Are we living in a simulation?
Where AirBnB hosts await their regular dopamine hit from the reviews left on their apartment?
Or is it the opposite that everyone is now scared to write what they truly think due to the now “social” interface that is AirBnB in fear of a bad review on their part?
I for one will not be swayed by this sheep like behaviour and will therefore not follow the herd.
Luckily for me, the hosts need AirBnB more than I do. I have actually lost all faith in AirBnB. I say this from the perspective of an individual investor in the now public company - trust me I will not be for much longer.
I have been very disappointed with the apartment and service I have received. I will summarise some of the main points (some of which I can see have been passed onto the host in previous reviews).
Noise pollution. The apartment has balcony doors which are not insulated and hence do not provide sufficient noise pollution mitigation. The apartment is on the top floor but the noise levels which could be heard throughout the night will not allow you to sleep. This ruined our trip as we were very tired throughout.
Water entering the property through the balcony doors. The first night we arrived it rained heavily and the balcony doors again did not provide an adequate barrier. Puddles of rain gathered around the balcony doors inside the property. Not only is this not acceptable from a habitable perspective but it is also a significant safety hazard since electrical plugs are in close proximity to the area.
Ant infestation. There was a significant number of ants present in the kitchen area and on the floor. This is not acceptable from a hygiene perspective.
Mould and general uncleanliness of property. There was black mould gathering inside of the shower on the tiles. The general cleanliness of the property was also below standard in terms of the kitchen worktops and the bathroom sink/ floor - all seemed not to have been cleaned very thoroughly.
Holes in old towels. I would expect that if I am paying a cleaning fee and this apartment is marketed as being a luxury place to stay, I should not have to dry myself with towels which are old and have holes in them.
All of these items were communicated to the host on the first night of our stay. No efforts were made to solve any of these issues or provide a solution. We still had to pay the amount in full including the cleaning fee. The hosts reply was that they are glad we let them know about these issues such that they can improve the experience of future guests. However, I can now see from previous reviews that no improvements have been made when some of these issues have been raised previously.
Unfortunately, I have had very mixed experience of using AirBnB. Quite often the “Instagram-like” images you see on here are not representative of the quality of accommodation you receive. Also, it is quite common that the hosts are ignorant to the issues you present them with - in the hope that you just give up your pursuit. They just pacify you until you leave and then wait until the next guests arrive.
For me, AirBnB is becoming less and less attractive in comparison to just booking a hotel. At least when you book a hotel, the hotel is accountable and will normal try their best to solve any issues you have. My experience with AirBnB is that this is not the case.