My First Really Bad Airbnb

Well it finally happened.

I have been using airbnb for about 4 years now. I know that it gets a lot of criticism from renters and hotel owners, but for the most part it is people renting rooms in their house, or even an apartment they own when they are away. Some build mini hotels in resort places and use airbnb. A few people buy up apartment blocks and rent them out, but I am not sure that is a majority at all. Overall I like the fact that I can rent a condo in Manila for a week for $200USD.

This trip has been no different. We had a great place in Manila, and just a good a place in Cebu. Then we arrived in Panglao.

Bugs, and not the tropical bugs that you have to put up with, but spiders nests and huge worms in the shower. The place was half finished, and huge parts of our room were still being built. The owner also wanted a deposit, in cash, which is expressly forbidden by airbnb.

Needless to say we did not stay.

The problem is that because we are cancelling, we are not guaranteed our money back. Now this is true with a hotel as well, but with hotels there is a greater chance that they'll refund.... and less chance that that will ever happen in the first place.

Anyway, we moved to a place which is okay, but not where we'd have gone if we had had more time to choose a place. It has also been a small blow to our finances which we don't need with wedding this August.

Ah well.