We have booked several stays in Europe via VRBO (Paris, Madrid, Berlin, etc.) and have always had wonderful experiences. (AirBnB, not so great.)
We will be going to Croatia for the first time next summer (2015). Is there any reason/concern about using VRBO to make a booking? Is there some other booking mode that would be recommended? Many thanks!!
I used VRBO and FlipKey to find an apartment for Dubrovnik. It was called Apartment Nike and here's a link: http://dubrovnikapartmentnike.com. It was very nice and right off the main square area. It's family-run by a group that runs a restaurant just below the apartment. It's not enormous, but it has a very nice private patio off the bedroom. The bathroom and kitchen are both smallish, but were completely workable. I cooked many meals in the kitchen. The price was fantastic and I see it's still only 50 euros per night in the off-season. It was a great spot.
Many apartments, very many actually, are listed on all three, so what makes one listing site preferable over the others? Why was the quality or experience different?
James, Were you asking about why we stated we had positive experiences using VRBO and reported "not so great" for AirBnB? (This was a general comment, based on previous travel, and not for this topic on Croatia travel). This was only from our own experience and may not be the typical case -- but, from our trip in 2012 (Europe), where we had 5 bookings on AirBnB, we found that the 'hosts' were not of the 'travel professional' caliber we were used to from VRBO (e.g.). In two cases we were swapped to a different property (when it was too late to rebook elsewhere); in three cases the closets were locked up so that we had no place to unpack/hang clothes; in one case the advertised amenities were in error (so much so that AirBnB had to intervene). Nothing at the level of ruining the trip but a definite disappointment after so much advance research and planning -- and nothing that we've encountered in a decade of using VRBO. We had the sense that the AirBnB owners were younger folks, looking to make up some of their rent/mortgage (think "couch surfing" mentality), rather than being seasoned owners tending to giving a splendid experience to their traveling clients.
James, Were you asking about why we stated we had positive experiences
using VRBO and reported "not so great" for AirBnB? (This was a general
comment, based on previous travel, and not for this topic on Croatia
travel).
Keri, I am a strong supporter of subjective opinion. I meant no criticism.
This was only from our own experience and may not be the typical case
-- but, from our trip in 2012 (Europe), where we had 5 bookings on AirBnB, we found that the 'hosts' were not of the 'travel
professional' caliber we were used to from VRBO (e.g.). In two cases
we were swapped to a different property (when it was too late to
rebook elsewhere); in three cases the closets were locked up so that
we had no place to unpack/hang clothes; in one case the advertised
amenities were in error (so much so that AirBnB had to intervene).
Nothing at the level of ruining the trip but a definite disappointment
after so much advance research and planning -- and nothing that we've
encountered in a decade of using VRBO. We had the sense that the
AirBnB owners were younger folks, looking to make up some of their
rent/mortgage (think "couch surfing" mentality), rather than being
seasoned owners tending to giving a splendid experience to their
traveling clients.
Keri, that’s very interesting. I know either the owner or the management company for about a dozen apartments being rented in Europe and each is listed on both VRBO and AirBnB which led me to believe that what you get on one you get on the other. But I believe your experience is very real so I am going to look into it a little deeper. Maybe there is a common core of apartments in both, but beyond that common core the demographics of the apartment owners varies wildly. This is something of personal interest so I thank you for the perspective. I always say the one thing you can do to improve your odds is to look for the professional apartment businesses and stay away from the amateurs.
I picked a city Europe I was familiar with and AirBnB indicated that they had over 1000 listings. I narrowed it down to one district and one price range and ended up with 350 listings. Then I checked VBRO and Flip key and each of them had about 350 total listings for the entire city. What does all this mean? I have no idea.
Maybe there is a common core of apartments in both, but beyond that common core the demographics of the apartment owners varies wildly. ... I always say the one thing you can do to improve your odds is to look for the professional apartment businesses and stay away from the amateurs.
I think you've hit the nail on the proverbial head. This year we are finding more of these cover-all-bases listings. Of the five AirBnB properties we rented back in 2012, two were 'professionals' and three were young people who were no doubt covering their rent/mortgage payments with the income. (In fact, the one in Edinburgh had a "For Sale" sign in the window, partially blocking the "priceless" view of the Castle.) Since the fees (to the traveler) are a bit higher on AirBnB -- or perhaps just more visible -- we are sticking with VRBO this year, and cross-checking through other sources.
