Airbnb - Italia

Discussion in 'Airbnb & Short Term Letting' started by MTR, 6th Jul, 2015.

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  1. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    We are planning a family trip to Italy and I am totally gobsmacked at the accommodation I have been viewing, it blows me away, cost effective. We can actually rent an apartment/villa overlooking Lake Como for around 180 per night. They will even pick us up from the airport and provide fresh bread every morning. They even allow pets:)

    This will be the first time we have used this type of accommodation, but its looking pretty good.

    Anyone used/recommend airbnb. I have not researched it thoroughly yet as I have time up sleeve, however there must be reviews and standards that they must meet ??? Certainly going to give hotels a run for their money I think.


    MTR:)
     
  2. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Check out my review of airbnb in the old forum. I used it extensively in Central America last year, and not so much (different circumstances) in South America this year. A couple of duds but overall a very positive experience.

    http://somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105434
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 15th Jul, 2015
  3. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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  4. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I used it in Rome, Venice and Barcelona in December 13. Family of four. Great accomodation in great locations. Very smooth.

    The key is to check the reviews that other people have left. A lot of the people who book my Airbnb place in Marrickville tell me they do it very much on the strength of the reviews.

    Scott
     
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  5. Travelbug

    Travelbug Well-Known Member

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    I have booked accom on airbnb for both New Orleans and New York. They both sound great. Its my first time using the site. Fingers crossed.
    when booking make sure you check the Whole apartment box. As opposed to sharing with others, or just a room.
     
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  6. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Hi Scott
    Funny, partner checked reviews, suspicious, 2 identical different names.

    Good to hear this worked well.

    MTR:)
     
  7. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, will do.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 15th Jul, 2015
  8. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Ok, good idea
     
  9. sanj

    sanj Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    I've used it twice, once for 9 days or so in new York last year, we got a 2 bedder in east village.

    Also got a terrace home in carlton in march for the cricket final.

    Both were good experiences but that's the extent of my experience with it. I'd certainly do it again
     
  10. Jamie_

    Jamie_ Well-Known Member

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    Used Air BNB whilst in Europe, stayed a week in an apartment in Paris which was good, no dramas just met the owner there, kept in contact with them re:flights etc.
    Only one bad experience where we stayed in someones apartment in Prague and the shower was clogged = flooding, but they came and fixed it within a few hours so was all good.
     
  11. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    The system of reviews helps to determine if a place is good, but it also helps an owner to determine if a potential guest is good.

    However even if a guest has good reviews, an owner can refuse a guest without reason. I had a higher refusal rate at the start before I had any reviews. But the refusal rate can still be perhaps 25%. It may have been because I was a male travelling alone. But hosts also cite private commitments, double bookings or the desire for longer term guests.
     
  12. Aaron Sice

    Aaron Sice Well-Known Member

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    I'm planning on using AirBNB for an overseas trip next year - all good stuff to know....
     
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  13. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Aaron
    I am so impressed with what I am able to source at a fraction of the cost.

    Also excellent to get this type of feedback from those who have used it. Reviews can be dodgy

    MTR:)
     
  14. Jingo

    Jingo Well-Known Member

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    Hi MTR,

    We used AirBNB extensively when we travelled Europe for 3 months. Our experience was flawless. We stayed in AirBnb accommodation in Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna and Paris. In Rome, our host left breakfast goodies and a few supplies to get us going.

    I
     
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  15. MTR

    MTR Well-Known Member

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    Wonderful, did your homework well prior to going abroad. and probably saved a fortune.

    MTR:)
     
  16. Redwing

    Redwing Well-Known Member

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    Keep us posted on the trip MTR ala @Depreciator we can then enjoy the trip vicariously :)

    So I'm in Rome...

    Looked like some lovely places on AirBnB
     
  17. Jingo

    Jingo Well-Known Member

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    I chose the accommodation with a lot of favourable reviews. I also chose accommodation very close to the heart of town, which made touring through each place much more accessible and enjoyable. We stayed in hotels for parts of our trip, but enjoyed the airbnb apartments for their cooking and laundry facilities.
     
  18. aussieB

    aussieB Well-Known Member

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    AirBnB postings can sometimes be very dodgy. I absolutely do not recommend them unless you have first hand information about hosts. Who says the host wont get a psychotic break in the middle of the night ? No guarantee you will get a clean accommodation either. Best to click photos of everything when you enter the share accommodation. I have also heard of people who rented the entire house but later found they were video recorded using hidden cams. Of course, I have also heard very nice experiences people have had sharing accommodation using airbnb.
     
  19. aussieB

    aussieB Well-Known Member

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  20. Kesse

    Kesse Well-Known Member

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    I've had 2 experiences with Airbnb. First was a week stay here in Cairns. The host said the week we wanted was available so I booked so I sent payment through only to be notified the next day that they're actually booked out during the dates I booked. It was a massive hassle to get a refund afterwards.

    Second experience was a long weekend in Adelaide. Contacted several hosts and only got a reply from one of them after the requested weekend apologising for the delay in response as she doesn't check the notifications all that often......

    For me personally I've had much more success with Stayz.
     
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