Unpopular opinion: Airbnb is worse than hostels for solo budget travel

I stayed in a $45 Airbnb in Portland last month and the cleaning fee was $60, plus the host charged extra for parking. Meanwhile I paid $35 a night for a private room at HI Hostel Chicago and got free breakfast and a locker. The Airbnb was quieter but the hostel gave me way more bang for my buck. Anyone else think the cleaning fees make Airbnb not worth it?

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2 Comments

angela_coleman3mo ago

I saw a breakdown on how cleaning fees are basically just profit for hosts now.

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troy9963mo ago

Ngl, I think a lot of hosts actually use that fee to cover real costs like extra laundry and turnover time between guests. It's easy to call it profit, but having run a rental myself, that money goes fast on supplies and last-minute fixes.

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