Airbnb Alternatives

[projectx]

Airbnb gets a lot of love in the MS/travel blog community, but what about the others? Anyone have experience with Flipkey, Homeaway, or VRBO?

Nothing against Airbnb, I'm just finding some better options (not cheaper) on the other sites. Any others I should consider? We're looking for a whole home/apt rental for a family for a US vacation so sites like Couch Surfing are out.

 

[Matt]

I used VRBO this summer - it was fine. I got the impression it was for longer stays (we did 2 months)

 

[cal1152]

I used VRBO this summer - it was fine. I got the impression it was for longer stays (we did 2 months)

Matt...US only?

 

[ElainePDX]

We've done VRBO in Jerusalem and Miami. We've also found some excellent apartment rentals in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv thru....Craigslist!

We've generally stayed for a week or more but I believe VRBO did have some 2 and 3 night rentals, however it was in 2008 so it could be different now.

We also successfully sublet our place in PDX for four months to people who found it after I posted on Craigslist.

 

[cal1152]

I lived in Europe for 5 years a couple of years ago and used Gites de France for France. You can rent homes, BnB,...great prices and locations.

 

[Matt]

Matt...US only?

Yeah. I'm not saying that vrbo is only long term, but when looking at the area I was for long term options Airbnb struck out, whereas vrbo had many houses available.

 

[heavenlyjane]

Much of the available inventory advertises on all these websites. We used to locate a desirable unit and then reserve using the website with the lowest cost. In Europe, most owners would respond that the website we used was out of date and the price was no-different than the higher-cost posting. I thought the bait-n-switch tactics were annoying but it seems acceptable overseas.

 

[projectx]

I've read that before but so far in my searches I haven't found that to be the case. Granted I haven't looked at VRBO much yet; I'm a little hesitant on them because I've read that owners can decide which reviews get posted. So if you get a bad one, you can remove it. Whether that's actually true or not is another story.

 

[heavenlyjane]

One other giant difference between Airbnb and those other sites is customer service: Airbnb does not charge your CC until you've checked in and been in the unit for a few hours. If there is a problem, you stand an excellent chance of getting satisfaction. In my experience, where there is an issue, Airbnb sides with the guest. We've had numerous instances of Airbnb going above and beyond with full refund or credit vouchers for future stays.

With VRBO, our experience has been just the opposite. They function more as an online classified ad business. When you book with a host, you are more or less on your own. We had a situation a few years ago, on a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico, where the property management company was closed when we arrived with 2 small children at nightfall, in a part of town where we couldn't assess our safety. VRBO was unavailable and we ended up sitting outside a little hut next to the higway for hours before the guy showed up without apology. That experience left me leery about booking with any website that did not have an active customer service component.

We have stuck with Airbnb ever since.

 

[ElainePDX]

My experiences predate the existence of AirBnb - more recently we have used AirBnb pretty much exclusively.

 

[Tricia]

I have used AirBNB and VRBO in and out of the US. Contrary to what was posted above, AirBnB has charged my CC immediately when I placed the reservation. With VRBO I have often paid the owner directly. I have stayed from 1 night to 2 weeks with both companies and I have not had any significant problems with either company. But I do try to read between the lines when reviewing places.

 

[Haley]

I've used all of them. VBRO, flip key, AirBnB, and Homeaway as well as local tourist offices that hook you up with room rentals (back in my backpacking Europe days). With all of them you need to be careful, you need to read reviews and look out for red flags like multiple listings for same property (as a way to hide negative reviews).

My experience is also that VBRO is more for longer rentals.

Not mentioned above is Redweek which is for timeshare rentals.

 

[Skywardbd]

We've booked a flat in Edinburgh for April via Homeaway. Did not find the same flat on any of the other listing services. Flat had good reviews. on homeaway. Have corresponded several times with the owner. Will report back on the experience once back from vacation.

 

[MickiSue]

Anybody can have a bad experience with a brand--from VRBO to Ritz Carlton.

It's sad that one bad experience can lead to avoiding the entire organization. I've found that, in general, smaller hotels or B and Bs in popular places are best for us. If they advertise on consolidator sites, I will still see if they have an internet presence of their own, and contact them directly.

Unless, of course, we have the points for staying on the concierge floor at the Hilton.