I gave up on a possible destination doing that. The rooms, restaurant and swimming pool looked nice. Checked where it was located on google. I would have to walk on a narrow road with no pedestrian protection for quite some time to get to the beach and there were no cafés or restaurants around.
For our European travel, we've done well by using a Rich Steves guide book for each location. Smaller hotels with character, reasonably priced, and approved.
I used to love Airbnb because of the experience, but I gave up on them. I don’t want to have to tiptoe around everything and make sure everything is clean, especially when on vacation. I’ve gone back to hotels and have no regrets. Some hotels have even provided me with a microwave in my room, and the overall service is just better.
We were staying in the centre of London for £40 per night. We thought the room was pretty decent, clean and the beds were okay. Very basic, but we weren't expecting anything given the price. So we gave a good review. Then we looked through the other reviews and a lot of them were complaining about the rooms being small and out-dated and no mini bar, fridge, microwave, etc. I mean 😂
Read a review once that had the following in it, "The host said the kitchen had a full range of utensils, but there was no egg slicer" I still rented the property.
I cannot imagine how the other person must have suffered in that place. I draw the line at... is it likely I will be murdered in my sleep? Some places in Rome near the main railway station have that vibe.
I don't trust Airbnb anymore since I gave a lower rate to an apartment, and they corrected it to 4 out of 5. Also, left out my complaints, 'though all were correct: there were only 2 sets of linen and towel for 3 people, there was neighter WIFI, nor heating, both were promised in the description. AND the owner called us needy guests! :DDD That's why I book my apartments somewhere else.
My husband and I are getting older...but still love to travel and I find that what we look for in where we stay has changed. When I was young I just needed a bed and shower! Now I want a couch or padded chair, maybe a place to sit and read with a view...a balcony, etc. or a garden...someplace to chill and absorb the locale not just run around it like I did when I was in my 20's!
So true about Airbnb reviews! We had a “super host” who lived on top of our place, and was not only watching us but also entering in when we were out. She bad- mouthed previous guests and accused us of some damages after we left. Most of the reviews said she was very friendly. We found it annoying due to the fact they she didn’t speak any English at all. Airbnb did not help us in any way. So now we’re trying Booking for Europe 😅 It didn’t disappoint us in Central America. I’m reading all the reviews, especially with pictures!
Really good point about Airbnb reviews - You gotta read between the lines to get a good picture - That said, if the place is lower than 4.7 better look elsewhere. 👍🏼
Went to Chicago last summer…parking at the hotel was $60 with no in/out privileges…parking garage down the block was $15 a day with in/out privileges…only driving was driving in Friday night and driving home on Monday
Also, I’ve found that well known, good rated hotels in London or other major cities lower the prices when undergoing renovations or if construction is next door. Usually that means a lot of noise and obstructions. Found out the hard way. If you see a surprise bargain price, check if the hotel is being renovated or there is major road work or construction next door.
Little tip about hotel/restaurant photos, even if they are legitimate photos from guests. Its WHEN they were taken that matters. Especially communal areas that look great then but now, are probably in absolute disrepair. Also, check if there have been any events in the area in the past year, earthquakes, flooding, crime etc as hotels are stubborn about fixing things.
Another great video Mark! One thing I do with checking out other reviews is, I sort the reviews by newest to oldest. I don't care about a 5 or 1 star review from 5-10 years ago. I do care about them if they just happened last week/month. I agree to "try to ignore those 5 / 1 star reviews"....but again, if it's new, and there are others similar....that can help paint the picture.
I always look at ease of check in rating for airbnb too. Searching around for meeting places or waiting for people ( or rushing around when your transportation may be late) when you don't know where you are is anxiety producing! I try to find places that are "check yourself in" which usually means a lockbox at the accommodation. Also, I very rarely ever do an airbnb with less then 10 to15 reviews (and more is better) and never "new" listings. I've booked dozens of places with airbnb and have yet to have a clunker!
Just read a news item about a woman who booked a room with a sea view but found out when she got there the view was a poster across the street of a sea view.
Whahaha Omg 😂 I once stayed at a motel that got advertised as "a room with a view" right at the beach. Well, the sea was there, but it was so foggy we couldn't even see our car 😂
I would add that you can learn a lot from how a review is responded to by the host or hotel manager. Canned responses? Or negative responses are a flag to me. Personalized responses with apologies and solutions tell me a lot about out the service levels. Or if there are no responses that is also a red flag to me.
I always book directly from the hotel site, they usually have the best deals and can offer other perks. I don’t do Airbnb anymore, same price as a full amenity hotel but without the amenities 😅. I booked my hotel in Malaga with half board, which I’ve never done before, because it was ridiculously cheaper than a normal room without it, for some bizarre reason.
Mark's methods are pretty close to what I use...I worked for 20 years in the tourist hotel world. But one thing I've been surprised by was, in Lisbon & Porto in particular, just how steep the hills are. The maps don't make that obvious, but on the plus we have gotten some great workouts and the views are killer!
I like to Google street view the hotel to get an idea of what it and the surrounding area looks like. Also check public transit routes. It might be cheaper to stay outside of town especially there's a direct link from your hotel to the city center.
I don't trust Airbnb anymore since I gave a lower rate to an apartment, and they corrected it to 4 out of 5. Also, left out my complaints, 'though all were correct: there were only 2 sets of linen and towel for 3 people, there was neighter WIFI, nor heating, both were promised in the description. AND the owner called us needy guests! :DDD That's why I book my apartments somewhere else.
I always makes sure I'm close to public transport (metro). A 10 minute walk or less is what I recommend. Close to, but not "too close" to sights, cuz no one wants to walk out the door into a mob of people. And always near a coffee shop. I grab my coffee then head off to the metro to start my day. If the reviews comment on noise from the street I usually keep looking. From my experiences, most people won't mention something like that unless its extreme. ❤
Usually multiple sites will have reviews on the same rental. Also check Google Earth, Street View, etc. Many times a rentals’ picture will be taken from the “perfect angle”. This leaves out details such as houses being 5 feet away, or the property being in a less than desirable neighborhood, etc.
I pretty much focus on the 3* reviews as I figure they are likely to be the most balanced. I always check location on Google maps but in a big city like Stockholm I always check out transport connections. Happy to stay well out of the centre if there is reasonable transport to get in an out. - Saved £200 over 5 days by staying in a suburb (a cute enough little town), 3 stops away from Central on the commuter train (as opposed to the Metro) and the fare was about £3 I think. Only took about 15 mins....and also well connected by night bus for my party raving son.
I would never use Air B and B they are not regulated and do not get covered by insurance when things go wrong. How would you know whether basic food or bed hygiene is being followed in a stranger's house? Registered b&bs are registered and graded by inspectors in the UK.
We’ve been really lucky with Airbnb in Europe. With Airbnb reviews I always look for people to say it’s clean. If they don’t they may just be leaving it out. We have even got some great places for new listings - the first time it was a new listing I checked and the host had other properties so I felt comfortable. The other thing you can do is ask the host a question and see how they respond. And I ALWAYS check on google maps the street view to see what’s around. Last year we stayed in Copenhagen and the year before Iceland and both places were the host’s home apartments that they were renting either on holiday or the host was staying in another place temporarily. Both were huge and bonus had washer and dryers.
I have to say I love your tips and reviews. It's great to see and hear from someone who has been there and done that. Personally, sometimes the one-star reviews are the best ones: "This is the worst hotel ever! My flight was an hour late and when I got to the town, it was raining! Who do they think they are?" But more seriously, I actually tend to focus on the one-star and the five-star reviews, and not travel necessarily, on Amazon and all over the place, looking for a pattern and for specifics of what people did or didn't like.
I go to London quite often and I always search for an accomodation which is near the tube station, because the traffic jams in the city are insane and I always check the travel zone and make sure it's no further than Zone 3. It's because anything higher means that whilst the hotel/airbnb will be cheaper, you will pay what you saved in tube tickets + it will take you ages to get to the city center which might be okay in the morning, but in the evening when you're coming back you really want to spend as little time as possible in public transport because tube after dark is wild.
What I've done in the past is look to see where the most expensive hotels are located, near to the sites we want to see, and then try to find a lower price hotel, (with less rooms) nearby. I also like to read 3 and 4 star reviews, from different sites. Often times well known chain name hotels for one to two nights are best/easiest, whereas for a week or over an Air*b+b was a better option.
Problem with reviews on airbnb is people tend to be nice/bad when people are friendly/not-friendly. I too am afraid to leave a bad review when things were average but people very nice.
I do all of the things you mentioned for location, safety, etc. I'll add that when I travel with at least one other person, I stay in an airbnb because it gives us space, our own bedrooms, maybe two bathrooms, washer/dryer, etc. When I travel solo, I stay at a hotel for the security and because front desk staff are a wonderful resource when I have questions. I'm good with public transport, but often have questions about zones, etc. Hotels also sell transportation passes and stamps. Twice I've left a stack of postcards at reception desks because I either ran out of time or wasn't able to find a post box.
Currently in a situation where my Airbnb host is accusing me of "trashing" her place. Um - no. She's just trying to make money off of me to update her apartment. Sadly Airbnb isn't supporting me.
Back in 2019 some friends and I went to Chefchouen, Morocco, and the guy in the group had to get a room by himself, because Morocco is a Muslim country, so we wanted to respect their traditions. The friend who planned the trip had booked a room for four ladies on Airbnb. We all hung out, then went back to our Airbnb, and continued to hang out there. Less than 10 minutes later the girl who booked the room got a message from the owner of the place asking why there was a guy with us, and that he was able to see us through the cameras he had set up in the room! We did not find any cameras, and were left pretty uncomfortable because now we knew we were being watched. We also got a lot of looks when the five of us went out. We were foreigners, and they thought that our Mexican friend had four wives. 😆
I never read reviews as I prefer to make my own opinion and I never give reviews as I know that what I find great others will find terrible and vice versa.
Hotel is the way to go!.. You can always eat out cheap. Airbnbs have spy cameras from the hosts. Very uncomfortable knowing that. And rules on when to arrive, guests, parking etc is all a pain.
@@feelerino I agree with you. Hotels are not immune from having hidden cameras in the guest rooms. We have a small camera detector we use to sweep any vacation rentals. Of course, we do a visual check as well and most importantly at night to look for any tiny lights. So far we have found nothing, but we know the detector works because we always test it at home before we leave on vacation.
I've not had to plan my hotels internationally yet, but will next year. In the US, I travel solo. I view a hotel as a place to sleep and shower. Nothing more. I'm a see what you find along the way / the journey is the destination / no fixed destination or plans traveler. I stay 2 nights max in a single hotel before moving on. See what town I end up in each evening and then find a hotel. I always ask hotel staff / waiters / other locals what I should see before leaving town. Typically I go with Quality Inn or equivalent, but have upgraded a step when I look into the hotel. I do have one rule: never stay in a hotel with a number in its name. I've found most of those are ones where you would want to be checked for various diseases afterwards, or there's the oddball stupid expensive.
A must for any British person travelling is a kettle. I'm so used to there being one in the room, that when there isn't, it's really jarring! I stayed in a little German town called Würzburg for a weekend, where the water tasted terrible, there was no kettle or coffee maker in the room, and all the shops were shut. In the end we went to a kebab shop and bought bottles of water.
We just came home from a two week trip in Sicily. We stayed in hotels and had great experiences but saw several Bed and Breakfast signs at various properties. Definitely beware. One was on top of a gas station and another was connected to a bar.
Great tips! I also look to see how close the B&B or hotel is to a place I can hang out and drink, like a pub if I'm in Ireland or the UK. I enjoy the pub culture, but don't want to have to drive afterwards, so I try to find a place within walking distance of a nice pub. At the same time, I don't necessarily want to be at a B&B IN a pub, as those can be noisy late at night. It's a balancing act.
Correction: Málaga Spain has many cheap breakfast options that blow the hotel prices out of the water. I spent 5€ at a breakfast place instead of the 9€ the hotel offered.
I tried Sonder last year in Montreal, it’s a mix between Airbnb and a hotel. Great locations in most major cities, and the prices are pretty reasonable. There was a problem with the property I had originally booked, but after speaking to customer support, they gave me a better room in a different location. Would try again.
A beach destination. Foto's in reviews showed me exactly how tiny the beach was and how the sand also had small pebbles. Another review for an hotel warned that there was noise from nearby night life. Not nice when you want to sleep. Check the location of the hotel. You may not want to rent a car, so you should not book an hotel that is far away from everything.
So true, we were promised wi-fi, turns-out everything EXCEPT wi-fi worked, even after resetting it, when we arrived, tested, and were being guided by a property manager/owner. We don't have unlimited global data so wi-fi was a must so we had to cancel and find another place the next morning. Also, we've stayed at a AirBnB where we were promised a working washing machine, it was broken on arrival, they refused to fix it, and refused to compensate us for it. Staying 2-weeks there, we really needed a working washing machine. This is why we prefer hotels when possible but hotels are expensive, even with points, and many times you can't even get one because they're all booked. E.g. southern europe during the summer, special events e.g. superbowl/olympics in a city,...
Proxmity to mass transit is huge We often go outside the downtown to save money Often this was great... Chicago Hyatt in Rosemont with free shuttle to the L Minnesota free shuttle to mall of America a tourist attraction of itself and transit hub to wherever we needed to go Sydney stayed in Chatswood which was a beautiful suburb with a mall town center (where we saw the Matildas 2nd match right outside our hotel) and a culture of its own to come back to (which on a 2 week trip was huge so you can take rest days and not feel like your wasting time and also byo small groceries so your not buying 3 meals a day) But we've been burned...new Orleans was across from a airport and was an hour bus ride with a dodgy connection by a freeway entrance Seattle we were at sea tac and while the l takes you the 20 miles to town it was still a shuttle ride to the airport every day with nothing nearby to supplement So maps are paramount...but if you know what to do staying outside the city itself can either save you hundreds or give you better accommodations at the same price
With respect to low-budget Airbnbs, my biggest annoyance is listings that try to make it seem like the host lives there, when they do not. Staying with an individual renting a room (or a few) in their home, or with a family doing the same, is very different from staying in an apartment where all the rooms are rented, often to short-term travelers. The latter CAN be OK-ish-it's a little like an unsupervised hostal-but gives me the willies. And the hosts of these apartments say deceptive things on the Airbnb listing. Examples: "I'm happy to spend time with you, or happy to leave you space." (This host lives in a city 1,300 km away from the listing.) "I and my roommates are very quiet, mostly keep to ourselves after we come home from work." (Who knows where that woman lives: the apartment was all rented to short-term travellers, all (except for a very noisy couple) young males with whom I shared no common language.) Also: in Airbnb: usually a lock on the bedroom door means what I hope it to mean: that I can lock the door while I'm inside if I choose, AND I can lock it when I leave. Sadly, it SOMETIMES means there's a bolt on the inside--no way to exclude others from your space while you are away. I tend to exclude any listing that contains a detectable falsehood: "beachfront" when the listing is a few miles (of urban terrain) from the ocean, and that is not a beach. Or photosets from several listings shown as a few blocks from each other, but that include some of the same interior photos of common spaces. Listings for a specific room that include photos of multiple bedrooms.
We travel with a small dog, and you have to be careful for extra costs, sometimes you pay 20 euro per night extra. And on a 10 day stay that's stupidly expensive because usually they only clean after you leave. Also in a hotel see if your dog is aloud in the breakfast room. Last year I had to eat outside in the rain, my dog can't be left alone in a strange room.
I have rarely been disappointed with hotels in Spain, they are used to tourists and know how to run hotels. I find self catering in Portugal the best option there. Greece has very clean hotels, often small and friendly.
Air conditioning. On my trips to Germany during the summer quite frequently I swore I checked on Booking to make sure the room had a/c but when I got there the thermostat was pointless. Once I actually realized there was a thermostat but no cooling unit or cold air vent in the room! You have to be careful because even when the hotel listing includes a/c it may not be user controlled. Another thing is to learn how to realize if it’s a self service hotel. It’s fine if you’re okay with it, but the listing does not always make it obvious when there is no reception desk with a live human being. If you have problems with the room you have to email someone to fix it. Good luck on the weekends.
Have you ever done much camping Mark? Be great to see a video on that or about booking campsites! Great video as always. Only 4 months before I come to USA for holiday!
I hate that now 5 stars seems to be the standard for passable. My first job 70% were to get 3s, 20% 2/4, 10% 1/5. It meant that a one or 5 meant something. 3s were average/met expectations, which was considered good. We need to go back to that rather than some places that seem to think a 5 is the only passing score. Another thing - I was booking a vacation rental in the Detroit area. I had a classmate that was an architect that would always post his runs on Facebook. I used that to assume that it was a safter area.
I have used Airbnb several times for a Paris stay but I must say I now prefer hotels. One thing to look for in France is what floor the apartment is on and whether or not there is an elevator. As an older traveler with bad knees I once rented an Airbnb which seemed ideal but when I arrived I found the apartment was on the 5th floor without an elevator. Also remember that a 3rd floor apartment in Paris is actually on the 4th floor as the street level is called the rez-de-chaussée or 0 floor.
Yep, me too! I booked an apartment in Paris that used part of the basement. We got in late and of course the place sucked. The apartment smelt like a graveyard. The bedding smelt like a graveyard. There was only one window that could open and it had a padlock on it. We gave it a 1 star. AirBNB took it down.
Agree that as I am an “older” traveler now, I prefer hotels over B&Bs, etc. Be careful with descriptions; in southern Santorini stayed at wonderful small hotel. Picked “garden view,” turned out to have a marvelous view of a desolate patch of weeds. Certainly not worth extra price of this view. In Rome, yes they had an elevator; way in the back, could only accommodate one person OR some luggage. Not both.
While prices may vary by location and other factors, I have generally found that AirBnB has become very expensive compared to hotels. I priced AirBnB accommodations in Tokyo last year and for the money, I could stay in good hotels. There is also the hassle of writing reviews. As Professor Wolters states, there is a slight pressure on the guest when writing reviews because the host can reply in kind as it were. My overall sense about AirBnB is that more than a few of the hosts are owners of multiple properties, possibly leveraged to the hilt with mortgages in a rising interest rate environment. This induces stress in the hosts, and because AirBnB effectively removes accommodations that could have served the local rental market, it also puts pressure on the locals, who may face rising rents. I prefer not to use AirBnB.
Wow, I saw a clip of the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Apcantara a little after the one minute mark.. I just got back from Lisbon a few days ago and stayed literally across the street from that Miradouro 😂. This is a really important topic, glad it was addressed! Also: I-L-L
Reviews are not so reliable nowadays. It’s a pity, but sometimes travellers exaggerate when they write a review. I have some examples of hotels with poor rating, and it’s unfair. And the opposite. Same for hotels and restaurants. Read reviews and make your opinion, but a very positive review, or a very negative review doesn’t mean you will have a great experience, or a poor experience. May be 3 or 4 stars reviews are more accurate. But when I really like a hotel or a restaurant, I will write a very positive review. And if there is a problem, people are willing to criticize and to write a negative review of the hotel, restaurant, or airbnb. When it's something just average, there is nothing interesting to write.
My tip, never ever take advice from a friend or a family member, those were my biggest ails, when I researched things on my own, I had a much much better experience, plus I prefer hotels that breakfast were included (those are the best) + great stays and hotels. speaking from personal experience.
Reviews on those sites are useless to read. Few times I tried to warn about bed bugs in hotels and they never publish. Why one needs to know if the view is nice from the room if you have to cancel whole stay in the middle of the night and look for another hotel?
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I drop myself in front of the place on Google earth and look around at what the area looks like. Really helps out
And then I roam the streets around the block, or follow the route to the attractions or restaurants I want to walk to.
I gave up on a possible destination doing that. The rooms, restaurant and swimming pool looked nice. Checked where it was located on google. I would have to walk on a narrow road with no pedestrian protection for quite some time to get to the beach and there were no cafés or restaurants around.
For our European travel, we've done well by using a Rich Steves guide book for each location. Smaller hotels with character, reasonably priced, and approved.
I also use Ricks recommendations . Clean safe friendly good price and lets you know about the location.
I wish that airbnb would allow you to see the exact location to the place before booking. I like to see the surroundings before making my decision.
I prefer hotels. Less headaches and a more reliable quality product.
Amen!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I feel exactly the same.
Yea and if you use certain credit cards you get points for free stays later
Travel requires PROFESSIONAL services. PRO airline staff, proper transport (taxis), and (especially) pro hotel staff. Just pay the money.
I used to love Airbnb because of the experience, but I gave up on them. I don’t want to have to tiptoe around everything and make sure everything is clean, especially when on vacation. I’ve gone back to hotels and have no regrets. Some hotels have even provided me with a microwave in my room, and the overall service is just better.
@@DicksonMaimouth Absolutely 👍🏻 My last few Airbnb experiences have been less than stellar, now I’ve switched back to full service hotels 🏨
My favorite is the one star reviews on the cheapest room in town getting the poor review because the pool/hot tub weren't up to their standards
We were staying in the centre of London for £40 per night. We thought the room was pretty decent, clean and the beds were okay. Very basic, but we weren't expecting anything given the price. So we gave a good review. Then we looked through the other reviews and a lot of them were complaining about the rooms being small and out-dated and no mini bar, fridge, microwave, etc. I mean 😂
I personaly often book the cheapest place that does the job. I go see bad reviews to see if it is something I can deal with.
@@missj.4760 I always do exactly that❤
😂😂😂😂
Read a review once that had the following in it, "The host said the kitchen had a full range of utensils, but there was no egg slicer"
I still rented the property.
lol, I have seen a couple of those comments.
Haha how did you ever survive
Oh no!! Not a kitchen without an egg slicer! 😂
I cannot imagine how the other person must have suffered in that place. I draw the line at... is it likely I will be murdered in my sleep? Some places in Rome near the main railway station have that vibe.
If that is important for you, then by one for a dollar and have it the suitcase:)
I don't trust Airbnb anymore since I gave a lower rate to an apartment, and they corrected it to 4 out of 5. Also, left out my complaints, 'though all were correct: there were only 2 sets of linen and towel for 3 people, there was neighter WIFI, nor heating, both were promised in the description. AND the owner called us needy guests! :DDD That's why I book my apartments somewhere else.
My husband and I are getting older...but still love to travel and I find that what we look for in where we stay has changed. When I was young I just needed a bed and shower! Now I want a couch or padded chair, maybe a place to sit and read with a view...a balcony, etc. or a garden...someplace to chill and absorb the locale not just run around it like I did when I was in my 20's!
Same here. Having a comfy space to chill out is very welcome
So true about Airbnb reviews! We had a “super host” who lived on top of our place, and was not only watching us but also entering in when we were out. She bad- mouthed previous guests and accused us of some damages after we left. Most of the reviews said she was very friendly. We found it annoying due to the fact they she didn’t speak any English at all. Airbnb did not help us in any way. So now we’re trying Booking for Europe 😅 It didn’t disappoint us in Central America. I’m reading all the reviews, especially with pictures!
2018 Airbnb had me staying in the heart of Rome for $48/ night. I loved it then…
Now? I book a hotel or stay in a hostel.
Really good point about Airbnb reviews - You gotta read between the lines to get a good picture - That said, if the place is lower than 4.7 better look elsewhere. 👍🏼
Went to Chicago last summer…parking at the hotel was $60 with no in/out privileges…parking garage down the block was $15 a day with in/out privileges…only driving was driving in Friday night and driving home on Monday
I was in Florida and drove to NYC in January. Charging for parking on top of the room fee seems to be the standard in any large city in the US now.
Also, I’ve found that well known, good rated hotels in London or other major cities lower the prices when undergoing renovations or if construction is next door. Usually that means a lot of noise and obstructions. Found out the hard way. If you see a surprise bargain price, check if the hotel is being renovated or there is major road work or construction next door.
Little tip about hotel/restaurant photos, even if they are legitimate photos from guests. Its WHEN they were taken that matters. Especially communal areas that look great then but now, are probably in absolute disrepair. Also, check if there have been any events in the area in the past year, earthquakes, flooding, crime etc as hotels are stubborn about fixing things.
Another great video Mark! One thing I do with checking out other reviews is, I sort the reviews by newest to oldest. I don't care about a 5 or 1 star review from 5-10 years ago. I do care about them if they just happened last week/month. I agree to "try to ignore those 5 / 1 star reviews"....but again, if it's new, and there are others similar....that can help paint the picture.
I always look at ease of check in rating for airbnb too. Searching around for meeting places or waiting for people ( or rushing around when your transportation may be late) when you don't know where you are is anxiety producing! I try to find places that are "check yourself in" which usually means a lockbox at the accommodation. Also, I very rarely ever do an airbnb with less then 10 to15 reviews (and more is better) and never "new" listings. I've booked dozens of places with airbnb and have yet to have a clunker!
From my experience: on Airbnb, do not get anything under 4.0, and on Booking nothing under 9.0
Agree!!!!
Just read a news item about a woman who booked a room with a sea view but found out when she got there the view was a poster across the street of a sea view.
I'm going to hell for laughing 🤣 Poor lady!
Whahaha Omg 😂
I once stayed at a motel that got advertised as "a room with a view" right at the beach. Well, the sea was there, but it was so foggy we couldn't even see our car 😂
That's so cheeky
Make sure you book the correct date.
I would add that you can learn a lot from how a review is responded to by the host or hotel manager. Canned responses? Or negative responses are a flag to me. Personalized responses with apologies and solutions tell me a lot about out the service levels. Or if there are no responses that is also a red flag to me.
This is also true for products you buy online. Negative reviews are OK to me it's all how they deal with that stuff.
I've encountered often the same response for every review, no matter what they were complaining about. That just means avoid this place.
Same for Campsites 😂. If you book with touroperators. 😅. I worked on one.
I always book directly from the hotel site, they usually have the best deals and can offer other perks. I don’t do Airbnb anymore, same price as a full amenity hotel but without the amenities 😅. I booked my hotel in Malaga with half board, which I’ve never done before, because it was ridiculously cheaper than a normal room without it, for some bizarre reason.
Mark's methods are pretty close to what I use...I worked for 20 years in the tourist hotel world. But one thing I've been surprised by was, in Lisbon & Porto in particular, just how steep the hills are. The maps don't make that obvious, but on the plus we have gotten some great workouts and the views are killer!
Also in regard to public transit: look up at maps to see if there are train tracks nearby cuz that could bring unwanted noise too. 👍🏼👍🏼
I like to Google street view the hotel to get an idea of what it and the surrounding area looks like. Also check public transit routes. It might be cheaper to stay outside of town especially there's a direct link from your hotel to the city center.
I believe on Air b&b, the host can’t read your review of them until they review you…..
I don't trust Airbnb anymore since I gave a lower rate to an apartment, and they corrected it to 4 out of 5. Also, left out my complaints, 'though all were correct: there were only 2 sets of linen and towel for 3 people, there was neighter WIFI, nor heating, both were promised in the description. AND the owner called us needy guests! :DDD That's why I book my apartments somewhere else.
I always makes sure I'm close to public transport (metro). A 10 minute walk or less is what I recommend. Close to, but not "too close" to sights, cuz no one wants to walk out the door into a mob of people. And always near a coffee shop. I grab my coffee then head off to the metro to start my day. If the reviews comment on noise from the street I usually keep looking. From my experiences, most people won't mention something like that unless its extreme. ❤
Usually multiple sites will have reviews on the same rental. Also check Google Earth, Street View, etc. Many times a rentals’ picture will be taken from the “perfect angle”. This leaves out details such as houses being 5 feet away, or the property being in a less than desirable neighborhood, etc.
I pretty much focus on the 3* reviews as I figure they are likely to be the most balanced. I always check location on Google maps but in a big city like Stockholm I always check out transport connections. Happy to stay well out of the centre if there is reasonable transport to get in an out. - Saved £200 over 5 days by staying in a suburb (a cute enough little town), 3 stops away from Central on the commuter train (as opposed to the Metro) and the fare was about £3 I think. Only took about 15 mins....and also well connected by night bus for my party raving son.
I would never use Air B and B they are not regulated and do not get covered by insurance when things go wrong. How would you know whether basic food or bed hygiene is being followed in a stranger's house? Registered b&bs are registered and graded by inspectors in the UK.
We’ve been really lucky with Airbnb in Europe. With Airbnb reviews I always look for people to say it’s clean. If they don’t they may just be leaving it out. We have even got some great places for new listings - the first time it was a new listing I checked and the host had other properties so I felt comfortable. The other thing you can do is ask the host a question and see how they respond. And I ALWAYS check on google maps the street view to see what’s around. Last year we stayed in Copenhagen and the year before Iceland and both places were the host’s home apartments that they were renting either on holiday or the host was staying in another place temporarily. Both were huge and bonus had washer and dryers.
I have to say I love your tips and reviews. It's great to see and hear from someone who has been there and done that. Personally, sometimes the one-star reviews are the best ones: "This is the worst hotel ever! My flight was an hour late and when I got to the town, it was raining! Who do they think they are?" But more seriously, I actually tend to focus on the one-star and the five-star reviews, and not travel necessarily, on Amazon and all over the place, looking for a pattern and for specifics of what people did or didn't like.
I go to London quite often and I always search for an accomodation which is near the tube station, because the traffic jams in the city are insane and I always check the travel zone and make sure it's no further than Zone 3. It's because anything higher means that whilst the hotel/airbnb will be cheaper, you will pay what you saved in tube tickets + it will take you ages to get to the city center which might be okay in the morning, but in the evening when you're coming back you really want to spend as little time as possible in public transport because tube after dark is wild.
What I've done in the past is look to see where the most expensive hotels are located, near to the sites we want to see, and then try to find a lower price hotel, (with less rooms) nearby.
I also like to read 3 and 4 star reviews, from different sites. Often times well known chain name hotels for one to two nights are best/easiest, whereas for a week or over an Air*b+b was a better option.
Problem with reviews on airbnb is people tend to be nice/bad when people are friendly/not-friendly. I too am afraid to leave a bad review when things were average but people very nice.
I do all of the things you mentioned for location, safety, etc. I'll add that when I travel with at least one other person, I stay in an airbnb because it gives us space, our own bedrooms, maybe two bathrooms, washer/dryer, etc. When I travel solo, I stay at a hotel for the security and because front desk staff are a wonderful resource when I have questions. I'm good with public transport, but often have questions about zones, etc. Hotels also sell transportation passes and stamps. Twice I've left a stack of postcards at reception desks because I either ran out of time or wasn't able to find a post box.
Currently in a situation where my Airbnb host is accusing me of "trashing" her place. Um - no. She's just trying to make money off of me to update her apartment. Sadly Airbnb isn't supporting me.
the most important for me, it is blackout curtains. + location.
Back in 2019 some friends and I went to Chefchouen, Morocco, and the guy in the group had to get a room by himself, because Morocco is a Muslim country, so we wanted to respect their traditions. The friend who planned the trip had booked a room for four ladies on Airbnb. We all hung out, then went back to our Airbnb, and continued to hang out there. Less than 10 minutes later the girl who booked the room got a message from the owner of the place asking why there was a guy with us, and that he was able to see us through the cameras he had set up in the room! We did not find any cameras, and were left pretty uncomfortable because now we knew we were being watched. We also got a lot of looks when the five of us went out. We were foreigners, and they thought that our Mexican friend had four wives. 😆
Cameras inside an Airbnb is against Airbnb's policy. Ugh. I would have reported him. Creepy.
I never read reviews as I prefer to make my own opinion and I never give reviews as I know that what I find great others will find terrible and vice versa.
Hotel is the way to go!.. You can always eat out cheap. Airbnbs have spy cameras from the hosts. Very uncomfortable knowing that. And rules on when to arrive, guests, parking etc is all a pain.
Implying hotels don’t have cameras 🤣🤣🤣
Also, only expect that if the airbnb host is a man
(I’m a man)
@@feelerino I agree with you. Hotels are not immune from having hidden cameras in the guest rooms. We have a small camera detector we use to sweep any vacation rentals. Of course, we do a visual check as well and most importantly at night to look for any tiny lights. So far we have found nothing, but we know the detector works because we always test it at home before we leave on vacation.
With my TripAdvisor reviews I normally add photos of the meal, hotel, or museum visited.
I've not had to plan my hotels internationally yet, but will next year. In the US, I travel solo. I view a hotel as a place to sleep and shower. Nothing more. I'm a see what you find along the way / the journey is the destination / no fixed destination or plans traveler. I stay 2 nights max in a single hotel before moving on. See what town I end up in each evening and then find a hotel. I always ask hotel staff / waiters / other locals what I should see before leaving town.
Typically I go with Quality Inn or equivalent, but have upgraded a step when I look into the hotel. I do have one rule: never stay in a hotel with a number in its name. I've found most of those are ones where you would want to be checked for various diseases afterwards, or there's the oddball stupid expensive.
A must for any British person travelling is a kettle. I'm so used to there being one in the room, that when there isn't, it's really jarring! I stayed in a little German town called Würzburg for a weekend, where the water tasted terrible, there was no kettle or coffee maker in the room, and all the shops were shut. In the end we went to a kebab shop and bought bottles of water.
I do not go onto a site looking for a hotel - I decide where I want to stay in a city/country and my budget and THEN look for a hotel.
We just came home from a two week trip in Sicily. We stayed in hotels and had great experiences but saw several Bed and Breakfast signs at various properties. Definitely beware. One was on top of a gas station and another was connected to a bar.
Great suggestions!! Thank you!! 😁👍🏼
Great tips! I also look to see how close the B&B or hotel is to a place I can hang out and drink, like a pub if I'm in Ireland or the UK. I enjoy the pub culture, but don't want to have to drive afterwards, so I try to find a place within walking distance of a nice pub. At the same time, I don't necessarily want to be at a B&B IN a pub, as those can be noisy late at night. It's a balancing act.
Some pubs have rooms to stay in and offer food the inn lives on.
Correction: Málaga Spain has many cheap breakfast options that blow the hotel prices out of the water. I spent 5€ at a breakfast place instead of the 9€ the hotel offered.
Yeah I don't know where he got the info that we don't do breakfast in Spain lol. There are plenty of places where you can have breakfast.
With Airbnb please read the fine print for cancellation policies!!!!
Great information to help us travel and stay in the best places for us! Thank you!
I tried Sonder last year in Montreal, it’s a mix between Airbnb and a hotel. Great locations in most major cities, and the prices are pretty reasonable. There was a problem with the property I had originally booked, but after speaking to customer support, they gave me a better room in a different location. Would try again.
I like trains, so i try to get a hotel with a trackside view near the train station.
Review pictures are a great source of honest information.
Good ideas thank you ☺️
A beach destination. Foto's in reviews showed me exactly how tiny the beach was and how the sand also had small pebbles.
Another review for an hotel warned that there was noise from nearby night life. Not nice when you want to sleep.
Check the location of the hotel. You may not want to rent a car, so you should not book an hotel that is far away from everything.
So true, we were promised wi-fi, turns-out everything EXCEPT wi-fi worked, even after resetting it, when we arrived, tested, and were being guided by a property manager/owner. We don't have unlimited global data so wi-fi was a must so we had to cancel and find another place the next morning.
Also, we've stayed at a AirBnB where we were promised a working washing machine, it was broken on arrival, they refused to fix it, and refused to compensate us for it. Staying 2-weeks there, we really needed a working washing machine.
This is why we prefer hotels when possible but hotels are expensive, even with points, and many times you can't even get one because they're all booked. E.g. southern europe during the summer, special events e.g. superbowl/olympics in a city,...
When you read reviews, you should also note the history, i.e. whether they are getting better or worse.
Proxmity to mass transit is huge
We often go outside the downtown to save money
Often this was great...
Chicago Hyatt in Rosemont with free shuttle to the L
Minnesota free shuttle to mall of America a tourist attraction of itself and transit hub to wherever we needed to go
Sydney stayed in Chatswood which was a beautiful suburb with a mall town center (where we saw the Matildas 2nd match right outside our hotel) and a culture of its own to come back to (which on a 2 week trip was huge so you can take rest days and not feel like your wasting time and also byo small groceries so your not buying 3 meals a day)
But we've been burned...new Orleans was across from a airport and was an hour bus ride with a dodgy connection by a freeway entrance
Seattle we were at sea tac and while the l takes you the 20 miles to town it was still a shuttle ride to the airport every day with nothing nearby to supplement
So maps are paramount...but if you know what to do staying outside the city itself can either save you hundreds or give you better accommodations at the same price
With respect to low-budget Airbnbs, my biggest annoyance is listings that try to make it seem like the host lives there, when they do not. Staying with an individual renting a room (or a few) in their home, or with a family doing the same, is very different from staying in an apartment where all the rooms are rented, often to short-term travelers. The latter CAN be OK-ish-it's a little like an unsupervised hostal-but gives me the willies. And the hosts of these apartments say deceptive things on the Airbnb listing. Examples: "I'm happy to spend time with you, or happy to leave you space." (This host lives in a city 1,300 km away from the listing.) "I and my roommates are very quiet, mostly keep to ourselves after we come home from work." (Who knows where that woman lives: the apartment was all rented to short-term travellers, all (except for a very noisy couple) young males with whom I shared no common language.)
Also: in Airbnb: usually a lock on the bedroom door means what I hope it to mean: that I can lock the door while I'm inside if I choose, AND I can lock it when I leave. Sadly, it SOMETIMES means there's a bolt on the inside--no way to exclude others from your space while you are away.
I tend to exclude any listing that contains a detectable falsehood: "beachfront" when the listing is a few miles (of urban terrain) from the ocean, and that is not a beach. Or photosets from several listings shown as a few blocks from each other, but that include some of the same interior photos of common spaces. Listings for a specific room that include photos of multiple bedrooms.
I'm doing airbnb for 2 weeks in Italy. Wish me luck lol - it was a lot cheaper than hotels!
Excellent advice, Mark! 👍
I really enjoy your channel and if your lovely wife talks it's a bonus! I really enjoy Jocelyn's take. (hope I spelled her name correctly)
We travel with a small dog, and you have to be careful for extra costs, sometimes you pay 20 euro per night extra. And on a 10 day stay that's stupidly expensive because usually they only clean after you leave. Also in a hotel see if your dog is aloud in the breakfast room. Last year I had to eat outside in the rain, my dog can't be left alone in a strange room.
I have rarely been disappointed with hotels in Spain, they are used to tourists and know how to run hotels. I find self catering in Portugal the best option there. Greece has very clean hotels, often small and friendly.
Very Lovely ideas 😊😊
Air conditioning. On my trips to Germany during the summer quite frequently I swore I checked on Booking to make sure the room had a/c but when I got there the thermostat was pointless. Once I actually realized there was a thermostat but no cooling unit or cold air vent in the room! You have to be careful because even when the hotel listing includes a/c it may not be user controlled. Another thing is to learn how to realize if it’s a self service hotel. It’s fine if you’re okay with it, but the listing does not always make it obvious when there is no reception desk with a live human being. If you have problems with the room you have to email someone to fix it. Good luck on the weekends.
Nicely ❤
Have you ever done much camping Mark? Be great to see a video on that or about booking campsites! Great video as always. Only 4 months before I come to USA for holiday!
Camping is big in France, most French people go camping for holidays there.
@@weejackrussell Thank you! Would be nice countryside there I imagine
I enjoyed this video. 😊❤
Great video!
I don’t like the newer Airbnb prompt questions for rating out of 5. The comments are more helpful.
I hate that now 5 stars seems to be the standard for passable. My first job 70% were to get 3s, 20% 2/4, 10% 1/5. It meant that a one or 5 meant something. 3s were average/met expectations, which was considered good. We need to go back to that rather than some places that seem to think a 5 is the only passing score.
Another thing - I was booking a vacation rental in the Detroit area. I had a classmate that was an architect that would always post his runs on Facebook. I used that to assume that it was a safter area.
I have used Airbnb several times for a Paris stay but I must say I now prefer hotels. One thing to look for in France is what floor the apartment is on and whether or not there is an elevator. As an older traveler with bad knees I once rented an Airbnb which seemed ideal but when I arrived I found the apartment was on the 5th floor without an elevator. Also remember that a 3rd floor apartment in Paris is actually on the 4th floor as the street level is called the rez-de-chaussée or 0 floor.
Yep, me too! I booked an apartment in Paris that used part of the basement. We got in late and of course the place sucked. The apartment smelt like a graveyard. The bedding smelt like a graveyard. There was only one window that could open and it had a padlock on it. We gave it a 1 star. AirBNB took it down.
Agree that as I am an “older” traveler now, I prefer hotels over B&Bs, etc. Be careful with descriptions; in southern Santorini stayed at wonderful small hotel. Picked “garden view,” turned out to have a marvelous view of a desolate patch of weeds. Certainly not worth extra price of this view. In Rome, yes they had an elevator; way in the back, could only accommodate one person OR some luggage. Not both.
Nice effort ❤
really helps out❤
I certainly check the reviews but use discernment in a good or bad review. Thanks, Mark. :)
While prices may vary by location and other factors, I have generally found that AirBnB has become very expensive compared to hotels. I priced AirBnB accommodations in Tokyo last year and for the money, I could stay in good hotels. There is also the hassle of writing reviews. As Professor Wolters states, there is a slight pressure on the guest when writing reviews because the host can reply in kind as it were. My overall sense about AirBnB is that more than a few of the hosts are owners of multiple properties, possibly leveraged to the hilt with mortgages in a rising interest rate environment. This induces stress in the hosts, and because AirBnB effectively removes accommodations that could have served the local rental market, it also puts pressure on the locals, who may face rising rents. I prefer not to use AirBnB.
Wow awesome 👍😊
Good work
Wow, I saw a clip of the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Apcantara a little after the one minute mark.. I just got back from Lisbon a few days ago and stayed literally across the street from that Miradouro 😂. This is a really important topic, glad it was addressed! Also: I-L-L
Perfect 🥰
Amazing 😍
I ‘walk’ around on Google street. And I’m done with Air BnB.
Can't wait to go to Spain!
Beautiful
Reviews are not so reliable nowadays. It’s a pity, but sometimes travellers exaggerate when they write a review. I have some examples of hotels with poor rating, and it’s unfair. And the opposite. Same for hotels and restaurants. Read reviews and make your opinion, but a very positive review, or a very negative review doesn’t mean you will have a great experience, or a poor experience. May be 3 or 4 stars reviews are more accurate. But when I really like a hotel or a restaurant, I will write a very positive review. And if there is a problem, people are willing to criticize and to write a negative review of the hotel, restaurant, or airbnb.
When it's something just average, there is nothing interesting to write.
Good advise!!!
I always appreciate your advice
Awesome
On Airbnb, you can’t find out the actual address until you book. That’s a pain.
My tip, never ever take advice from a friend or a family member, those were my biggest ails, when I researched things on my own, I had a much much better experience, plus I prefer hotels that breakfast were included (those are the best) + great stays and hotels. speaking from personal experience.
Very ❤good
Fabulous
Reviews on those sites are useless to read. Few times I tried to warn about bed bugs in hotels and they never publish. Why one needs to know if the view is nice from the room if you have to cancel whole stay in the middle of the night and look for another hotel?
Perfect
I always give a little more weight to the reviews from Dutch visitors.
I like your video very useful
Google maps is great for checking out the area, whats close by as qell as Reading the reviews.
So beautiful