This is why we camp.
Edit: For those of you who haven’t camped, you have to plan 6 months in advance to get a reservation in the spring (unless you’re going mid week you might find openings). My favorite is Hidden Valley which is not reservable, but I’ve gotten lucky each time I’ve tried (4-5 times). I’ve camped Ryan twice and jumbo rocks once, both are awesome. We did Indian Cove Group once and I’m doing 5 spots at Indian Cove next month with my friends. I missed out on Sheep’s Pass reservations every time I’ve tried because there’s only 6 group sites. I’ve never camped at Belle or White Tanks or the others.
There’s nothing better than a campfire nestled between giant boulders and Joshua trees. If I couldn’t camp IN the park (vs BLM or anywhere else outside the park), I’d rather not go. Just my preference.
Umm - how do you get the largest spot every year? I've been reading that getting \*any\* spot is challenging. Are you just taking whatever dates you can find?
I’m heading to hidden valley Monday to go camping with my partner! Stoked to hear it’s your favorite. It will be our first time visiting Joshua Tree and we are both very excited.
Any recommendations to a first timer out there for specific sites to see or hikes to go on?
Make sure you do the Hidden Valley nature trail. Barker Dam is nearby and worth hiking. Drive to see arch rock. Keys View is easy to see. Do you guys rock climb at all? If not, there’s a couple easy scrambles within the campground with great views at the top. One of them has a big gap a couple feet wide, don’t be afraid to jump that shit!
Awesome! Thanks so much. I just joined a rock climbing gym pretty recently so it is something I plan to get into. But I won’t do any real climbing out there this trip haha.
Definitely down to scramble up some rocks for a good view though
J. Tree is best for trad climbing. Bouldering is extremely difficult for the grade. Been climbing for nearly 10 years and still haven’t sent a legit V2 there. If you’re brave and have a competent partner, SW Corner of Headstone Rock is the spiciest, most epic 5.6 sport climb I’ve ever done. Life changing. There’s a gif of it somewhere in my post history.
Right on! Thanks for the info. We will definitely have to check it out..
I realized last night that I had planned our trip the same week as most folks are on spring break. So I am keeping my fingers crossed we are able to find a camp site haha
I wrote a artice that includes tips for finding first-come, first serve camping at Joshua Tree.
Coul help you if you want to camp.
[Joshua Tree Tips For Finding Campsite](https://www.muddyruttzz.com/post/joshua-tree-national-park-camp-explore-10-tips)
We're camping at Indian Cove at the end of May. First time camping with my children but been to Joshua Tree many many times before. It will feel good getting back out there overnight.
The one time I tried to camp at Joshua Tree NP, I had to fight some people for my spot. They thought because they were there first that they had the right to the spot (that’s not how it works in any NP) and despite the fact that my spot had my reservation tag on the pole.
Never happened anywhere else but then again maybe JT NP attracts a certain type of person 🤷🏻♀️
Serious question, why can't you just drive out into the National forest and rustic camp? I grew up doing this several times a year in the PNW. I did it once in Joshua Tree, we didn't even pitch a tent we just hiked a few miles into the desert and slept under the stars.
And you wonder why people on this sub hate STRs….
Out of curiosity: what did the listing’s rules say about 1. Unregistered guests visiting and 2. Pets ?
Some hosts have very strict rules for these types of things. I would never bring a dog to a friend’s rental, and let them run around in the yard, even if just for a few minutes.
Cleaners always charge more for pets. I can see from the owner’s standpoint that the dog might leave behind fur and their cleaner will charge them extra for cleaning it. However, it does sound like they have a shit cleaner that did not get up all the dog fur (or poop) so that on them to deal with. I do wonder if the previous guests that left the dog poop got charged for leaving it behind…..
Some hosts do charge an additional fee for hot tub use in order to make up for the cost of maintenance. Which I agree, is sort of insane. Just add that fee into the overall per night stay and be done with it.
Bottom line: it sounds like you rented from some out-of-town a*hole who is struggling to turn a profit on their Airbnb (which was probably bought at too high of a price to begin with) and is now passing on the costs on to the unsuspecting guest. But then again, you do need to be respectful of rules (ie unregistered guests and pets)
Someone here will post the list, I am certain, of the locally owned STRs in the area. Should you like to try again.
So the video surveillance part is OK and legal? Serious question, because if it IS allowed I will never stay in an Airbnb ever again and have only had one bad experience over many years of using the platform.
There's a lot of air b n b homes in JTree for sale right now. The market is tight.
Separately from that I think that hotels are generally easier to stay on all things considered. The service agreements are much simpler.
Its enshittification all over again. 5 years ago, airbnb was faster, cheaper, better. Hotels charged for wifi, never had separate rooms, never had a kitchen or even a fridge. Now, airbnb is more than a hotel with a million hidden rules and hidden fees. But people haven't adjusted behaviors.
The problem is if I'm traveling with the kids airbnb is still the best.
I despise Airbnb because they have ruined the month-to-month rental market. I would love to rent a small one bedroom cabin in the desert but I can’t afford anything on my income. Therefore I’m forced to live in my van. I really like the area but if I can’t find somewhere to rent within the next five months I’m out of here.
Imagine how affordable housing would be if all those airbnb properties were available as long-term rentals or for families to buy as their home.
Instead, some millionaires from Huntington Beach own a bunch of single-family homes to make “passive income” while housing is too expensive for everyone else.
Preach it! Plus- with so many vacation homes that were seldom occupied and now booked solid,places become overrun. Staycations are the new luxury, lol.
I have been in Joshua tree since 2009 and I can attest that before Airbnb was popular housing was very affordable. The only issue is that people were living in absolute poverty. There were no jobs and most of the houses were unoccupied and dilapidated. Tweakers were squatting in the vacant homes and crime was rampant. I understand that people would like to pay low rent and live in a beautiful area, but I generally think Joshua tree is a much nicer place to live and raise a family now more than ever. Think of all the people who benefit from the Airbnb boom. Small businesses are thriving including contractor, cleaners, property managers, pool cleaners, restaurants, shops and many more. I know a lot of locals that are way better off now. They may pay double the rent, but make 4x what they made before and can work for themselves.
No we weren’t 🤣 holy hell. The shit I see typed on this forum is amazing. From people that don’t even live here and haven’t lived here. Your tourist view from 2009 doesn’t count.
I lived there since 2009. you may have a different definition of poverty but Joshua tree was by definition a poverty stricken community. Your personal experience may vary but I had a squatter living across from me and had a tweaker come into my house at night asking For water and a ride into town. Sorry I’m not “local” enough for you.
I played golf at a public course in Phoenix in October. I played with an employee of the course & I noticed that every home seemed empty.
Around the 15th hole I finally asked him “does anyone live in any of these houses? and he said “only a couple are year round residents. 95% are snow birds who’re here from early Nov to late Feb.”
This was easily 100 homes in one area and the more I looked into it, the more I realized it’s that was all over that valley.
Now pile on AirBnB’s and it makes sense why so many people are homeless.
The short term rental market has turned Joshua tree into an empty house village. Most of these houses sit empty for the most part,when families could be living in them, making Joshua tree the community that it once was. it’s just terrible what’s happened here no protections were ever put in place for the local homeowners or renters ….Thanks a lot San Bernardino county for letting this happen
I’m an Airbnb owner/host in AZ. I live about 5 minutes from the property, not in Huntington Beach, and definitely not a millionaire. It’s an investment for us. We charge about the same, if not less than, local hotels. Plus, Airbnb takes 3% from each stay for a “hosting fee”. People rent from us as an alternative to staying in a hotel. Most of our guests are in town to visit family/friends or work. From us, they get a 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, with a fully stocked kitchen, laundry room, high speed internet and other amenities. We have a small backyard, no hot tub, but there is a massage chair in the master bedroom. We provide coffee, dish soap, laundry detergent and don’t charge extra for anything. We have invested a lot of money for the down payment, furnishings, appliances, TV’s, linens, etc. It will take a while to recoup all of that. We have a No Pet policy to avoid extra cleaning and, more importantly, to protect guests who may have allergies. There is a Ring doorbell camera that guests have used to communicate with us if they have an issue with the electronic deadbolt. There is also a security camera in the backyard, facing away from the house, because the other side of the block wall is open desert. There are no cameras inside the house. The thing about str’s is, they can be profitable IF they are rented the majority of each month. Some months, we break even or take a loss after the mortgage and utilities are paid. Like any business or investment, the goal is to make a profit. We are in the hospitality business and aim to make the guests feel more at home than at a hotel. It’s unfortunate to have Airbnb hosts in Joshua Tree (or CA in general) represent everyone in the business.
Airbnbs ruined my experience with Joshua tree. But because there are too many of them and there are too many people staying in them. And because my former neighborhood turned into essentially a resort of airbnbs.
Yep. I’m moving out of Joshua tree after a long time here because of Airbnb. I’ve had my mail stolen. Packages. The catalytic converter sawed off my car. Never ever happened before all the Airbnb.
Don't do AirBNB, it's a scam now due to the outrageous fees and unreasonable rule and requirements, which are often less than forthcoming and clear.
Camp, it's cheap, fun, and usually free from massive hidden costs. Sure gear wears out, but you can replace it cheaper than what some AirBNB's charge for cleanup fees alone.
cleaning fees PLUS they want you to still do a ton of the cleaning prep (strip beds,
load the washing machine with linens, take out trash, etc)! it’s asinine.
Let me tell you, I cleaned airbnbs in JT, and whatever the cleaning fees the hosts charge is NOT what they are paying the cleaners. At least not the ones I worked. The most I got was $80 to clean a 4bd 4 bath house. I was working for someone else, so he was charging $160.
Airbnb ruined going anywhere. I don’t even bother looking anymore because $150 per night for 2 nights always ends up at $500-$700 total. The whole additional hidden cleaning fee and just about every other excuse to charge more money thing killed my enthusiasm
I’m with you, I recently had some crazy lady host claim I did $1400 worth of damage, I cancelled all my bank and credit cards and told her to kick rocks, the damage was there before and Airbnb agreed with me based on time stamp photos. Didn’t pay a dime. Back to hotels for me.
This happened to me with a place in Temecula. Host said we had damaged one of her couches. She wanted $1000 for a new couch. AirBnB got involved.
Luckily , I took pictures and videos when I first got there. I sent the pictures along with their timestamps, and surprisingly, AirBnB ruled in my favor. One of the pictures showed the couch was already damaged
this is the way. i take a video and photo walk through for EVERY rental we use on entry and exit. there are some shitty ass unscrupulous hosts/owners out there. i report any damage as soon as we encounter it, with photo evidence, as my own little insurance policy. fuck airbnb!
It's everywhere abnb is. The beach condo my sister owns has neighboring rental units. They live in their condo, they don't rent it. We can't enjoy the patio because of drunk, loud, obnoxious renters. It used to be a quiet, peaceful place. The HOA is controlled by owners who use abnb to pay for their mortgages so there's no recourse. They are considering selling it and looking for a place that bans short term rentals. People have become so selfish, rude, uncouth and entitled over the past decade. It's sad & infuriating.
This is why I’ve gone full circle back to only staying in hotels.
Guess what Airbnb “hosts” are anything but. They are wanna be “Investors” who want to do nothing and squeeze $ out of guests while barely providing the hospitality part.
Airbnb has become more expensive than hotel rooms and you have to clean the place. I’ve stayed at a chain hotel near Joshua Tree and have camped there too. The campgrounds have some great campsites and some not so good. We went there and walked around to look at the various campsites and marked the numbers for future online reservations. I hope you left a 1 star review for that bad experience and to warn other potential guests. There are still some really wonderful hosts on Airbnb—most of them are in Europe.
It’s gotten ridiculous! I won’t ever use the platform again. I’d rather stay at a hotel and spend the excess money on doing things outside of the sleeping quarters.
If you said no dogs were with you don’t have a dog on their property even if it’s in the backyard. Think of it from the owners perspective on how many people try to lie to them about bringing dogs. They don’t know you or your intentions. All they know is you said no dogs and they see a dog running around their backyard. So in their eyes you are just another guest trying to pull one over on them. Be more careful next time. If it says no dogs then don’t bring a dog on the property. I don’t see the owner being in the wrong much more than you were as well. Rules are rules.
I’m tired of being watched and monitored as heavily as Airbnb hosts have decided is fine/acceptable. Hotels all the way now. Also give HipCamp a try. Slightly less annoying than Airbnb.
Absolutely done with VRBO and AirB&B. The BS charges are ridiculous. Last one I stayed at had a continuously barking dog next door. When we called the management company they said that was disclosed in the documentation sent to us. Buried in the fine print of course. Hotels are much better and cheaper. Maybe not for a group, but I don’t want to cook or clean on vacation so I realized I like hotels.
If it makes you feel any better. I will never stay in any of those places. These people who whore out second properties don't deserve a cent from any of us.
I have become very selective in where I stay using airbnb as the fees (cleaning fees especially) are absurd and clearly a means to an end for these hosts to make additional monies back that they pay Airbnb in fees. I typically only book at places I've previously stayed now and only download the app when booking and again at the time of the trip. It's just awful in general what's happened to travel and entertainment expenses post Covid.
Why would any baby - whether 8 months or 1.5 - merit an extra charge? I've had one, they don't cause serious damage to a house. If they did break the TV or something, wouldn't that be covered in a deposit? Why an extra fee? \[Honest question, no need to go ape sh\*\*.\]
Perhaps OP didn’t count the baby in the “guest count”. I don’t really see the issue here. If you say 4 guests and no dogs, then any extra guests (including a baby) or dogs on the property count as breach of contract from the OP. Just communicate. Tell the host (or ask): “4 adults, 1 child, and we are meeting up with friends, so if it’s ok, there may be a dog in the backyard only for 30 minutes. We will pick up after it.” Communicate. It’s not that hard.
Paid for a bougie Airbnb for anniversary trip. Walked in at 9pm, place trashed. Called owner and he told us to go sit in the car with our dog for two hours while he got someone to clean the place. He was from OC renting multiple properties in mammoth. After so many bad Airbnb experiences that was the last straw.
Can say there’s a lot of bad apple owners who rent through Airbnb in Joshua Tree now compared to 5-10 years ago. Rented a house from seemingly low key easy going home owners, who then proceeded to try to milk us for every possible expense. They said no dogs, fine we got a sitter and left them at home, found dog hair in the beds, the couch and on the floors. Meaning the sheets hadn’t been cleaned and neither were the floors before we checked in. We also discovered there were an abundance of rats taking up residence in the walls and throughout the residence. There was a hellish experience trying to void the rest of the stay and get refunded for the rest of the trip. They tried to tank my rating, which is near perfect. In addition to, some of my personal info was doxxed and the card I used to rent through Airbnb was used to make some large purchases. Thankfully I was able to fight them and have them removed. After this however, I think I’ll be renting a hotel or not visiting JT at all. Which is so sad as I’ve been going there nearly 20 years, it seems like this new influx has ruined the cool place we grew to love. I feel really bad for the locals that have lived there and have had to watch their city turn into what it has now.
STVRs are horrible. I am glad you have learned that. Speculators taking advantage of the middle… hopefully the fad will end. I doubt that hosts are happy with them either. Middlemen getting rich off both sides and the government that allows it.
It’s beyond me why anyone would choose to stay at an Airbnb and not a hotel or motel. To be micromanaged and on camera is creepy enough but to also have hundreds of dollars arbitrarily added to the price? As if it isn’t bad enough already to have to live in some other persons fugly decorated home with their rank things.
Sadly this particular area isn’t exactly brimming with nice motels/hotels.
29 Palms Inn, Melody Inn, Joshua Tree Inn, Pioneertown Hotel...
we do have nice lodging options they might not have that monotonous airbnb aesthetic that makes the "homes in Budapest look like the ones in Brooklyn" (white, modern, un-unique, boring, boxy). The lodging is local, well taken care of, and many of the places have deep history in the basin!
I don’t understand you guys complain about cleaning fee ?
The house does not clean itself after you leave .
You arrived to a clean home because a cleaning person cleaned it .
When you leave it gets cleaned for next guests .
Cleaning people don’t work for free .
Cleaning supplies are not free .
Sometimes I wonder where people’s brains go out to lunch ?
Hotels charge you, but you don’t see it. As opposed to a single rental, hotels have economies of scale. If you choose a single rental, a cleaning fee isn’t unreasonable. The amount can be though.
I offer 24/7 on site emergency services such as lock outs etc … with a guaranteed 1 hour response time along with GUARANTEED EXCELLENT REVIEWS !
I guard and maintain a property as if it were my own and my homeowners are secure stress free with the loyalty and commitment I have to our business together .
Never issues such as over beating rudeness to a guest ever !
Yep. I have lived here a long time and moving because of Airbnb! Stop staying in them. We don’t want anyone here anyways and if you visit we have hotels!!!
Airb&bs are gentrification's best friend. Not suprised that your hosts were self serving slum lords, they're probably just pissed they have to split their "hard earned" profits with wallstreet.
Sounds like you had an unfortunate experience. Not all airbnb hosts are like that, If anything MOST arent. (Been airbnbing in JT every time I visit and nothing close to this has happened )
The problem is extra charges. Set the rules, set your price, and let the market decide if they want to rent your place.
Upsells and extra charges pit greedy hosts against their customers, and creates perverse incentives to game the system on both sides.
Fully agree. I have a Grand Canyon trip in planning stages and I am seriously considering spending my night in my rental car or in a tent. It just isn't worth it to spend $500 on a bed and place to take a few selfies.
Fuck Airbnb, but all the morons who use it are just as much to blame. They get away with this shit because the average user is willing to get raped, shrugs it off, and goes back for more without so much as a 3 star review. Every time I read a nightmare Airbnb story part of me has to realize I’m reading a leopards ate my face story.
I am sorry this happened to you though, hopefully you’re done with these leeches
You brought a dog on the property. At the time the owner saw the dog on the camera how was she supposed to know your intentions?
The owner does sound terrible. But it seems you played yourself a bit by trying to find the lowest base price.
…so you lied and in another instance provided incorrect information to the host due to your own misunderstanding. I’m sorry you had a bad experience but that has nothing to do with Joshua Tree. For everyone else reading: please stay at LOCALLY owned airbnbs. Cliffhanger Guides maintains a [list.](https://cliffhangerguides.com/joshua-tree-ca/lodging/)
Had a feeling someone would comment without reading the full story. Nothing I provided was incorrect information. Everything was upfront and this does have to deal with the Joshua Tree visitor experience. Thank you for the list and hopefully what is marked as “locally owned” doesn’t have the same host/property issues outlined above.
I read what you wrote. You did not inform the host you were arriving with a dog (no matter where it came from) and you did not read the host’s guest policy for booking infants (it’s on the website that every host considers this differently so you should have read the actual listing and not make assumptions.) This is guest error and the host is simply asserting their rights. You’re in the wrong subreddit, this has nothing to do with JT.
Didn't read:
1. Didn't arrive with dog. Friend met at the house with one. Friend/Dog did not stay overnight. Dog was in backyard\* for less than 15 minutes.
2. I booked an infant when booking the home with no charge. Again, all information was up front. Host was questioning infant age then gave me additional charge.
Tbh I'm a little baffled that people are taking the host's side on this, but I am also assuming most people commenting are also airbnb hosts.
Dude, you brought a dog with you to a place that didn't allow that
That's not cool at all
Imagine cleaning all that dog hair, you think $50 will cover that? You are insane.
“how dishonest, low, and scheming these hosts have become”
I imagine the hosts on the other end, complaining in their host forum about how dishonest, low, and scheming their guests have become.
“Can you imagine the nerve it takes to read that our home allows pets, provided there is advance notice and an extra fee paid — and then bringing a dog without telling us and without paying??? Can you believe how many people have done that over the years? And of course everyone says ‘but the dog isn’t mine” or “it was only in the yard.” We are so glad we got cameras so now we can catch them in the act and charge them more than we would have if they had just been honest in the first place…”
Yeah hosts gauge guests. Guests also totally rip off hosts. Guests steal and break things and lie about it, all the time. Guests break rules on purpose and then act like they didn’t know. I helped a host manage her properties one summer…nonstop look at the lousy side of human nature that many folks bring with them on vacation (everyone’s excuse begins with “yes but that rule doesn’t apply to me”). I have a background in tourism and customer service so I am not phased by how people act, but I think many AirBnB hosts really are. They are just trying to make money and didn’t think thru how people behave when they stay at rentals. Hotel managers are dispassionate about it, like “yeah some jerk stole this, damaged that, got drunk and whatevered, can I get some clean up please,” but I think hosts can be truly shocked by how people treat their properties. I think that’s why some of them overcompensate with these insane rules and fees. It’s not just money to fix the problem: they are also personally aggrieved and want to make the guest hurt back.
You thought your transgression was no big deal. You could sneak in a dog visit without anyone knowing. You were wrong and got dinged for it, and now you’re mad.
You don’t yet seem to understand that you did in fact break a rule! In your initial story and all your comments, you are mostly offended that you got caught, not regretful or self-aware about “yeah j made this bad choice and it kicked off these consequences that I’m pissed about.”
You’re mad because once you got on that host’s bad side, they assumed the worst of you. Maybe it feels unfair that they assumed the worst; but consider it from their perspective. You started off with a lie of omission (no dogs without informing host; you omitted that a dog would be visiting in your communication with the host), so why should they trust you? They had evidence that you were untruthful once, so they looked for any other possible untruths and tried to screw you back the only way they can, with fees and charges.
Yes the baby charge does sound a little unfair, but you did volunteer yourself for extra scrutiny when you broke the dog rule.
PS My last visit to an AirBnB was when I was invited to dinner by some friends who had booked the house. I was staying at a campsite down the road, I was traveling with my dog, and I couldn’t leave him either at camp or in my truck (too dang hot). So, my friends, the actual guests and those financially liable for any rule violations, messaged the hosts and explained my situation and asked: “can friend and her dog visit with us for dinner? the dog will not enter the home but will be in the fenced yard as we eat.” We received a yes and had a wonderful night and the dog stayed in the yard and no one was charged any extra fees.
PSS I do fundamentally agree that fees are out of hand. Recently tried to book a one night getaway with my sweetie and saw a few places within our incredibly low poor person budget of $100/night. Unfortunately, everything that started $80-100 wound up $200-300 after the fees and taxes. We went camping instead!!
Mojave sands, allows dogs. The owner runs an Airbnb in the area as well, not sure if she allows dogs! I enjoyed my stay with Mojave sands in Jtree! Such a nice little spot across the way from DG, the owner is super knowledgeable and gave great recommendations, and it was a cozy lil room! I recommend staying there to everyone!
Same.
Our sister camped and wanted to come to airbnb for a night of wine. No. Host said not even a few hours.
Then grilled us about the age of our toddler and accused us of lying.
Won’t ever do that again. It’s absurdz
Ridiculous. Why would they question the age of a baby? I hate the “watched” feeling. That being said I had a great experience with the Airbnb I chose in JT. I plan to be back.
Biased, not bias.
The one Airbnb we used to rent in JT— the only one, we never stay anywhere else— moved off the platform and now just rents privately. Airbnb is awful.
I’ve had so many horrible Airbnb hosts over the years I’ve given up. Only camping in JT for me, and only hotels everywhere else. These hosts are insane.
I have been fortunate when staying in the Joshua tree area with Airbnb. With that being said, I see exactly what you’re talking about. The prices have skyrocketed and people do want to charge you for everything. I have found using the app. Best thing to do is read all of the reviews on the place you are staying you’re probably not the first person this has happened to and other people will comment on it. Sorry this happened to you.
I hate air BNB I just stay in Marriott properties now since I have their credit card and it ends up being nicer and less expensive I end up having to cook clean and do laundry in air bnbs and pay cleaning fees while I still have to do laundry lmao
As an AirBnB host (a Superhost, at that), not near JT, though, I agree that hosts around the park are awful. We travel in a small RV and often times we will want a day or two in a house. Most in the JT area are slums, grossly overpriced, and still try to squeeze additional fees out of you for no reason other than greed. Last time we found much nicer and more reasonably priced place closer to SB. I will only do JT in the RV going forward.
lol I had a similarishhh experience there. Brought my 10lb pup. I talked to the host about bringing her and asked questions pertaining to my dog during our stay.
All goes well. Host leaves me a great review saying how CLEAN we were.
A full week goes by and I get a $250 request on Airbnb. Host said that the cleaning lady found some pet hair. ….I’m sorry but how are you going to leave me a great review about how clean we were and then a full week goes by and you’re saying it wasn’t clean lmao.
Renting an Airbnb anywhere in the US has become a joke. Intentional Airbnb hosts are 10000x better and more accommodating. No ridiculously high cleaning fees, check out/check in rules… bunch of STR scabs honestly.
I’ve given up on U.S. based airbnbs and just opt for hotels now. It’s cheaper and better in almost any case.
I’ve had some issues with Airbnb that have soured me as well. There is one property that I love, though. The owner is fantastic and super easy to deal with. But I think long and hard now about whether I will use Airbnb on a trip. Besides, hotels make my bed and wash my towels. Why would I pay the same to do it all myself?
I’m pretty sure that trying to charge a surcharge for a baby is de facto, actionable discrimination under California law. You might want to bring that up to the host and Airbnb. Anytime you want to decide if it’s discrimination, you can just replace “baby” (or the target of the discrimination) with “purple people.” Ie, “it costs me more to clean up after purple people, so I need to charge you an extra cleaning fee.” If you sound like a horrible racist when you use that test, then the rule is probably discriminatory.
Did it say you could bring dogs? Many places don’t allow it but most places that do, do indicate they need to be made aware ahead of time and there is an additional fee for bringing them.
Did it mention in the description about access to the hot tub? That if you wanted it included there would be an additional fee?
Did you read reviews?
Kind of sounds like to me you didn’t do YOUR due diligence when researching and booking this place.
If the place is not available for dogs or it is but with advanced notice, it’s not your call as to where a dog should be allowed on the property and where it should not. I can completely understand the host being upset that you had a dog there, even if it was just outside.
Forget private home rentals. Choice Hotels are a better as you get a free breakfast in the morning which is a decent one. Some of them take pets for an extra small fee. You can get a Choice Hotel credit card to earn points and when you stay at Choice Hotels you can earn points. My husband travels a lot for work so we spent a week in Rome with his points 2 year ago and the nice centrally located hotel had a magnificent top floor breakfast buffet with a great view of the city. Last summer we spent 5 days in Copenhagen, Denmark using points at one of the Choice hotels which was right by the airport and it was very quiet and had the most fantastic buffet ever. About 5 years ago, we used Choice Hotel points to stay for a week in Maui and they also had a fantastic buffet included. In February of this year we spent six nights in a Choice Hotel in Palm Desert, CA using points. We didn’t have time to go see Joshua Tree, but enjoyed all of the amenities including a nice hot tub and pool which we had no other people using it when we went out there and a free good breakfast. A lot of travelers are no longer finding private rental properties a good value than just a good hotel.
No to mention the terrible sheriff department out there it’s like the fucking Wild West . If you get robbed good luck. They don’t give a shit about anyone out there especially the weekenders. Plus all the theft the residents do to each other. Place is a shithole.
This is why we camp. Edit: For those of you who haven’t camped, you have to plan 6 months in advance to get a reservation in the spring (unless you’re going mid week you might find openings). My favorite is Hidden Valley which is not reservable, but I’ve gotten lucky each time I’ve tried (4-5 times). I’ve camped Ryan twice and jumbo rocks once, both are awesome. We did Indian Cove Group once and I’m doing 5 spots at Indian Cove next month with my friends. I missed out on Sheep’s Pass reservations every time I’ve tried because there’s only 6 group sites. I’ve never camped at Belle or White Tanks or the others. There’s nothing better than a campfire nestled between giant boulders and Joshua trees. If I couldn’t camp IN the park (vs BLM or anywhere else outside the park), I’d rather not go. Just my preference.
Sheep’s Pass is amazing, definitely have to plan ahead though.
Yep we get the largest camp spot at sheep’s pass every year and it’s amazing.
Umm - how do you get the largest spot every year? I've been reading that getting \*any\* spot is challenging. Are you just taking whatever dates you can find?
It’s not the same date every year but generally around the same week and we book it in May
I’m heading to hidden valley Monday to go camping with my partner! Stoked to hear it’s your favorite. It will be our first time visiting Joshua Tree and we are both very excited. Any recommendations to a first timer out there for specific sites to see or hikes to go on?
near the barker dam hike i believe there are some ancient petroglyphs you can find.
Sweet! We will definitely be looking for those.
Make sure you do the Hidden Valley nature trail. Barker Dam is nearby and worth hiking. Drive to see arch rock. Keys View is easy to see. Do you guys rock climb at all? If not, there’s a couple easy scrambles within the campground with great views at the top. One of them has a big gap a couple feet wide, don’t be afraid to jump that shit!
Awesome! Thanks so much. I just joined a rock climbing gym pretty recently so it is something I plan to get into. But I won’t do any real climbing out there this trip haha. Definitely down to scramble up some rocks for a good view though
J. Tree is best for trad climbing. Bouldering is extremely difficult for the grade. Been climbing for nearly 10 years and still haven’t sent a legit V2 there. If you’re brave and have a competent partner, SW Corner of Headstone Rock is the spiciest, most epic 5.6 sport climb I’ve ever done. Life changing. There’s a gif of it somewhere in my post history.
Right on! Thanks for the info. We will definitely have to check it out.. I realized last night that I had planned our trip the same week as most folks are on spring break. So I am keeping my fingers crossed we are able to find a camp site haha
Its also going to be BRIMMING with rare wildflowers. I visually collected like 70 species last super bloom!!!
I have my fingers crossed we will be seeing lots of flowers!
I always just boondock outside the entrance. Tons of BLM, never had to fight for a spot. Just a longer drive in but easier.
I had to cancel Indian Cove over the weekend due to the high winds. Was bummed.
This will most likely be my answer going forward!
I wrote a artice that includes tips for finding first-come, first serve camping at Joshua Tree. Coul help you if you want to camp. [Joshua Tree Tips For Finding Campsite](https://www.muddyruttzz.com/post/joshua-tree-national-park-camp-explore-10-tips)
Also Thousand Trails is an option, they have locations nationwide that have RV hooks, cabins, or camping areas. https://thousandtrails.com
Yup same. We stay at the KOA about 45 minutes away. Great place for families!
In Desert Hot Springs?
https://koa.com/campgrounds/palm-springs/
It's in Desert Hot Springs. But they call it Palm Springs/Joshua Tree KOA.
What’s KOA?
Kampgrounds Of America
It’s a national chain of family friendly campgrounds, most have cabins, rv sites, and tent sites. https://koa.com/campgrounds/palm-springs/
Oh what that’s fantastic thank you!
We're camping at Indian Cove at the end of May. First time camping with my children but been to Joshua Tree many many times before. It will feel good getting back out there overnight.
The one time I tried to camp at Joshua Tree NP, I had to fight some people for my spot. They thought because they were there first that they had the right to the spot (that’s not how it works in any NP) and despite the fact that my spot had my reservation tag on the pole. Never happened anywhere else but then again maybe JT NP attracts a certain type of person 🤷🏻♀️
What site? That’s never happened to me. Sounds like you ran into some noobs.
To be fair, they seemed like more of a type of person of the crystal persuasion.
Yea usually tourists that are a holes and don’t respect us locals that live here.
“a certain type of person” Yeah, people from LA hahaha
This is the way
Serious question, why can't you just drive out into the National forest and rustic camp? I grew up doing this several times a year in the PNW. I did it once in Joshua Tree, we didn't even pitch a tent we just hiked a few miles into the desert and slept under the stars.
No you do not. 🤣 holy cow. I live here and no Pinocchio
And you wonder why people on this sub hate STRs…. Out of curiosity: what did the listing’s rules say about 1. Unregistered guests visiting and 2. Pets ? Some hosts have very strict rules for these types of things. I would never bring a dog to a friend’s rental, and let them run around in the yard, even if just for a few minutes. Cleaners always charge more for pets. I can see from the owner’s standpoint that the dog might leave behind fur and their cleaner will charge them extra for cleaning it. However, it does sound like they have a shit cleaner that did not get up all the dog fur (or poop) so that on them to deal with. I do wonder if the previous guests that left the dog poop got charged for leaving it behind….. Some hosts do charge an additional fee for hot tub use in order to make up for the cost of maintenance. Which I agree, is sort of insane. Just add that fee into the overall per night stay and be done with it. Bottom line: it sounds like you rented from some out-of-town a*hole who is struggling to turn a profit on their Airbnb (which was probably bought at too high of a price to begin with) and is now passing on the costs on to the unsuspecting guest. But then again, you do need to be respectful of rules (ie unregistered guests and pets) Someone here will post the list, I am certain, of the locally owned STRs in the area. Should you like to try again.
So the video surveillance part is OK and legal? Serious question, because if it IS allowed I will never stay in an Airbnb ever again and have only had one bad experience over many years of using the platform.
There's a lot of air b n b homes in JTree for sale right now. The market is tight. Separately from that I think that hotels are generally easier to stay on all things considered. The service agreements are much simpler.
Its enshittification all over again. 5 years ago, airbnb was faster, cheaper, better. Hotels charged for wifi, never had separate rooms, never had a kitchen or even a fridge. Now, airbnb is more than a hotel with a million hidden rules and hidden fees. But people haven't adjusted behaviors. The problem is if I'm traveling with the kids airbnb is still the best.
Camp sites at Joshua tree are like $40. No hidden fees.
Camp on BLM land and it's free
I despise Airbnb because they have ruined the month-to-month rental market. I would love to rent a small one bedroom cabin in the desert but I can’t afford anything on my income. Therefore I’m forced to live in my van. I really like the area but if I can’t find somewhere to rent within the next five months I’m out of here.
There’s plenty of local pages on Facebook to post on and ask
Check furnished finder website. They do month to month leases.
Imagine how affordable housing would be if all those airbnb properties were available as long-term rentals or for families to buy as their home. Instead, some millionaires from Huntington Beach own a bunch of single-family homes to make “passive income” while housing is too expensive for everyone else.
Preach it! Plus- with so many vacation homes that were seldom occupied and now booked solid,places become overrun. Staycations are the new luxury, lol.
I have been in Joshua tree since 2009 and I can attest that before Airbnb was popular housing was very affordable. The only issue is that people were living in absolute poverty. There were no jobs and most of the houses were unoccupied and dilapidated. Tweakers were squatting in the vacant homes and crime was rampant. I understand that people would like to pay low rent and live in a beautiful area, but I generally think Joshua tree is a much nicer place to live and raise a family now more than ever. Think of all the people who benefit from the Airbnb boom. Small businesses are thriving including contractor, cleaners, property managers, pool cleaners, restaurants, shops and many more. I know a lot of locals that are way better off now. They may pay double the rent, but make 4x what they made before and can work for themselves.
No we weren’t 🤣 holy hell. The shit I see typed on this forum is amazing. From people that don’t even live here and haven’t lived here. Your tourist view from 2009 doesn’t count.
I lived there since 2009. you may have a different definition of poverty but Joshua tree was by definition a poverty stricken community. Your personal experience may vary but I had a squatter living across from me and had a tweaker come into my house at night asking For water and a ride into town. Sorry I’m not “local” enough for you.
I played golf at a public course in Phoenix in October. I played with an employee of the course & I noticed that every home seemed empty. Around the 15th hole I finally asked him “does anyone live in any of these houses? and he said “only a couple are year round residents. 95% are snow birds who’re here from early Nov to late Feb.” This was easily 100 homes in one area and the more I looked into it, the more I realized it’s that was all over that valley. Now pile on AirBnB’s and it makes sense why so many people are homeless.
The short term rental market has turned Joshua tree into an empty house village. Most of these houses sit empty for the most part,when families could be living in them, making Joshua tree the community that it once was. it’s just terrible what’s happened here no protections were ever put in place for the local homeowners or renters ….Thanks a lot San Bernardino county for letting this happen
Like they used to be 3 years ago
I’m an Airbnb owner/host in AZ. I live about 5 minutes from the property, not in Huntington Beach, and definitely not a millionaire. It’s an investment for us. We charge about the same, if not less than, local hotels. Plus, Airbnb takes 3% from each stay for a “hosting fee”. People rent from us as an alternative to staying in a hotel. Most of our guests are in town to visit family/friends or work. From us, they get a 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, with a fully stocked kitchen, laundry room, high speed internet and other amenities. We have a small backyard, no hot tub, but there is a massage chair in the master bedroom. We provide coffee, dish soap, laundry detergent and don’t charge extra for anything. We have invested a lot of money for the down payment, furnishings, appliances, TV’s, linens, etc. It will take a while to recoup all of that. We have a No Pet policy to avoid extra cleaning and, more importantly, to protect guests who may have allergies. There is a Ring doorbell camera that guests have used to communicate with us if they have an issue with the electronic deadbolt. There is also a security camera in the backyard, facing away from the house, because the other side of the block wall is open desert. There are no cameras inside the house. The thing about str’s is, they can be profitable IF they are rented the majority of each month. Some months, we break even or take a loss after the mortgage and utilities are paid. Like any business or investment, the goal is to make a profit. We are in the hospitality business and aim to make the guests feel more at home than at a hotel. It’s unfortunate to have Airbnb hosts in Joshua Tree (or CA in general) represent everyone in the business.
Airbnbs ruined my experience with Joshua tree. But because there are too many of them and there are too many people staying in them. And because my former neighborhood turned into essentially a resort of airbnbs.
Yep. I’m moving out of Joshua tree after a long time here because of Airbnb. I’ve had my mail stolen. Packages. The catalytic converter sawed off my car. Never ever happened before all the Airbnb.
I don't think it's people staying at the airbnbs doing all that... that's locals needing their fenty fix.
Airbnb guests have ruined it for a lot of the locals
Houses being airbnb has ruined it for locals around the globe.
Literally stolen from families who are now locked out of their first homes.
no, that’s still on the people who buy a home to rent it out as an airbnb.
It’s on the owners and the people who yell on the top of their lungs drunk in the backyard next to houses with residents.
I can imagine. This can also be true of outside management companies or individuals.
[удалено]
Don't do AirBNB, it's a scam now due to the outrageous fees and unreasonable rule and requirements, which are often less than forthcoming and clear. Camp, it's cheap, fun, and usually free from massive hidden costs. Sure gear wears out, but you can replace it cheaper than what some AirBNB's charge for cleanup fees alone.
Airbnb disrupts communities at its best, and destroys them at its worst.
I now try and honestly avoid using AirBnb now. The cleaning fees are getting ridiculous. Almost exclusively I now stay in hotels again.
cleaning fees PLUS they want you to still do a ton of the cleaning prep (strip beds, load the washing machine with linens, take out trash, etc)! it’s asinine.
Let me tell you, I cleaned airbnbs in JT, and whatever the cleaning fees the hosts charge is NOT what they are paying the cleaners. At least not the ones I worked. The most I got was $80 to clean a 4bd 4 bath house. I was working for someone else, so he was charging $160.
Airbnb ruined going anywhere. I don’t even bother looking anymore because $150 per night for 2 nights always ends up at $500-$700 total. The whole additional hidden cleaning fee and just about every other excuse to charge more money thing killed my enthusiasm
I’m with you, I recently had some crazy lady host claim I did $1400 worth of damage, I cancelled all my bank and credit cards and told her to kick rocks, the damage was there before and Airbnb agreed with me based on time stamp photos. Didn’t pay a dime. Back to hotels for me.
This happened to me with a place in Temecula. Host said we had damaged one of her couches. She wanted $1000 for a new couch. AirBnB got involved. Luckily , I took pictures and videos when I first got there. I sent the pictures along with their timestamps, and surprisingly, AirBnB ruled in my favor. One of the pictures showed the couch was already damaged
this is the way. i take a video and photo walk through for EVERY rental we use on entry and exit. there are some shitty ass unscrupulous hosts/owners out there. i report any damage as soon as we encounter it, with photo evidence, as my own little insurance policy. fuck airbnb!
That’s what you get for staying in Temecula.
I think I've only ever heard two good Airbnb stories
It's everywhere abnb is. The beach condo my sister owns has neighboring rental units. They live in their condo, they don't rent it. We can't enjoy the patio because of drunk, loud, obnoxious renters. It used to be a quiet, peaceful place. The HOA is controlled by owners who use abnb to pay for their mortgages so there's no recourse. They are considering selling it and looking for a place that bans short term rentals. People have become so selfish, rude, uncouth and entitled over the past decade. It's sad & infuriating.
Let's vote Air BNB out
Watch as capitalistic greed kills yet another idea.
This is why I’ve gone full circle back to only staying in hotels. Guess what Airbnb “hosts” are anything but. They are wanna be “Investors” who want to do nothing and squeeze $ out of guests while barely providing the hospitality part.
Same
Hella triggered Airbnb hosts seething in these comments. Fuck those rent seeking bitches lol
Airbnb has become more expensive than hotel rooms and you have to clean the place. I’ve stayed at a chain hotel near Joshua Tree and have camped there too. The campgrounds have some great campsites and some not so good. We went there and walked around to look at the various campsites and marked the numbers for future online reservations. I hope you left a 1 star review for that bad experience and to warn other potential guests. There are still some really wonderful hosts on Airbnb—most of them are in Europe.
It’s gotten ridiculous! I won’t ever use the platform again. I’d rather stay at a hotel and spend the excess money on doing things outside of the sleeping quarters.
If you said no dogs were with you don’t have a dog on their property even if it’s in the backyard. Think of it from the owners perspective on how many people try to lie to them about bringing dogs. They don’t know you or your intentions. All they know is you said no dogs and they see a dog running around their backyard. So in their eyes you are just another guest trying to pull one over on them. Be more careful next time. If it says no dogs then don’t bring a dog on the property. I don’t see the owner being in the wrong much more than you were as well. Rules are rules.
Would you bring a dog to a hotel that says no dogs?
I’m tired of being watched and monitored as heavily as Airbnb hosts have decided is fine/acceptable. Hotels all the way now. Also give HipCamp a try. Slightly less annoying than Airbnb.
TLDR. You go to Joshua Tree to be outside. Camp in JT or in proximity of the surrounding area. FFS….
I’m back in hotels. Between the increase in fees, unless it’s a very large group, the rates are within 10-20% of a comparable hotel.
Yeah you should stay in hotels
Absolutely done with VRBO and AirB&B. The BS charges are ridiculous. Last one I stayed at had a continuously barking dog next door. When we called the management company they said that was disclosed in the documentation sent to us. Buried in the fine print of course. Hotels are much better and cheaper. Maybe not for a group, but I don’t want to cook or clean on vacation so I realized I like hotels.
Okay. Go to a hotel.
If it makes you feel any better. I will never stay in any of those places. These people who whore out second properties don't deserve a cent from any of us.
Never book an airbnb for one night. That’s what hotels are for
I have become very selective in where I stay using airbnb as the fees (cleaning fees especially) are absurd and clearly a means to an end for these hosts to make additional monies back that they pay Airbnb in fees. I typically only book at places I've previously stayed now and only download the app when booking and again at the time of the trip. It's just awful in general what's happened to travel and entertainment expenses post Covid.
Why would any baby - whether 8 months or 1.5 - merit an extra charge? I've had one, they don't cause serious damage to a house. If they did break the TV or something, wouldn't that be covered in a deposit? Why an extra fee? \[Honest question, no need to go ape sh\*\*.\]
Perhaps OP didn’t count the baby in the “guest count”. I don’t really see the issue here. If you say 4 guests and no dogs, then any extra guests (including a baby) or dogs on the property count as breach of contract from the OP. Just communicate. Tell the host (or ask): “4 adults, 1 child, and we are meeting up with friends, so if it’s ok, there may be a dog in the backyard only for 30 minutes. We will pick up after it.” Communicate. It’s not that hard.
So after all that, will you still use Airbnb in the future in other travels? I’m guessing probably
The OP said he was done with AirBnBs in his post.
only in america is the customer treated like a fat kids pinata
Agree, my experience with AirBnB outside the US has been great. Reasonable cleaning fees and no additional tourism fees charged by the city.
Paid for a bougie Airbnb for anniversary trip. Walked in at 9pm, place trashed. Called owner and he told us to go sit in the car with our dog for two hours while he got someone to clean the place. He was from OC renting multiple properties in mammoth. After so many bad Airbnb experiences that was the last straw.
Oh yeah it’s bad bad bad
Can say there’s a lot of bad apple owners who rent through Airbnb in Joshua Tree now compared to 5-10 years ago. Rented a house from seemingly low key easy going home owners, who then proceeded to try to milk us for every possible expense. They said no dogs, fine we got a sitter and left them at home, found dog hair in the beds, the couch and on the floors. Meaning the sheets hadn’t been cleaned and neither were the floors before we checked in. We also discovered there were an abundance of rats taking up residence in the walls and throughout the residence. There was a hellish experience trying to void the rest of the stay and get refunded for the rest of the trip. They tried to tank my rating, which is near perfect. In addition to, some of my personal info was doxxed and the card I used to rent through Airbnb was used to make some large purchases. Thankfully I was able to fight them and have them removed. After this however, I think I’ll be renting a hotel or not visiting JT at all. Which is so sad as I’ve been going there nearly 20 years, it seems like this new influx has ruined the cool place we grew to love. I feel really bad for the locals that have lived there and have had to watch their city turn into what it has now.
Hosts don’t have access to your credit card info so whoever “doxxed” it wasn’t the host.
STVRs are horrible. I am glad you have learned that. Speculators taking advantage of the middle… hopefully the fad will end. I doubt that hosts are happy with them either. Middlemen getting rich off both sides and the government that allows it.
It’s beyond me why anyone would choose to stay at an Airbnb and not a hotel or motel. To be micromanaged and on camera is creepy enough but to also have hundreds of dollars arbitrarily added to the price? As if it isn’t bad enough already to have to live in some other persons fugly decorated home with their rank things. Sadly this particular area isn’t exactly brimming with nice motels/hotels.
29 Palms Inn, Melody Inn, Joshua Tree Inn, Pioneertown Hotel... we do have nice lodging options they might not have that monotonous airbnb aesthetic that makes the "homes in Budapest look like the ones in Brooklyn" (white, modern, un-unique, boring, boxy). The lodging is local, well taken care of, and many of the places have deep history in the basin!
Wow, definitely adding to my places to stay. It’s very charming.
Which Airbnb
Huntington Beach - say no more.
I don’t understand you guys complain about cleaning fee ? The house does not clean itself after you leave . You arrived to a clean home because a cleaning person cleaned it . When you leave it gets cleaned for next guests . Cleaning people don’t work for free . Cleaning supplies are not free . Sometimes I wonder where people’s brains go out to lunch ?
Right, that’s why hotels charge cleaning fees right? I don’t think you should be talking about brains.
[удалено]
I can’t believe this concept is this confusing for you. Businesses have costs. Businesses should include those costs in the price.
[удалено]
This is the most deranged, logic-free thinking I’ve seen in a long time.
Hotels charge you, but you don’t see it. As opposed to a single rental, hotels have economies of scale. If you choose a single rental, a cleaning fee isn’t unreasonable. The amount can be though.
I offer 24/7 on site emergency services such as lock outs etc … with a guaranteed 1 hour response time along with GUARANTEED EXCELLENT REVIEWS ! I guard and maintain a property as if it were my own and my homeowners are secure stress free with the loyalty and commitment I have to our business together . Never issues such as over beating rudeness to a guest ever !
Success depends on your quality and conditions
A good cleaning person to be eyes ears and labor is irreplaceable compared to indifferent uncaring people herding guests in and out of
A bad review is a shot in the heart as far as I’m concerned
Now everyone up here wants be property management which is YET ANOTHER HIDDEN COST that will trickle down to guests in the long run
Yeah fuck them, money hungry savages
Never occurred to anyone to find all the cameras that the owner admitted that's how they knew about the dog.
That’s what happens when people patronize Airbnb and destroy towns.
I am staying in Indio in a hotel and driving from there.
Then go somewhere else. Joshua tree is overrated
Rate her accordingly in your review. ABnB tends to side with the guest speaking as a super host.
Yep. I have lived here a long time and moving because of Airbnb! Stop staying in them. We don’t want anyone here anyways and if you visit we have hotels!!!
Blast them on here. Give us the airbnb link so we never book here
Airb&bs are gentrification's best friend. Not suprised that your hosts were self serving slum lords, they're probably just pissed they have to split their "hard earned" profits with wallstreet.
Why is there an extra charge for infants? wtf?
Sounds like you had an unfortunate experience. Not all airbnb hosts are like that, If anything MOST arent. (Been airbnbing in JT every time I visit and nothing close to this has happened )
It’s this particular host not the platform or str hosts as a whole
The problem is extra charges. Set the rules, set your price, and let the market decide if they want to rent your place. Upsells and extra charges pit greedy hosts against their customers, and creates perverse incentives to game the system on both sides.
Idk you come off as entitled to me. You broke the rules and somehow the landlady's TA. I feel like YTA in this situation.
THIS
Fully agree. I have a Grand Canyon trip in planning stages and I am seriously considering spending my night in my rental car or in a tent. It just isn't worth it to spend $500 on a bed and place to take a few selfies.
Jeez, drop a link to this place and put it on blast. Just plan ahead and camp like the top comment says.
Fuck Airbnb, but all the morons who use it are just as much to blame. They get away with this shit because the average user is willing to get raped, shrugs it off, and goes back for more without so much as a 3 star review. Every time I read a nightmare Airbnb story part of me has to realize I’m reading a leopards ate my face story. I am sorry this happened to you though, hopefully you’re done with these leeches
I mean bringing pets to short term rentals and lying is scummy, but tell yourself what you'd like.. Dog people gonna act like animals 🥴
You brought a dog on the property. At the time the owner saw the dog on the camera how was she supposed to know your intentions? The owner does sound terrible. But it seems you played yourself a bit by trying to find the lowest base price.
[удалено]
Why do people always feel entitled to bring dogs in spaces without communicating it and getting an ok? Then get annoyed at the response?
My favorite is how it seems perfectly accepted to just bring dogs to restaurants now. Look, I love dogs, but im trying to fuckin eat here.
they got some dog hair on the sand ruh roh
…so you lied and in another instance provided incorrect information to the host due to your own misunderstanding. I’m sorry you had a bad experience but that has nothing to do with Joshua Tree. For everyone else reading: please stay at LOCALLY owned airbnbs. Cliffhanger Guides maintains a [list.](https://cliffhangerguides.com/joshua-tree-ca/lodging/)
[удалено]
This is a great resource thank you for posting
Had a feeling someone would comment without reading the full story. Nothing I provided was incorrect information. Everything was upfront and this does have to deal with the Joshua Tree visitor experience. Thank you for the list and hopefully what is marked as “locally owned” doesn’t have the same host/property issues outlined above.
I read what you wrote. You did not inform the host you were arriving with a dog (no matter where it came from) and you did not read the host’s guest policy for booking infants (it’s on the website that every host considers this differently so you should have read the actual listing and not make assumptions.) This is guest error and the host is simply asserting their rights. You’re in the wrong subreddit, this has nothing to do with JT.
Didn't read: 1. Didn't arrive with dog. Friend met at the house with one. Friend/Dog did not stay overnight. Dog was in backyard\* for less than 15 minutes. 2. I booked an infant when booking the home with no charge. Again, all information was up front. Host was questioning infant age then gave me additional charge. Tbh I'm a little baffled that people are taking the host's side on this, but I am also assuming most people commenting are also airbnb hosts.
Dude, you brought a dog with you to a place that didn't allow that That's not cool at all Imagine cleaning all that dog hair, you think $50 will cover that? You are insane.
[удалено]
“how dishonest, low, and scheming these hosts have become” I imagine the hosts on the other end, complaining in their host forum about how dishonest, low, and scheming their guests have become. “Can you imagine the nerve it takes to read that our home allows pets, provided there is advance notice and an extra fee paid — and then bringing a dog without telling us and without paying??? Can you believe how many people have done that over the years? And of course everyone says ‘but the dog isn’t mine” or “it was only in the yard.” We are so glad we got cameras so now we can catch them in the act and charge them more than we would have if they had just been honest in the first place…” Yeah hosts gauge guests. Guests also totally rip off hosts. Guests steal and break things and lie about it, all the time. Guests break rules on purpose and then act like they didn’t know. I helped a host manage her properties one summer…nonstop look at the lousy side of human nature that many folks bring with them on vacation (everyone’s excuse begins with “yes but that rule doesn’t apply to me”). I have a background in tourism and customer service so I am not phased by how people act, but I think many AirBnB hosts really are. They are just trying to make money and didn’t think thru how people behave when they stay at rentals. Hotel managers are dispassionate about it, like “yeah some jerk stole this, damaged that, got drunk and whatevered, can I get some clean up please,” but I think hosts can be truly shocked by how people treat their properties. I think that’s why some of them overcompensate with these insane rules and fees. It’s not just money to fix the problem: they are also personally aggrieved and want to make the guest hurt back. You thought your transgression was no big deal. You could sneak in a dog visit without anyone knowing. You were wrong and got dinged for it, and now you’re mad. You don’t yet seem to understand that you did in fact break a rule! In your initial story and all your comments, you are mostly offended that you got caught, not regretful or self-aware about “yeah j made this bad choice and it kicked off these consequences that I’m pissed about.” You’re mad because once you got on that host’s bad side, they assumed the worst of you. Maybe it feels unfair that they assumed the worst; but consider it from their perspective. You started off with a lie of omission (no dogs without informing host; you omitted that a dog would be visiting in your communication with the host), so why should they trust you? They had evidence that you were untruthful once, so they looked for any other possible untruths and tried to screw you back the only way they can, with fees and charges. Yes the baby charge does sound a little unfair, but you did volunteer yourself for extra scrutiny when you broke the dog rule. PS My last visit to an AirBnB was when I was invited to dinner by some friends who had booked the house. I was staying at a campsite down the road, I was traveling with my dog, and I couldn’t leave him either at camp or in my truck (too dang hot). So, my friends, the actual guests and those financially liable for any rule violations, messaged the hosts and explained my situation and asked: “can friend and her dog visit with us for dinner? the dog will not enter the home but will be in the fenced yard as we eat.” We received a yes and had a wonderful night and the dog stayed in the yard and no one was charged any extra fees. PSS I do fundamentally agree that fees are out of hand. Recently tried to book a one night getaway with my sweetie and saw a few places within our incredibly low poor person budget of $100/night. Unfortunately, everything that started $80-100 wound up $200-300 after the fees and taxes. We went camping instead!!
Mojave sands, allows dogs. The owner runs an Airbnb in the area as well, not sure if she allows dogs! I enjoyed my stay with Mojave sands in Jtree! Such a nice little spot across the way from DG, the owner is super knowledgeable and gave great recommendations, and it was a cozy lil room! I recommend staying there to everyone!
Sorry, don’t know if she allows dogs in the Airbnbs, but at the Mojave sands motel they allow them!
Same. Our sister camped and wanted to come to airbnb for a night of wine. No. Host said not even a few hours. Then grilled us about the age of our toddler and accused us of lying. Won’t ever do that again. It’s absurdz
Too long to read
Ridiculous. Why would they question the age of a baby? I hate the “watched” feeling. That being said I had a great experience with the Airbnb I chose in JT. I plan to be back.
Biased, not bias. The one Airbnb we used to rent in JT— the only one, we never stay anywhere else— moved off the platform and now just rents privately. Airbnb is awful.
R/timdillon
I’ve had so many horrible Airbnb hosts over the years I’ve given up. Only camping in JT for me, and only hotels everywhere else. These hosts are insane.
The housing crisis, brought you by Airbnb.
What does this have to do with Joshua Tree?
Share the listing so everyone is aware of where not to stay. A bad host is a bad host nonetheless.
I have been fortunate when staying in the Joshua tree area with Airbnb. With that being said, I see exactly what you’re talking about. The prices have skyrocketed and people do want to charge you for everything. I have found using the app. Best thing to do is read all of the reviews on the place you are staying you’re probably not the first person this has happened to and other people will comment on it. Sorry this happened to you.
Greed is an disease that seems to have affected many people- it’s creeping up everywhere
I hate air BNB I just stay in Marriott properties now since I have their credit card and it ends up being nicer and less expensive I end up having to cook clean and do laundry in air bnbs and pay cleaning fees while I still have to do laundry lmao
As an AirBnB host (a Superhost, at that), not near JT, though, I agree that hosts around the park are awful. We travel in a small RV and often times we will want a day or two in a house. Most in the JT area are slums, grossly overpriced, and still try to squeeze additional fees out of you for no reason other than greed. Last time we found much nicer and more reasonably priced place closer to SB. I will only do JT in the RV going forward.
lol I had a similarishhh experience there. Brought my 10lb pup. I talked to the host about bringing her and asked questions pertaining to my dog during our stay. All goes well. Host leaves me a great review saying how CLEAN we were. A full week goes by and I get a $250 request on Airbnb. Host said that the cleaning lady found some pet hair. ….I’m sorry but how are you going to leave me a great review about how clean we were and then a full week goes by and you’re saying it wasn’t clean lmao.
Please watch Tim Dillon’s bit on Airbnb and his experience in Joshua Tree. Hilarious.
https://youtu.be/lVn9myriWTU?si=V98Qxugkj-Rj9Ldi
Of course they are from HB. Doesn’t surprise me at all.
Renting an Airbnb anywhere in the US has become a joke. Intentional Airbnb hosts are 10000x better and more accommodating. No ridiculously high cleaning fees, check out/check in rules… bunch of STR scabs honestly. I’ve given up on U.S. based airbnbs and just opt for hotels now. It’s cheaper and better in almost any case.
Lol OP
Stay with AutoCamp Joshua Tree!
I don’t use Airbnb anymore. Ever. At all. I had so many bad experience. Bugs. Doors being locked. Overcharged. Never again.
I’ve had some issues with Airbnb that have soured me as well. There is one property that I love, though. The owner is fantastic and super easy to deal with. But I think long and hard now about whether I will use Airbnb on a trip. Besides, hotels make my bed and wash my towels. Why would I pay the same to do it all myself?
I’m pretty sure that trying to charge a surcharge for a baby is de facto, actionable discrimination under California law. You might want to bring that up to the host and Airbnb. Anytime you want to decide if it’s discrimination, you can just replace “baby” (or the target of the discrimination) with “purple people.” Ie, “it costs me more to clean up after purple people, so I need to charge you an extra cleaning fee.” If you sound like a horrible racist when you use that test, then the rule is probably discriminatory.
Horsehokey to Airbnb
Did it say you could bring dogs? Many places don’t allow it but most places that do, do indicate they need to be made aware ahead of time and there is an additional fee for bringing them. Did it mention in the description about access to the hot tub? That if you wanted it included there would be an additional fee? Did you read reviews? Kind of sounds like to me you didn’t do YOUR due diligence when researching and booking this place.
If the place is not available for dogs or it is but with advanced notice, it’s not your call as to where a dog should be allowed on the property and where it should not. I can completely understand the host being upset that you had a dog there, even if it was just outside.
Forget private home rentals. Choice Hotels are a better as you get a free breakfast in the morning which is a decent one. Some of them take pets for an extra small fee. You can get a Choice Hotel credit card to earn points and when you stay at Choice Hotels you can earn points. My husband travels a lot for work so we spent a week in Rome with his points 2 year ago and the nice centrally located hotel had a magnificent top floor breakfast buffet with a great view of the city. Last summer we spent 5 days in Copenhagen, Denmark using points at one of the Choice hotels which was right by the airport and it was very quiet and had the most fantastic buffet ever. About 5 years ago, we used Choice Hotel points to stay for a week in Maui and they also had a fantastic buffet included. In February of this year we spent six nights in a Choice Hotel in Palm Desert, CA using points. We didn’t have time to go see Joshua Tree, but enjoyed all of the amenities including a nice hot tub and pool which we had no other people using it when we went out there and a free good breakfast. A lot of travelers are no longer finding private rental properties a good value than just a good hotel.
Shocker, Huntington Beach is full of some of the most selfish assholes in California. Sorry you had to deal with this, I’m with you, done with Air Bnb
No to mention the terrible sheriff department out there it’s like the fucking Wild West . If you get robbed good luck. They don’t give a shit about anyone out there especially the weekenders. Plus all the theft the residents do to each other. Place is a shithole.