Are you planning your next trip and wondering where to lay your head? Honestly, you can only have a good sleep when you find yourself in a good place and this brings us to the argument, Airbnb Vs Hotel which is better?
It was not much of debate until Airbnb came into the scene. In fact, ever since the peer-to-peer vacation rental company launched in 2008, the battle between hotels and Airbnb has raged, sparking a heated argument between the two types of accommodation options. Even though it becomes a personal choice to make decisions on where to sleep on your next trip, both Airbnb and Hotels have some positive and negative sides.
Before we delve deeper, let’s know the difference between Airbnb and Hotels
What is Airbnb
With the introduction of the internet, anything is possible. Airbnb is an online platform that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for lodging in the same area. In general language, we will equate them to an e-commerce website. The company covers over 100,000 cities in over 220 countries around the world and still expanding.
For some reason, many have suggested that Airbnb rentals be regulated in the same way that hotels are, and that Airbnb providers be subject to hotel occupancy taxes.
What is a hotel
A hotel is a type of accommodation that charges people to stay for a short period of time. To help guests identify their rooms, hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B&Bs). Custom-decorated rooms are available in some boutique, high-end hotels. Some hotels include meals in their room and board packages.
Airbnb vs hotel: Which is better?
To expand the debate, we are going to look at the pros and cons of Airbnb and Hotels differently.
Advantages of Airbnb
Flexible to use
It doesn’t require so much effort to be on Airbnb, fact is, it only takes a few minutes to set up an Airbnb listing. If you are lucky, you are likely to have a guest checking in the same day. The functionality is simple to use and intuitive. You can start with a few sentences and three photos, list them, and then fill in the rest of the information later. The system has been designed in such a way that it can be used by anyone.
For guests, the booking process is typically easy and more flexible. It’s incredibly simple to reserve a room. You simply go to a website, enter your credit card information, and book. All you need to do now is have a few conversations with the host. On Airbnb, there are also instant booking options.
Local Flavor
Homes in culturally significant areas tend to reflect their surroundings. Many standard hotel rooms have a uniform appearance. AirBnBs can be ordinary or extraordinary one-of-a-kind experiences.
Good Communication
Have you been to a hotel and felt like there’s no vibe or connection to even make a laugh? Most often at the hotel, everyone including the attendants looks “too serious” with fear that they could be fired. If you are talkative like me, it will be a boring day. Most hosts at Airbnb turn to be very accommodating, jovial, and open for communication. If you ain’t that a silent person, you may spend time talking all day and feel at home.
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You can cook in the kitchen, watch television on the couch, or take a walk around the block to see what the locals see. Keep in mind that, just like at home, you’ll need to clean up after yourself at your Airbnb. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay a cleaning fee.
You Can Organize Events
You don’t need to worry if you want to organize a party of events. Large gatherings, such as family reunions, bachelor or bachelorette parties, girl’s trips, and so on, can make full use of Airbnb spaces.
Large properties often provide more bedrooms and social spaces for a lower price when shared among a group, making staying in an Airbnb more affordable than a block of hotel rooms. Plus, these properties geared toward groups often include amenities that you won’t find in a hotel, such as a private game room with video games and many others.
Airbnb is Unique
Nothing is more interesting than having a unique and relaxing atmosphere. If you’re looking for a truly unique experience, Airbnb might be the place for you. Airbnb provides a plethora of unique, one-of-a-kind accommodation options. You can stay on a boat, in a treehouse, in a glamping pod, in a cabin, or even in a castle thanks to Airbnb.
Disadvantages of Airbnb
Airbnb lacks Privacy
Well, whiles enjoying company and good communication from host and nearly mates, you obviously should think about your privacy. Airbnb won’t be able to give you the privacy you require in most cases. Even though there are some cost savings, privacy can be limited if you are staying in the host’s home. People have shared their past experiences with some very public horror stories with hosts. However, these types of incidents can occur in hotels as well, even with the most expensive ones.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the online rental platform, like so many other tech startups, has had unintended negative consequences.
Possibility of Price manipulation
Airbnb is not much regulated and hosts have reportedly tried to manipulate prices after your first admission. Considering the fact that you may have options at the said time, you are likely to oblige but this generally doesn’t happen at the hotel. Once you book a room at a price at a hotel, there’s no adjustment.
Likely Not To Get What You Ordered
Booking a room with Airbnb is not the same as booking a room with a major hospitality industry, where you can be reasonably certain that the property will be as described. Individual hosts create their own listings, some of which may be more truthful than others, whiles others might use fake pictures and videos. Previous visitors, on the other hand, frequently leave comments about their experiences, which can provide a more objective perspective.
Advantages of Hotel
Why choose hotels if you have Airbnb? Well, a lot of factors determine why people will go for a hotel over Airbnb and here they are:
Much Privacy at Hotels
Many reports have suggested that Airbnb hosts usually store secret cameras at sensitive locations. They intrude on your privacy without knowing and such things usually don’t happen at hotels. Hotels are well monitored by government institutions and the breach of privacy means the closure of the business.
What You See Is What You Get
Hotels won’t offer you anything different from what they promise or show you. The images for an apartment on Airbnb might look beautiful online but look completely different when you visit. Most often they are fake images or a picture taken during a first innovation.
One of our readers shared her experience while booking an Airbnb and she said ” My most recent Airbnb stay, in a small Chicago apartment, was advertised as work-friendly, but there was no desk and the only table was on the balcony outside. That’s not the only devastating part, the kitchen was also soo small, the refrigerator door couldn’t fully open and every stay was a mess. The furniture appeared to have come from a dumpster behind a Goodwill store. The air conditioner was also making a freight train noise. Any hotel would have been preferable”.
Hotels Are Arguably Not Expensive
Airbnb vs hotel – Though people have argued that hotels are expensive than Airbnb, some people believe it’s entirely false. Hotel prices are mostly fixed once checked-in however the other is different. Host at Airbnb is capable of inflating prices in a second while hotels prices are mostly unchangeable unless you are changing room.
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A publication by the Business Insider shared a survey. “According to Quartz, a number of cities around the world are eliminating Airbnb’s cost advantage by levying the same occupancy taxes on Airbnb as they do on hotels. When you factor in Airbnb’s guest service fee (which can be as high as 20%), the cost advantage over a hotel room may be lost.
For example, the last few times I’ve looked for a place to stay, Airbnb appeared to be less expensive than a hotel until I looked at the total cost. When taxes and cleaning fees are factored in, an Airbnb stay is about the same price as the hotel I chose, minus the hotel’s amenities.”
Hotels Are Secured
Most hotels have security apparatus that can’t be found in private homes. For example, hotels usually high-security personnel to guide gates and check persons coming in and out. Most often you can’t find this at Airbnb and host homes. if it bothers on security, choose a hotel.
Disadvantages of Hotels
Hotels Offer Less Space
One thing to think about is how many people can loge in a room and the space available. Most often it difficult for a large family like 7 or 8 to share a hotel and feel comfortable. You can trust Airbnb on this. Their rooms are mostly large and can accommodate a number of people including organizing family parties. You can’t find this at the hotel due to the smaller spaces.
Conclusion
Now that the Airbnb Vs Hotel debate is over, it’s time to make a decision. Do you have an experience with hotels and Airbnb you would love to share? I will appreciate having your thoughts and know which is better between both.
If you want to book an Airbnb contact our vacation rental management partners at Cactus Vacation Rentals.
