Airbnb after hotels all my life?

I've stayed in some amazing AirBNBs and I've stayed in some that were okay (not bad, but not amazing). I prefer hotels when it's just 1, possibly 2, nights and an AirBNB if it's 3+ nights. I tend to think of them more as a vacation home than a hotel and 1 night just seems like a little more hassle in an AirBNB than in a hotel.

Also in some areas, I've rented an AirBNB from a private party in an actual hotel (Ft. Lauderdale specifically). I guess there are some areas where hotel rooms are privately owned. We got a smoking deal on an ocean front room right before a cruise that was a ton cheaper than the hotel that it was in was renting their own rooms and what other comparable hotels were charging.  You do have to factor in the cleaning fee when you look at price though and that's another reason that 1-2 nights generally doesn't have as much of a payoff. Some hosts have huge cleaning fees and others are more reasonable. Some will give a discount if you wash the linens so their cleaning crew doesn't have to. I'm not doing that if I stay somewhere for a couple of nights, but I don't mind if I've stayed for a week or so.

No AirBnB disasters here! It's much cheaper, and further savings come from being able to cook your own meals. Plus much more space. I've learned to read the listing and reviews carefully, and haven't had a problem.

 and I love when they have washer/dryers. I HATE coming home to loads of laundry.  I wash as we go and before we leave. The only dirty clothes we come home with are those we are wearing.  Also, you can pack less if you can wash and re-wear.

I've used VRBO for a large ladies getaway (15 women) in Chicago. It was a bargain for 4 days in a beautiful home north of the city. We had two large SUVs from those that drove in and a garage. Perfect set up.

We stayed in two AirBnBs this summer. One for 3 nights in Newport, RI - it was a nicely set up small house in the middle of town. The other for a week apartment in Bar Harbor, ME. It was an easy way to find somewhere to stay, we could settle in better than in a hotel, and the prices were very reasonable. I like renting through the AirBnB service because you have their guarantees; you know it's a real place and they have guarantees.
I was careful about checking reviews and pictures - don't assume, ask.

I think you're probably right that it doesn't happen often.  Though I should have clarified that the family had "moved out" for the weekend, they weren't there (that would have been even weirder).

Airbnb is a difficult one. I’ve stayed in Airbnb’s all over Europe, and each experience has been different. I would recommend Airbnb if you are open minded and are prepared to take the rough with the smooth. I’ve only had a positive experience but it depends what you’re looking for. I’ve only ever stayed in whole apartments on Airbnb.

I wouldn’t recommend Airbnb to my parents for example. They love staying in hotels and want a luxurious experience when they travel. They don’t want any signs that someone has been in that room before them.

I stayed in an Airbnb recently in Poland. It was a beautiful apartment and a very good price. But the bathroom could have done with extra cleaning and there was some left over yogurt in the fridge from the previous stay.

I stayed in one in Denmark but there were a lot of personal items left around. That was fine with me (again rough with the smooth - it was clean and in a great location) but my parents would have found that incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

You do have to leave the apartments you stay at in the same condition you found it in. If you’re not prepared to wash up after yourself, empty bins etc. a hotel is a better fit.

Airbnb is not for everyone and that’s ok. Read the reviews from each host and you can’t really go wrong.

I love having more space and a place to cook if I wish. That’s why I choose Airbnb over a hotel. I like having a place to lounge in the mornings and evenings with a sofa, cushions, tv. I can look past other things that aren’t hotel standard when I’m getting a bigger apartment for a cheaper price.

I’ve never thought about it to be honest. The likelihood of that happening is so, so small.

My daughter and I stayed in two different AirBNB while in France a couple of years ago. We stayed in a house with a host specifically because we wanted to experience what it was really like to live in France and actually talk to some French people. Both stays were excellent, and she loved being able to meet the hosts!

We are currently planning a trip to Ireland/England/France/Germany/Austria and she absolutely wants to do the AirBNB route again. She's been taking German this semester and wants to be able to meet some German people specifically. I think we may do a mixture of regular hotels/AirBNB but since I haven't yet hammered down our exact itinerary, I haven't even begun looking yet.

We haven't used AirBNB yet, but we rent beach houses every year on the gulf coast of Florida that we find on VRBO and it's been great for us. We haven't experienced any problems.

Yes. Maybe irrational but it definitely crosses my mind.

Not for me. I did it because the hotels near my daughter's college were $$$$, but I hated the experience. The bathroom in the home was nasty (at best!) and the lady lived upstairs. At 6:30am she was moving furniture!! There was some weird person in the room next to mine and ugh, I was just disgusted. I have heard great stories, too, but I don't travel enough (once every couple months?) to make it worthwhile.

I think if you had a whole apartment it would be different, but for me it's better to do Hotwire. I put a minimum of 4 stars and I have had only one bad experience, and even that wasn't too bad. I get some really, really nice hotels and the last couple have been outstanding. Usually for less than $100/night, too.

I just worry about video of my husband and I circling the internet or something. I've been followed and also covertly photographed in the past though, so that probably fuels my irrationality of it.

They did have an incidence of that i think somewhere in Florida. the camera was in the smoke detector something you'd expect to have a light!! abcnews.go.com/US/couple-find-hidden-camera-florida-airbnb/story?id=50402059 Obviously the website kicked him off for all of his properties, banned him and gave everything they had for him to the police. 

BUT you could have the same issue in a real hotel room. It's so easy nowadays. I mean they now have bluetooth cameras in little camera charging cubes. I just don't ever get naked except inside the shower and i can't really help that.