Air bnb bs hotel

Pretty much done with Air BNBs. We stay in hotels now. Found that finding breakfast/cooking/shopping/cleaning doesn't add to vacation fun. Also, with the uproar about taking apartments and homes away from locals so people can make money renting out spots, I feel for locals in other countries.

This is totally my opinion, others feel differently. Also, we use public transport mostly, no rental cars, so getting to outlying locations doesn't work for us.

I appreciate this response it definitely brings to light some things to consider. I would definitely rather focus on enjoying my vacation and exploring

I’m over the cleaning charge, which is then followed by the list of the 30 items you have to do to clean before you leave. In other words, you pay a cleaning charge it’s not being used for cleaning

just decided that’s BS and I’m done.

I agree with previous posters - it's almost always hotels for us, too. Cleaning up at the end, while also paying a hefty cleaning fee, is bogus. Also consider that if something goes wrong with the property (plumbing in particular,) you cannot simply move to another room as you would in a hotel; the issue becomes your problem and can wreck your vacation. Times I consider a rental home are if I need a washer/dryer, want to cook for ourselves, or want a living room type space for family gatherings.

Carol and Ellen make AWESOME points. The only caveat/question I would respectfully (and, honestly, reluctantly) insert is…

Do you plan a really long stay? You didn’t specify in your question. If you are planning a long stay in a single locale, then an AirBNB can be a lovely way to have a “home from home” feel, and save you money when you buy groceries rather than just eat out and buy expensive single serve snacks. Depending on your length of stay, you might even make a few (admittedly superficial) personal connections, and enrich your experience that way.

But honestly? If you plan to stay in any one location for less than a week - or better yet, two weeks - I think a hotel might be a better paradigm. See if you can get a kettle/microwave/small fridge and your food needs should be sorted.

Good luck!

I hope that you get some responses to your specific question. I can only answer in general since i've not stayed in an AirBnb in Tuscany. I have stayed in many around the world, though. I value the living/lounge area especially if we have other family members staying with us so that we can gather for family time. I also value a washing machine and only rent apartments that have one. We stayed two weeks in Paris recently and just didn't feel like going out for dinner a few nights. Having the kitchen meant that we could have a simple meal of baguette, cheese, pastries, etc. without having to sit on the bed to eat and that we had the proper utensils. I do a price check between a hotel cost and the cost of an apartment with its many accoutrements. We have also stayed with VRBO and Guest Apartment Services (in Paris). We attempt to stay in apartments that are actually lived in part of the year by the owner but not at the same time that we are there.

These are wonderfully helpful and I went and compared price. Definitely considering the length of stay. We are planning on doing 10days total and are looking to have a family feel and mingle with locals learn to cook and want a more home feel however price is actually significantly more for the air bnb and considering that feel it may be best to continue to consider both options.

More than AirBnB it looks like you are considering an agriturismo (farm) stay, if it’s in a secluded area. Agriturismo is a good and cheaper option that should be considered if:
1. You are part of a big group that needs multiple bedrooms at a reasonable cost.
2. Your stay is longer than just a night or two.
3. You don’t mind the long to do list before checking out (cleaning, undoing the beds, and whatever is required, if required. This particular item makes a short stay not as desirable since the checking out process is longer than a hotel.
4. You are with a group who primarily wants to enjoy time together in the house or at the pool if you don’t feel like driving out at night.
5. You don’t mind renting cars and drive daily to visit places..
6. You don’t mind eating at the agriturismo (including cooking yourself if the hosts do not provide cooking), if you don’t feel like driving somewhere far to a restaurant.

The items 1, 2, and 3 above are valid for an apartment in town as well. However at least the apartments downtown do not require a rental car, and you can easily walk to restaurants nearby without having to drive in winding country roads at night.

Im a big fan of an agriturismo in that part of the country. But you do need to be okay with renting and using a car to get to places for traditional sightseeing.
I would much rather support a local family - often one that has lived in the area for generations- and are producing something on their land.

In contrast I stayed in an Airbnb (in another part of the country) - owned by someone who was not Italian and lived outside of Italy and the place was a huge disappointment bc their property mngmnt company hadn’t kept it up - I would have been better off with a hotel for our needs . Of course there are many good Airbnbs run by local owners - you probably just need to look at the reviews.

Like other posters, I am concerned about the Airbnb effect happening to local communities and will try to avoid when I can although not always possible because we like a kitchen to cook (we tend to stay for long periods of time).