Traveling full-time can be an amazing experience, but it’s not always perfect. Recently, I’ve been having a lot of problems with Airbnb. I’ve been on the road for six years, and in the last few months, I’ve noticed that Airbnb listings have been increasingly inaccurate. It would be great if Airbnb allowed customers to post photos in their reviews, but I’m sure that would hurt their business. Plus, even when I pay a cleaning fee of $140, I still have to take out the trash and strip the beds. After all the hassle, I just gave up on Airbnb.
Hotels are much easier. I know what I’m getting, I don’t have to worry about bad mattresses, and someone else cleans. The extra chores that came with Airbnbs just got too much. It feels like some people have started buying properties with the sole purpose of turning them into Airbnbs, with no experience in the hospitality business and no regulation from the government or the platform itself. It’s become a heartless system, where the goal is to make the listing look as attractive as possible on paper while spending the least amount of money and investing as little time and resources as possible.
It’s a shame that this is what Airbnb has become. The original idea was that if you had a spare room in your home, you could rent it out to travelers and make some extra money. This was a great way to meet people from all over the world and share your culture with them. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case anymore.
That being said, there are still plenty of great Airbnb hosts out there who are passionate about providing a wonderful experience to their guests. If you do your research and read the reviews thoroughly, you can usually find a great place to stay. Don’t give up on Airbnb just yet!