Ottakee Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Dh and I are looking at going to Monterey Bay area in late March. Hotel rooms are out of our budget. I was looking at Airbnb and it looks like there were some nice rooms under $100/night. We would want a private bath and cable TV. Outdoor space to sit would be a plus but not necessary. Are there a lot of taxes added on? Anything to watch for? We will have a rental car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We just booked an apt. on air bnb in Southern California a few days ago. Read reviews to get a good idea about other people's experiences and the neighborhood. You can also plug the address in on Google Maps and see what's nearby. Our apt. had nearly 20% added on for some special occupancy tax. I don't know if that depends on the city you're in? You can often get weekly discounts, or even monthly. Confirm that they'll have things like sheets, blankets, towels, and kitchen ware (if it has a kitchen). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We've used VRBO, a similar site, many times. I would look closely at the final complete price before booking, not just the daily or weekly advertised price. Taxes, cleaning fees, required damage insurance, etc are some possible additional charges. Also, we rely heavily on the reviews of others, and have only been disappointed once. And then it was nothing major, just lots of little things. And with a car, make sure you know what kind of parking is available. I could never have stayed alone at our last place, as it was all very tight street parking, but my husband is a master of parallel parking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We have never done shared, but have done VBRO/HomeAway where we have the entire property to ourselves a few times. In general, pay attention to reviews, do look at the total cost, and take pictures when you first get there and when you leave (we had one situation where a Duvet cover was absent when we arrived, but wasn't reported by the cleaning crew until after we'd left. Because I had date stamped pictures, I was able to show that it had been that way when we got there, and we weren't charged. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We've done AirBnB where we've had the entire property. We looked over the entire cost, read a LOT of reviews , and messaged back and forth with the owner. It turned out great. We've talked to others that haven't had such a great experience (including college guys who said the place they stayed was a pit -- which really gave me pause considering that college guys don't exactly have the reputation of being prissy, but I don't know how much they researched before they took the place -- they were traveling around Europe as cheaply as possible). There are AirBnB hosts here on the board. Hopefully they'll chime in with more insights. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) I think there is a big difference between renting a whole property and renting a room in someone's home, so bear that in mind as you research. VRBO for instance, only rents whole properties to the best of my knowledge. Some airbnb properties rent only rooms. Ask for the total charge before agreeing. Edited January 10, 2016 by Laurie4b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We've rented whole properties three times to date from Airbnb and have had terrific experiences. We read reviews and the information provided very carefully, but that said, for the beach house we rented last January, we were the first renters. We were taking our youngest son and a good friend of his who is female, so the three bedroom, 2 bath set-up was appealing. I think we paid around $120 a night including all the fees. We spoke with the owners who actually live in our town and the vibe seemed good. We still keep in touch with them and their business has really taken off. We ate all meals at "home," which made us feel like the price was more than reasonable. Our hosts in San Francisco rocked. They obviously loved their home and their city. We had significant contact with them, whereas in North Carolina, the hosts lived in another state, but everything was handled very professionally. It's always a bummer to hear about bad experiences because overall, I think it's a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I have used Airbnb three times. Each has been fine. The verification on the UK is essentially nil and there are no taxes added 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 Thanks. I will look more on my desk top computer and look for fees and reviews, etc. Just trying to plan a get away for dh and I but budget is a big issue. We have free airline tickets so our big cost will be car rental and lodging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 We rented a two-bedroom apartment in Paris for less than one hotel room would have cost. My daughter and son-in-law did airbnb in Scotland, and another daughter got airbnb rooms in two different cities in Italy. We all had good experiences. I plan to do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I know it's not what you're asking, but I feel the need to tell you that if you have a rental car, you can definitely find rooms for less than $100/night a bit away from the main areas of Monterey. If you want to stay right where all the action is, though, you may have to go with AirBnB as you mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 I know it's not what you're asking, but I feel the need to tell you that if you have a rental car, you can definitely find rooms for less than $100/night a bit away from the main areas of Monterey. If you want to stay right where all the action is, though, you may have to go with AirBnB as you mentioned. Can you give me specific ideas? We would have a rental car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Can you give me specific ideas? We would have a rental car. Ack. I just wrote a long post that didn't go through. I would check Seaside and Castroville if you want to be close to the coast, and inland Salinas. Places like Comfort Inn are often $80-$90 on weekends that time of year. (I just checked them.) Of course if you stay in a hotel you'll have to account for restaurant food vs. having a kitchen with AirBnB. Also, I really hate to be that person, bit if it were me and I was using my free airfare and spending vacation dollars, I'd want someone to say something. March is predicted to be very wet this year due to El Nino. Along the coast, this can mean very high surf, landslides, flooding, and road closures, especially Highway 1, which can be a wonderful trip if you're in the area when it's dry. The last big El Nino was in 1997-1998, and this one is more intense. January through March are the wettest and most intense rain months during El Nino years. I copied some text from the records of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency: In February 1998, a series of "El Niño" winter storms hit various parts of California, and particularly Monterey County. Close timing of the rainfall events contributed to intense flooding, in that heavy rain would continually hit ground that was still saturated from the previous rain. An estimated 50 roads and highways were closed or restricted, in most cases due to washouts, landslides, and mudslides. Several communities were evacuated, particularly the entire town of Pajaro near Watsonville, all residents of the Sherwood Lake Mobile Home Park near Carr Lake in Salinas, and portions of Bolsa Knolls and Toro Estates. Drinking water quality warnings remained in effect for certain areas for some time afterward. By the end of the first week of February, at least 6,600 homes and businesses had been without power for varying periods of time. The State Governor declared Monterey County, amongst others, a disaster area. The most significant type of damage involved land and mudslides. In particular, the Las Lomas area experienced severe damage of eight residential parcels which Monterey County acquired, through the Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, removing all property improvements. Each parcel was subsequently rezoned to "open space" in perpetuity. County-wide, losses resulting from the February 1998 events are estimated at over $38 million, with specifically agriculture-related losses totaling over $7 million and involving approximately 29,000 damaged acres. I'm not trying to scare you, just make you aware that your trip may not turn out as you had planned and you're scheduling to come during a time of intense weather. Of course it's the weather and is therefore unpredictable, so it could be beautiful and sunny as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Can you give me specific ideas? We would have a rental car. Marina, Seaside, and Sand City are good options, but read reviews because it will depend on the place. Salinas wood give me pause because you can be in a good neighborhood right next to a very bad one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 Idnib.....thanks. That was on my list to check. We are in West Michigan and know how much the lake can I fluence weather with the different weather patterns. We can get 12 inches of snow and blizzard conditions while 20 miles farther inland gets 2 inches and sun. Hmmm...now to think of there is somewhere else to go visit. We can fly almost anywhere with a major airport in the US. We want warm but not hot. Beaches for views but not sunbathing/swimming but since we can go do the beach here it isn't a must have. We want more nature/scenery/walking, easy hiking trails vs. City life/crowds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) We've used Airbnb three times now, in Venice, Rome, and San Francisco (family of four with two teens). Each time was a good experience and it is my first choice now, especially if we are going to be more than one day. I chose places that had lots of good reviews. Read the descriptions and fees, but I haven’t noticed they are trying to be tricky about it. Those that have fewer reviews are cheaper, but I'm not a risk-taker, lol. We always rented our own separate space, not shared spaces. Edited to say I don't remember going through a big security thing. I think it is up to the host and if it is your first time, maybe the host would want more confirmation. They rate you as a guest, just like you rate the place, so once you have that, hosts might feel better. Maybe something has changed though and it is Airbnb itself wanting more privacy stuff. Edited January 10, 2016 by livetoread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Idnib.....thanks. That was on my list to check. We are in West Michigan and know how much the lake can I fluence weather with the different weather patterns. We can get 12 inches of snow and blizzard conditions while 20 miles farther inland gets 2 inches and sun. Hmmm...now to think of there is somewhere else to go visit. We can fly almost anywhere with a major airport in the US. We want warm but not hot. Beaches for views but not sunbathing/swimming but since we can go do the beach here it isn't a must have. We want more nature/scenery/walking, easy hiking trails vs. City life/crowds. I think you'd be safer going further south into CA during that time, although of course there are no guarantees. We were in San Diego during the holidays, and I heard that last week they had a tornado warning there. With a car, you could get to lots of uncrowned natural places in the San Diego area. Actually, both years we visited we only felt like we were dealing with crowds at the airport waiting for our flight home and at the zoo. One of my favorite things to do on our most recent trip was to spend half a day at the glider park at Torrey Pines State Park overlooking the ocean. It was so fun and relaxing watching all of the different gliders take off, fly, and land. Besides the pilots, there were no more than a dozen people around at any time. And in the city, Balboa Park is so huge it never seemed crowded during any of our numerous visits, except of course the zoo. And there are many, many beaches and miles and miles of coastline to explore, not to mention lots of other parks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 We love AirBnB. Between out whole family and dh business travel we have probably used it 40+ times, both domestic and abroad. All have been good experiences although dh has had a couple that were more on the house-sharing side that were fine but not his preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Dh and I are looking at going to Monterey Bay area in late March. Hotel rooms are out of our budget. I was looking at Airbnb and it looks like there were some nice rooms under $100/night. We would want a private bath and cable TV. Outdoor space to sit would be a plus but not necessary. Are there a lot of taxes added on? Anything to watch for? We will have a rental car. I'm so excited that you are looking into Monterey :) Did you check out the betterbidding.com website, to see what kind of prices you could hotel rooms for on Priceline? I remember researching which hotels are frequently used for Priceline bidding- and they were all good ones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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