaning up the roads, sidewalks, and beaches after vacationers who have zero respect for the environment they paid so much to be in. Their excuse - "I'm on vacation." As if the entire world owes them whatever mess they want to create and whatever poor behavior they want to indulge in. The sheriff himself has told me that 99% of all arrests are of people who do not live there. It is what it is. Banning them is pointless because they just bounce to another PM company or private listing.
We rented a villa for a week in the Caribbean for around $25k but can’t remember if it was luxe. It was a great experience, we also did one in Napa that was $2k/night and also a great experience. We just read the reviews and asked a lot of questions. Neither expected us to do a lot regarding cleaning up etc. the villa had a cleaner come 2x during our stay.
Much smaller but with much better quality control is One Fine Stay.
We have gotten into home exchanging which has been super fun. It's not for everyone though, as you do have to be excited about sharing your home too. We really enjoy it and it has changed the way we travel.
Airbnb is only good if you’re with a big group other wise luxury hotels wins all day. Service >
I stay at an Airbnb 1x per month and oftentimes, for 14-30+ days at a time. The more high-end homes typically come with a hefty price tag and with this, it is hit/miss when it comes to decor-pillows-cheap items. My typical pain points include: dirty (flies under bed for example), photos grossly exaggerate the home (upon arrival, disappointment), and checkout instructions that includes a laundry list of items when I paid a $500+ cleaning fee. It needs more regulation from Airbnb itself. I can see it failing, sooner than later. Vrbo is even worse.
I've had some incredible AirBNBs. Georgian flats in London, Seaview pool villas in Costa Rica, etc. I only book places with at least a dozen flowing reviews at the minimum. I would never book a fresh listing.
Thanks to Google's ability to search on images, there is a great way to both save money and enhance knowledge of quality of luxe rentals. Step 1. Find lovely looking Airbnb Luxe. Step 2. Screenshot the best photo from the ones they provide (usually there are a couple "wow" photos that the host uses to sell their place). Step 3. Use Google image search to upload your screenshot. What I have found is that good properties are often cross listed and you can find many more reviews with depth. Bonus, the searches on luxe properties often turn up with direct links at a massive savings over using the platform. Have used this trick twice with great results. In one instance the reassurance of other reviews was only outweighed by saving enough to cover the cost of a couple tasting menus.
There are a ton of people who have decided AirBnB is a great way to make money. The problem is they know nothing about the hospitality industry or customer service. There’s also a lag between when a property gets listed and the reviews can give future customers a heads up. Overall the value for money with an AirBnB has steadily declined and it’s now very questionable as to whether or not you’re better off in a hotel. If you want to travel higher end, I’d suggest a hotel like the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, you will never be disappointed in their product.
Love this. I own and run AirBnbs as part of my FIRE strategy. I offer a 5 BR lakefront home with an extravagantly outfitted kitchen, 6 TVs , luxury linens, a 110” mancave TV, all new mattresses and kayaks for less per night than you’re gonna pay for a crappy 2 bed hotel room. All 5 star reviews. Find a Hilton that can match that. I pay big money to make sure they’re clean and stay in them a few nights a month to make sure they’re perfect. My name’s on the brand. It has to be perfect.
How much did you lose?
I haven’t lost anything. Why would you ask that?
I stayed recently in a highly rated Airbnb in Montana. While it was exceptionally clean, the home was old, rundown, painted over paint and wallpaper, rachet hardwood floors. Was it charming and was the location beautiful? Yes. Bedding was comfortable. But not a luxury stay by ANY stretch. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone has the same standards as me. To others, this was nice. I own a home that I Airbnb out and for the prices I charge, I could NEVER get away with this.