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Comment by JohnMakin | Hacker News Reader

I am not a chronic traveler but never understood the appeal of airbnb. Most low-mid to midrange chain hotels offer reasonably clean rooms for equivalent (or sometimes cheaper) price than airbnb after fees and I don’t need to play housekeeper either, or worry about weird owners, which seems to me like the whole nice thing about renting a short term place to sleep.

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I'm not a huge fan of Airbnb but having a spot where 8 people can all hang out together without having to walk across a hotel can be nice.

I like hotels but I love renting someplace unique and pretending that I live in that city or place for a week or two.

I understand your point if all you're looking for is somewhere to sleep that's clean and comfy.

I have a 17 month old and she needs a dedicated space to nap; this is price prohibitive in hotels (suites, etc). So while I typically hate Airbnb, it’s the only solution for us right now.

Might try Embassy Suites. Front room can be closed off

Same here, plus if you’re traveling with extended family (like siblings’ families) the total price can become insane in a hotel. And feeding all of those people is cheaper if you have a normal sized kitchen.

I just wish more Airbnbs had really dark rooms with blackout curtains. Hotels normally have that covered

It has a kitchen, which comes in very handy when you want to save money and cook.

VRBO was around before AirBNB and it’s much better

Yeah it's pretty good as well, I found it to be more expensive with less selection though.

This is my number 1 reason. Eating out is expensive, and it is very hard to do so healthy.

Airbnbs with kitchens are especially useful in the US due to the cost of eating out, with tax and tip etc. In other countries I use them more for getting luxury places at a lower cost, such as in parts of Asia, where eating out is much cheaper.

I also don’t feel great after eating out for 3 meals per day. That’s the mean reason we use AirBNB.

All these years of airbnb and vacation rentals being popular and hotels still seem to not try to accommodate these needs

I've rented plenty of rooms with a kitchen, or at least a kitchenette.

I love ABNB, but I dont see it anywhere near the same market as a hotel. I wouldnt use it on a work trip, but travel with my wife and friends.

Perks of ABNB- Private jacuzzi, functional kitchen for large group meals. Stay with friends and their kids under the same roof.

I can't gut a fish or leave gear on the porch at a hotel.

Beyond that, I value beauty and character, and find hotels devoid of both.

It’s just the standard investor grift where initially Airbnb was cheaper and had higher quality options, then once they established a dominant market position they enshitified

Hotels have been disgusting for years. They weren’t great before Covid. After Covid hotel owners stopped cleaning during your stay. Trash piles up in my room, with guests leaving trash in the halls. Carpets quickly get nasty. Nobody cleaning up the common hallways.

An Airbnb isn’t cleaned during my stay either, but at least the trash can can hold a day’s worth of trash, and there’s a proper kitchen and more space.

If hotels brought back proper service I would prefer them.

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