Anyone had any experience with AIR BNB

rfowler

Hi Guys,

We are thinking of using them when we plan ti go Dubai; but I have heard and read a lot of negative feedback. Can some please who have used them please share there experience.

Thanks

Ballard

I've used them three times and had a good stay each time. The first one was a British couple in Napier in NZ and they couldn't be lovelier or more welcoming. I only stayed one night and ended up going to a quiz night with one of them.

The second was a South American couple (again in NZ) and, again, they were lovely. I didn't see so much of the second couple as there's more to do in Auckland in the evening than Napier.

The final one was an Aussie couple in Sydney. Once again they were very friendly and helpful.

There are horror stories (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/apr/30/airbnb-cancelled-booking-hour-before-arrived) but my experience has been good.

If you happen to bank with Santander they sometimes have 'retailer offers' for Airbnb for 10% off.

pogofish

They were merciless spammers on here for a while - all against the terms of their service agreements, which probably tells you all you need to know!

ince_mon

I used them about 3 yrs ago when i went to NZ. I stayed with a Kiwi couple and it was excellent. No problem whatsoever.

eDicky

rfowler wrote: »

We are thinking of using them when we plan ti go Dubai; but

Asking for people's experiences with AirBNB in this and similar locations might be more relevant (and interesting).

hollydays

My son used them all the time. He got some fantastic apartments

pendragon_arther

I've used them 3 times and will again, no problems.

duchy

I've booked a couple of stays with them for later this month.

I researched it very carefully and you do need to be aware of what you are booking.

Basically you are either booking a room in someone's home that they live in or you are booking a complete property for sole use. Be very clear what you are booking and read the reviews really carefully- Unlike tripadvisor you can't review a property unless you have actually stayed there so the reviews are genuine although if someone really liked a host their review may not mention the less good bits so sometimes you need to read between the lines.

Read ALL the reviews for the property -anything unclear email the host and ask -often how they respond can tell you as much as the answer to the question about them.
Don't even consider properties without any reviews.

The very nature of how airbnb works means there will be good and not so good hosts - but stick with the strong reviews and if any reviews seem guarded or bland - take that as code for "not really what was expected" and avoid.

PompeyPete

eDicky wrote: »

Asking for people's experiences with AirBNB in this and similar locations might be more relevant (and interesting).

Makes sense [to me].

paddyrg

Dubai and UAE are not expensive places for hotels, and if you like a pint you'll want to be staying in a hotel (it's actually illegal to drink alcohol without a license - very often flouted, but enforced almost at random and never good when it is). If you're a tourist going to a bar in your hotel and up to your room, it's pretty much ignored/tolerated.

from FCO website

Alcohol
Non-Muslim residents can get a liquor licence to drink alcohol at home. These licences are valid only in the Emirate that issued the licence. Residents must also get a permit to be able to drink in licensed venues.

Alcoholic drinks are served in licensed hotels and clubs, but it is a punishable offence to drink, or to be under the influence of alcohol, in public. The legal age for drinking alcohol is 18 in Abu Dhabi (although a Ministry of Tourism by-law allows hotels to serve alcohol only to those over 21), and 21 in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (except Sharjah, where drinking alcohol is illegal).

Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.

Basically, hypocrisy rules. If drinking is important to you, stay in a hotel and you'll almost certainly be fine. If you don't mind going dry for a week, then staying with people may be fine. Most likely you'll stay with people who do drink and may or may not have personal licenses, and have never had a problem. Just make an informed choice.

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/uae-alcohol-law-forgot-about-tourists

Other things to consider - residential properties may not be in the bits of town you want to visit. Not that there are 'bad' bits of Dubai, but there are some very roady/busy/dull areas (roads upto 14 lanes wide in places!). Taxis are cheap, and it does get too hot to walk, so that may not be an issue.

Sharjah joins onto Dubai and is cheaper. Booze is less tolerated there, and you won't find an off-license or wet hotel there. Traffic jams between there and Dubai can make a 20-minute taxi 2 hrs, so stay close to where you want to go if to the NorthEast of Dubai.

But hotels are so plentiful and cheap, you will find somewhere decent for next to nothing, or somewhere nice for a little bit more. I prefer Abu and Sharjah to Dubai myself, but it depends what you like :-)

PompeyPete

Just stayed in Nicaragua with a wonderful USA/Nica family, on their fruit farm. The property is listed on Airbnb and elsewhere. I booked direct with the owner and saved on the Airbnb charges, plus I also got airport collection and bus station [at the end] thrown in.

Almost everything about our stay was excellent, but there were a couple of significant rough edges. The property is regularly reviewed on Trip Advisor and Airbnb, and while I don't doubt that all the reviews are genuine, there's no mention of the rough edges. Why no mention? I think Duchy explains it well earlier in the thread.