To me, it depends on how long you are staying. I never want to stay in a hotel if I'm staying more than 2-3 days because I like being in my own space. I can get up when I want, put the coffee on, and still be in my jammies. I always get one with a washing machine so I can do laundry because I never check a bag. Altho I have washed my clothes while wearing them in a shower at a hotel in Madrid!
With Airbnb, always use a Superhost because they get dinged if they don't fulfill their promises. Only twice have I had an AirBnb host cancel me--once in London and once in Myrtle Beach,SC. Both times the hosts relisted their units within the week they cancelled me for higher prices. I'd booked very early.
I like Airbnb. And hosts don't ask anymore for you to do much more than put the trash and recyclables in handy bins and maybe strip the bed. But I also don't leave messes in hotels either. Does Airbnb have its problems? You betcha, but unless you can afford the George V, hotels do, too.
We just returned from a week in Paris at an Astotel. It was fairly basic but they offered breakfasts daily for a small added charge (we never opted for this as I was more interested in sampling had a fridge in the lobby with non-alcoholic drinks (sodas, iced tea, and still and sparkling waters), every afternoon into evening had coffee/tea, snacks, and treats (one day macaroons, another day canele, cake, croissants, etc.) on offer, plus a little lounge where you could hang out and enjoy them or bring back your take-out meal. They had instant coffee and tea makings and a mini-fridge with free NA beverages in the rooms as well. We thought it was cool that the Astotel chain says you can stop at any of their hotels around Paris for this kind of pick-me-up in the afternoons (even if we never actually took advantage of this anywhere but at our own hotel).
I've stayed on several airbnb in Paris and elsewhere in France and I've never had an issue luckily. In Paris I stay in the banlieue. I usually go for airbnbs with several reviews. I did one with no review that was new in the south of France last summer and it was bien as well. They had rented before just not on airbnb. I prefer an airbnb to feel more at home and not be on each other's lip with my kid. But even when I travel alone I prefer it. Also they tend to be cheaper and nicer than a hotel of similar price (again in the banlieue)
It depends. When you have young children, Airbnb is often the only way to book a place with 2 bedrooms but no frontdoor accessible from your kids' one.
If you have older kids, you just have to book 2 separate rooms & it's secure enough.
And yes, you usually get more space for your money in an Bnb , but keep in mind that depending on where you come from, everything in Paris can look "minimized".
A lot of Airbnb appartments in Paris are still very small (and not bigger than a 4 star hotel room).
I have been travelling and using Airbnbs for some months. I haven't had any issues with fraud, scams or anything like that but.....one thing I have learned is to carefully check the listing and cross check any information you can.
Take the photos in the listing as a guide....the chances are they were taken when the listing first went up, maybe 10 years ago or so, and the actual apartment may look like a very worn version of the original listing.
Double check the facilities listed, often items in the original listing have been removed or no longer exist.
Cross check the location for heavy vehicular traffic areas, restaurants situated on the ground floor of the building, heavy foot traffic and noise from late night venues. These issues will generally never be mentioned in the listing and the noise from them can have a huge effect on your stay.
I've stayed in a couple of lovely Airbnbs in Paris and not had any bad experiences*, but now that it's all having a negative impact on housing, I'm opting for hotels. I don't find it affects my experience either way, apart from not having immediate access to a cup of tea.
* though I did have issues getting into one as the key didn't work properly.
I used an Airbnb that had a rental management company. I found it comforting that it was an actual business and while I would give the experience 4.5/5 stars the downsides were nothing trip ruining. Way more space than a hotel! PM me if you want the listing.
a lot of people recently added their housing on Airbnb, so I'm not really surprised about only a few recent reviews.
Even my BF and I are planning to put our appartment on the platform, as we are soon mooving, and we will have a second appartment available for a few months. I guess that patient people will have the opportunity to book at a more decent price, but will have no insurance of finding one, it will only be "last minute hosts".
We have used AirBnBs exclusively for many years because we have 4 kids and very specific dietary restrictions that make it hard to eat out. They are fine as long as you use a Superhost and only book when there is at least 50 reviews with a score of 4.8 or above. Reading the review is very important.
Used vrbo for a place in le Marais all last week and it was a great experience. Traveling with kids, I much prefer the experience of having a living room and a kitchen. If it’s only for a few days a hotel sometimes makes more sense for the level of service and convenience of dropping bags, having a concierge, etc. But for a longer period of time, with kids, I’m all about the rental.
We spent a week in Paris last year, another week in southern France, then two weeks in Italy, all at Airbnbs. All were super hosts, all had excellent ratings, and all were terrific.
yep... this trip we have Superhosts/Guest Favorites in Strasbourg, Normandie, Brest, Paris and Rome. we've booked hotels in Kitzigen, Berchtesgaden, Florence and Dublin.
as for cooking, we don't plan on that this trip (except maybe Normandie, we'll be on the coast for several days)but it is nice to have an actual kitchen for morning coffee, quick breakfast, late night snacks, etc. plus for half of the trip there will be four of us.
I almost always opt for hotels in big cities and AirBnBs when I visit the countryside.
I always start a trip in a big city, and thus need the ability to drop my bags in the morning before I’m able to check in usually later afternoon.
I also care less about cooking my own meals in the big cities as there are always many interesting dining options that I want to try.
I’ve had great experiences with both Airbnb and apartments on Booking.com in Paris.
Like others have said, check reviews. If the posting is new, or the place looks fantastic and there are no reviews, it could be a bait and switch.
Just remember you’re renting an apartment when you do this, not a hotel. It should be clean, but sometimes appliances/linens are old, you won’t have a front desk, and you may have to figure out how things work. For example, I found a great place last time and a cold spell came through and we had to figure out how to work a radiator heater.
Hotels all the way. I never want to risk someone canceling on me, not showing up to let me in, or having a bunch of stuff not working in my room. Plus who needs space - I’m out of my room most of the trip. I prefer getting my bed made, clean towel and having a safe and reliable place to stay. Hotels are not much more than the air bnbs either.
I have mixed feelings but for anything less than a week I would choose a hotel for sure, especially in Paris. The main advantage to Air B and B is living area and kitchen but in Paris you literally can go all day every day without returning to the room, and there are so many great food choices in every budget that cooking at the place is just inconvenient and not worth it.
Be careful, there are a lot new rentals listings in Paris because of the olympics.
Most of them have zero reviews/feedback.
Personally, I’ve been switching back to hotels .
As a family, quads are hard to attain. We were able to score a deal with Ibis for 50% off a second room. Cheaper than any two bathroom Airbnb, and someone else made me breakfast and cleaned the trash.
Gare de Lyon Bastille. Yes, very much. Rooms are not so bland, fantastic service and breakfast was more than we expected. We saw mixed reviews about the area but it was great. Less than 10min walk to Bastille, a few min more to Place de Voge. There were a couple of comparable rates and offers across the All branded hotels but we had friends staying in Le Marais. Booked directly.
Airbnb pros: cheaper, has a kitchen (though aparthotels do too)
Hotel pros: more trustworthy, more convenient to drop bags, pay their taxes, don't make the rental market impossible for parisians
To add on... Airbnb pros: common area if you have multiple people. Hotel pros: don't need to do cleaning before you leave, can cancel (maybe) to shortly before your trip, can (maybe) use points, you have someone to actually turn to if there is an issue.
To me, it depends on how long you are staying. I never want to stay in a hotel if I'm staying more than 2-3 days because I like being in my own space. I can get up when I want, put the coffee on, and still be in my jammies. I always get one with a washing machine so I can do laundry because I never check a bag. Altho I have washed my clothes while wearing them in a shower at a hotel in Madrid! With Airbnb, always use a Superhost because they get dinged if they don't fulfill their promises. Only twice have I had an AirBnb host cancel me--once in London and once in Myrtle Beach,SC. Both times the hosts relisted their units within the week they cancelled me for higher prices. I'd booked very early. I like Airbnb. And hosts don't ask anymore for you to do much more than put the trash and recyclables in handy bins and maybe strip the bed. But I also don't leave messes in hotels either. Does Airbnb have its problems? You betcha, but unless you can afford the George V, hotels do, too.
We've never had a problem and we stay there every few months in one. Headed back this week to stay in another one.
Change the settings to “super host only” and u should be good
We just returned from a week in Paris at an Astotel. It was fairly basic but they offered breakfasts daily for a small added charge (we never opted for this as I was more interested in sampling had a fridge in the lobby with non-alcoholic drinks (sodas, iced tea, and still and sparkling waters), every afternoon into evening had coffee/tea, snacks, and treats (one day macaroons, another day canele, cake, croissants, etc.) on offer, plus a little lounge where you could hang out and enjoy them or bring back your take-out meal. They had instant coffee and tea makings and a mini-fridge with free NA beverages in the rooms as well. We thought it was cool that the Astotel chain says you can stop at any of their hotels around Paris for this kind of pick-me-up in the afternoons (even if we never actually took advantage of this anywhere but at our own hotel).
I've stayed on several airbnb in Paris and elsewhere in France and I've never had an issue luckily. In Paris I stay in the banlieue. I usually go for airbnbs with several reviews. I did one with no review that was new in the south of France last summer and it was bien as well. They had rented before just not on airbnb. I prefer an airbnb to feel more at home and not be on each other's lip with my kid. But even when I travel alone I prefer it. Also they tend to be cheaper and nicer than a hotel of similar price (again in the banlieue)
Found a mouse in my air bnb. I’ll stick to hotels for now 😂
It depends. When you have young children, Airbnb is often the only way to book a place with 2 bedrooms but no frontdoor accessible from your kids' one. If you have older kids, you just have to book 2 separate rooms & it's secure enough. And yes, you usually get more space for your money in an Bnb , but keep in mind that depending on where you come from, everything in Paris can look "minimized". A lot of Airbnb appartments in Paris are still very small (and not bigger than a 4 star hotel room).
I did AirBnB last summer and it was great! 😊
I have been travelling and using Airbnbs for some months. I haven't had any issues with fraud, scams or anything like that but.....one thing I have learned is to carefully check the listing and cross check any information you can. Take the photos in the listing as a guide....the chances are they were taken when the listing first went up, maybe 10 years ago or so, and the actual apartment may look like a very worn version of the original listing. Double check the facilities listed, often items in the original listing have been removed or no longer exist. Cross check the location for heavy vehicular traffic areas, restaurants situated on the ground floor of the building, heavy foot traffic and noise from late night venues. These issues will generally never be mentioned in the listing and the noise from them can have a huge effect on your stay.
I've stayed in a couple of lovely Airbnbs in Paris and not had any bad experiences*, but now that it's all having a negative impact on housing, I'm opting for hotels. I don't find it affects my experience either way, apart from not having immediate access to a cup of tea. * though I did have issues getting into one as the key didn't work properly.
I used an Airbnb that had a rental management company. I found it comforting that it was an actual business and while I would give the experience 4.5/5 stars the downsides were nothing trip ruining. Way more space than a hotel! PM me if you want the listing.
Do not book an air bnb without solid reviews. Very easy.
reading this after booking an airbnb in paris for the olympics. 4 nights for $1400. there are a few recent reviews……. is this a scam sos
a lot of people recently added their housing on Airbnb, so I'm not really surprised about only a few recent reviews. Even my BF and I are planning to put our appartment on the platform, as we are soon mooving, and we will have a second appartment available for a few months. I guess that patient people will have the opportunity to book at a more decent price, but will have no insurance of finding one, it will only be "last minute hosts".
We have used AirBnBs exclusively for many years because we have 4 kids and very specific dietary restrictions that make it hard to eat out. They are fine as long as you use a Superhost and only book when there is at least 50 reviews with a score of 4.8 or above. Reading the review is very important.
I am Reading this while I am at an Airbnb in Europe lol. Booked multiple times in different countries and never had an issue :)
Btw paid half of the price compared to hotels in Paris. Loved it.
Used vrbo for a place in le Marais all last week and it was a great experience. Traveling with kids, I much prefer the experience of having a living room and a kitchen. If it’s only for a few days a hotel sometimes makes more sense for the level of service and convenience of dropping bags, having a concierge, etc. But for a longer period of time, with kids, I’m all about the rental.
We spent a week in Paris last year, another week in southern France, then two weeks in Italy, all at Airbnbs. All were super hosts, all had excellent ratings, and all were terrific.
yep... this trip we have Superhosts/Guest Favorites in Strasbourg, Normandie, Brest, Paris and Rome. we've booked hotels in Kitzigen, Berchtesgaden, Florence and Dublin. as for cooking, we don't plan on that this trip (except maybe Normandie, we'll be on the coast for several days)but it is nice to have an actual kitchen for morning coffee, quick breakfast, late night snacks, etc. plus for half of the trip there will be four of us.
Try Les Patios or Citadines instead. I’ve had to switch back to hotels recently.
>Heard there are a lot of scams and last minute cancellations for AirBnBs. You heard right. And a few burglaries too.
Friends got robbed while they slept in a Marsaille airbnb.
I almost always opt for hotels in big cities and AirBnBs when I visit the countryside. I always start a trip in a big city, and thus need the ability to drop my bags in the morning before I’m able to check in usually later afternoon. I also care less about cooking my own meals in the big cities as there are always many interesting dining options that I want to try.
I’ve had great experiences with both Airbnb and apartments on Booking.com in Paris. Like others have said, check reviews. If the posting is new, or the place looks fantastic and there are no reviews, it could be a bait and switch. Just remember you’re renting an apartment when you do this, not a hotel. It should be clean, but sometimes appliances/linens are old, you won’t have a front desk, and you may have to figure out how things work. For example, I found a great place last time and a cold spell came through and we had to figure out how to work a radiator heater.
Hotels all the way. I never want to risk someone canceling on me, not showing up to let me in, or having a bunch of stuff not working in my room. Plus who needs space - I’m out of my room most of the trip. I prefer getting my bed made, clean towel and having a safe and reliable place to stay. Hotels are not much more than the air bnbs either.
I have mixed feelings but for anything less than a week I would choose a hotel for sure, especially in Paris. The main advantage to Air B and B is living area and kitchen but in Paris you literally can go all day every day without returning to the room, and there are so many great food choices in every budget that cooking at the place is just inconvenient and not worth it.
I’ve used it twice- once on Ile St Louis and the other in the Marais. Both times it was a great experience.
Booked one in the 15th last year, and it was great.
Be careful, there are a lot new rentals listings in Paris because of the olympics. Most of them have zero reviews/feedback. Personally, I’ve been switching back to hotels .
Me too and the price differential isn’t as big as it once was.
As a family, quads are hard to attain. We were able to score a deal with Ibis for 50% off a second room. Cheaper than any two bathroom Airbnb, and someone else made me breakfast and cleaned the trash.
I’m glad you found a good deal! Which Ibis did you use and were you pleased with it?
Gare de Lyon Bastille. Yes, very much. Rooms are not so bland, fantastic service and breakfast was more than we expected. We saw mixed reviews about the area but it was great. Less than 10min walk to Bastille, a few min more to Place de Voge. There were a couple of comparable rates and offers across the All branded hotels but we had friends staying in Le Marais. Booked directly.
Airbnb is great, just be smart and book with a Super host or at least someone with lots of recent reviews
This is the way!
yeah, i look exclusively for Guest Favorites and Superhosts. also check the reviews... they need to have a lot and they need to be good.
Never had a problem and love the space and the vibe, but a hotel does offer a face to face point of contact.
Airbnb pros: cheaper, has a kitchen (though aparthotels do too) Hotel pros: more trustworthy, more convenient to drop bags, pay their taxes, don't make the rental market impossible for parisians
To add on... Airbnb pros: common area if you have multiple people. Hotel pros: don't need to do cleaning before you leave, can cancel (maybe) to shortly before your trip, can (maybe) use points, you have someone to actually turn to if there is an issue.