In April my siblings and I booked the host’s house, explicitly including the attached guest house so that 9 of us could be in one convenient, affordable location close to my nephew’s wedding venue. With a combined 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms it would provide everyone a bed rather than an air mattress to sleep on, the ability to share meals, and easily share rides to the many planned family events.
2 days before we were to travel we received the code for the house, but not the guest house. I contacted the host and was simply told “We were renting the house as one but no one really wanted it so we went back to 4 bedrooms and guesthouse a while ago. I see you we charged at that old rate and I have bad news. The guesthouse isn’t going to be available for you guys only the house. I am really sorry and I am glad you brought it up today because it would have been even worse when you got here and it’s not available. The only thing I can do I refund the difference in price back to you if you still want the house by itself.”
We were flabbergasted.
Apparently the host neglected to note that we did book the whole thing. There is no way to know whether this was truly an oversight or a business decision. Considering this is a business for the host and not simply a home being rented out for a week.
The host had put us between a rock and hard place. It was not only too late to find any other accommodations in the same location and price range, but it was also unclear whether everything would be refunded, including the AirBnB 14.12% service fees. The host told us: “Airbnb won’t refund their fee, they will tell you to straight up cancel.”
If the host was correct, at a minimum we would lose the $236.47 AirBnB fee if we canceled. We were also well past all cancelation deadlines so if not done correctly, we could potentially lose all of our money 2 days before the wedding with no viable alternative.
The host’s first suggestion to refund the difference in cost did not include the 14.12 percent that AirBnB tacked on to the cost. He eventually conceded to that additional expense.
We found it very disingenuous for many reasons, however, when the host then asked: “Are you going to keep your reservation and stay at the main house 4 bedrooms 1 bath?”
First, our host had to know that it would be impossible for anyone to find similar accommodations, price, and location so close to our travel dates. There was no choice.
Second we were unsure if this was just a trick for “we” to “cancel” rather than the host “canceling”. The AirBnB terms put us well beyond any refund if “we canceled”. Again, we had little faith in our host as we knew only that he had just changed our accommodations without notice. There is absolutely no way to know whether his booking error was an accidental oversight or a savvy business man maximizing profits, drooling over the chance to keep the money without providing the service.
We hesitated in our response as we debated whether we could survive with the nine of us in a 4 bedroom house with just 1 bathroom and several now sleeping on air mattresses. This would be very uncomfortable for all, so we checked our options.
As we debated among ourselves, the host finally offered us a similar guest house 3 minutes away for the price difference we had agreed to be refunded earlier. By no means ideal nor convenient, it at least let us have 2 bathrooms for 9 people. It did create logistical issues getting the 4 cousins to/from that location, as well as sharing anticipated meals together.
AirBnB should definitely investigate whether this was a 1 time accident or a pattern of host manipulation.
1. The host changed the terms without notice. This was only discovered ahead of time because the guests double-checked. Could have been worse.
2. The resolution was coerced out of necessity, not by a real mutual consent.
As to the accommodations…
The good:
1. The house was in an ideal location, close to the Burbank airport, groceries, my sister, the church, and other activities.
2. The price was fair.
3. Adequate kitchen, superb water pressure in the bathroom, towels, soap, shampoo, etc.
4. Laundry room, iron.
5. Beds were comfortable with enough pillows.
6. The entry keypad and key lock holder were synchronized, though the keypad buttons didn’t always work when pressed, either no beep or double beep causing many retries … but we always got in.
7. The parking passes didn’t exist. The host printed up a few, though expired, apparently due to Covid the city hasn’t been keeping up or enforcing.
8. Adequate air fresheners in most rooms .. unscented … so no allergy reactions or previous guest odors.
9. Internet worked.
10. Taco Tuesday at Daniel’s Tacos walkable from the guest house.
The bad:
1. The kitchen lacked sufficient eating utensils, coffee/tea mugs for drinking, and cutting boards.
2. All rooms, including the bathroom, had a computer monitor hooked up to Roku, most had remotes, but the batteries were dead or dying in most.
1. Fortunately we didn’t come to watch tv or movies so this was not a problem for us.
3. The guest house was the first floor of a two story structure, so there was normal noise from upstairs people walking, etc., which would not have been at the guest house attached to the rented house.
4. The air vent to the 4th bedroom in the house on the east side did not produce air flow and was therefore warmer, requiring keeping a door open for airflow.
5. No towel racks to hang wet towels on.
6. The mirrored closet doors wouldn’t slide in several bedrooms, limiting access to