69
votes
Accepted
Airbnb housing gone electrifyingly bad
Contact AirBnB support directly, do not wait.
Ask them to help you move to another apartment. Also ask for compensation.
Anecdotal:
There was a major water problem at an apartment my parents rented ...
- 14.7k
69
votes
What action is recommended if your accommodation refuses to let you leave without paying additional fees?
Calling the police might be the way to go in jurisdictions within developed countries, but wouldn't necessarily work in regions where governance is weak. In this case it would be better to pay the ...
- 82.1k
65
votes
What Exactly is Self-Catering?
Self-catering is a widely used term. It implies 1) that meals are not provided, but also 2) enough equipment is provided for guests to cook their own meals.
Exactly what equipment is provided can ...
- 64.1k
64
votes
How to survive a timeshare promotional trip?
I was originally going to make this a comment, but I think my personal experience will showcase some of the tactics and how to recognize them and avoid them.
But first off, be skeptical and say no.
...
- 15.1k
59
votes
Accepted
How should a traveller report that his/her (reserved) accommodation is refused by the proprietor on booking.com?
This is probably some sort of scam, though probably a mild one. First check that the person who contacted you knows the details of your accommodation. If so they probably are the property owner.
The ...
- 64.1k
58
votes
How to spend a night in an unknown city without a hotel? Is there a guide or resource online?
There is certainly no guide to cover it all.
First, if the airline is at fault, they normally provide accommodation and meal. This has happened to me several times over the years. You must insist to ...
- 44.2k
58
votes
Accepted
How to survive a timeshare promotional trip?
It's very easy, just smile and say no. Yes, the sales pressure is high, very high, but...so what? You are not obligated in any way to buy anything.
As for hidden fees, well...sure, there might be a ...
- 32.6k
56
votes
Is it good courtesy to leave the bed made when checking out of accomodation?
It's very considerate of you to want to do the right thing, but it is certainly not rude to leave your bed unmade when checking out. Any accommodation beyond the most dubious and disreputable will be ...
- 85.8k
40
votes
Accepted
What Exactly is Self-Catering?
A self catering apartment, hotel room, hostel, vacation place, etc, is one where guests have facilities for making their own meals and cooking, and are allowed to do so.
Normally a hotel might give ...
- 1,841
40
votes
How to survive a timeshare promotional trip?
My approach is to not feed them anything to work with. When I have been to one of those deals, my only commitment was to attend the presentation, not to supply any information or discuss anything.
...
- 12.9k
38
votes
Accepted
Do hotels in Europe permit two adults and two kids to all stay in just one room?
Some do some don't. Most larger hotel chains (Marriott, IHG, Hilton, etc.) will offer this. Typically you either get a room with two double/queen beds or a single large bed with added "rollaway" bed(s)...
- 93.9k
38
votes
What can I do at Hong Kong Airport for 13 hours?
There are more options of restaurants etc. (at generally better prices) if you pass through security and immigration. Only passengers can enter the terminal at the moment (documents and tickets are ...
- 16.8k
36
votes
Accepted
Public huts to stay overnight around UK
The UK isn't a very wild place, at least compared with New Zealand, so there isn't a lot of call for 'public huts', by which I'm assuming you mean shelters which are free for anyone to use in remote ...
- 64.1k
36
votes
Is it good courtesy to leave the bed made when checking out of accomodation?
If you want to be courteous to the housecleaning staff, strip the bed for them. If you want to be neat, fold the sheets and other bedclothes and leave them in a neat pile at the foot of the mattress. ...
- 131k
35
votes
Accepted
Do all guests need an Airbnb account?
No you don't all need an account. Only one (the one who makes the booking) is enough.
Source: I have often stayed at Airbnbs together with other people (either as the one who made the booking or ...
- 26.2k
33
votes
Accepted
Does the Black Forest (Germany) have French style refuges (free, no-reservation)?
What's called a refuge in French is a Hütte in German. In both cases, it can be staffed (gardé, bewirtschaftet) and possibly offer some basic catering or be unstaffed (refuge non gardé, ...
- 104k
32
votes
Public huts to stay overnight around UK
These are known as bothies. A bothy is a basic shelter, usually in a remote location. They are unlocked, and available for anyone to use, free of charge.
There are many different styles and sizes of ...
- 2,205
32
votes
Sleeping options when under 18 and travelling solo
If you're underage, confirm in advance with the locations you'll be traveling. Couch surfing is out of the picture if you're using couchsurfing.com, since being under 18 violates the terms of service. ...
- 2,930
31
votes
How to survive a timeshare promotional trip?
I have gone through quite a few of these. The easiest thing to do is do a little research in the area that you are going.
Then during the selling phase:
Do not go into any private room to talk ...
- 1,617
31
votes
Accepted
Is there a booking app or site that lets you specify your gender for shared dormitories?
hostelworld.com allows filtering rooms by gender:
- 642
30
votes
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Check in to 2 hotels at same location
It is allowed. Booking a hotel for the night gives the obligation to pay for it, not to use it.
If the people of the dormitory are the caring kind they might worry something happened to you, but you ...
- 58.6k
28
votes
How to spend a night in an unknown city without a hotel? Is there a guide or resource online?
In post-Soviet countries you will probably walk to local rail station and rest in its waiting area. It's usually open 24/7. You might be required to show a proof of onward travel from this station.
...
- 12.2k
24
votes
What can I do at Hong Kong Airport for 13 hours?
While I understand your reluctance to go to downtown Hong Kong at this time, one of the major tourist attractions is right by the airport. You can get there without entering or passing through any of ...
- 64.1k
22
votes
Accepted
What is the name of this kind of accommodation?
Single room occupancy seems to fit all of your criteria.
Be aware in most places in the USA this is seen as (and probably is) a very low low style of living. Most people don’t seek this out as an ...
- 929
21
votes
How to book accommodation in Japan when all websites are fully booked?
Many small hotels (self-described as minshuku or ryokan) are not bookable through the Internet. Such hotels often have availability even long after all of the Internet-bookable options have sold out.
...
- 9,259
21
votes
What does "sleeps" mean in holiday cottage/appartment descriptions?
It's usually a number for how many people the place can accommodate. It's NOT always an indication of the number of beds.
(Dictionary defintion - number 7 in this case):
to accommodate for ...
- 159k
21
votes
Is it good courtesy to leave the bed made when checking out of accomodation?
I am surprised to find that nobody has even hinted at what I thought was customary.
Not only is it unnecessary to make the bed, but I was taught that you should not make the bed, and furthermore, ...
- 325
20
votes
How to spend a night in an unknown city without a hotel? Is there a guide or resource online?
If money is not too much of an concern, you can take whatever transportation suits you to a large fairly posh hotel and throw yourselves at the mercy of the concierge. They can probably find something ...
- 16.8k
19
votes
Are there any restrictions for accommodation in New York?
I've never heard of limits on how long you can stay in NYC. Perhaps he's confusing this with restrictions on how long people can rent a dwelling mostly aimed at peer-to-peer rentals like Airbnb
The ...
- 2,845
19
votes
Accepted
Should I wash dishes before leaving a serviced apartment?
In all apartment rental contracts I have ever read, it was mentioned you would be expected to wash the dishes you used, also on the last day.
Maybe high cost hotels have different rules, but where I ...
- 58.6k
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