People Who’ve Switched From Airbnb to Hotels Are Warning Others: ‘It’s Not Worth the Hassle Anymore’

After years of booking short-term rentals, travelers say one thing keeps pushing them back to hotels.

A recent Reddit thread asking if hotels have become “superior to Airbnbs again” took off this week — and the answers were loud, specific, and honestly kind of brutal.

The vibe wasn’t “Airbnb is always terrible.” It was more like: Airbnb used to feel cheaper and simpler. Now, a lot of travelers say it feels like paying hotel prices… without hotel service. Others pushed back and said short-term rentals still make total sense for the right trip, especially with groups, kids, or anywhere you need a kitchen.

Either way, the comments made one thing clear: the “Airbnb by default” era is fading for a lot of people.

“If I’m paying a cleaning fee, why am I still cleaning?”

This was the most common complaint by far. People aren’t mad about being tidy — they’re mad about being charged a big cleaning fee and expected to do a mini deep-clean before checkout.

One commenter summed it up: “I stopped using them years ago. Between what they are doing to the cities and rural communities, the deep clean required, plus the cleaning charges, plus other extras, the cameras and that they are often more expensive than hotels – no thanks.”

And when the math doesn’t work out anymore, the frustration gets even sharper. As one person put it: “Yeah, Airbnb for big groups, but if it’s just my partner and I, hotel all the way. It’s very rare nowadays that an Airbnb stay for 2 people is actually cheaper than a hotel.”

For a lot of travelers, that’s the whole turning point. If the price is comparable, the hotel wins because it’s straightforward: you check in, you get towels, and you leave without feeling like you’re about to be graded.

Bad experiences stick — and “bed bugs” is everyone’s nightmare

Even people who don’t hate Airbnb in general admitted there’s a big difference in peace of mind. Hotels can be gross too — but travelers tend to trust that chains have minimum standards, staff, and systems in place.

One comment hit that fear point hard: “My last Airbnb had bed bugs! Airbnb & the host were terrible to me about the whole situation and it totally ruined my vacation. Hotels have preventative and routine pest control. Name brand hotels are more reliable to not have bugs, in my opinion, though it can happen anywhere I suppose… Plus I don’t want to clean the house, take out the trash, etc. Hotels for the win!”

That last line really captures what a lot of people were saying: when travel already comes with enough stress, they don’t want lodging to feel like a gamble.

The ethical argument is getting louder

Beyond price and convenience, a chunk of the thread wasn’t even debating amenities — it was debating impact.

Some travelers said they’re avoiding Airbnb because of what they believe it’s done to housing markets and neighborhoods.

One person put it simply: “I’ve been booking hotels for ethical reasons. Unless I’m traveling with 16 people, there’s no need.”

Another commenter, referencing housing firsthand, didn’t sugarcoat it: “Yep, my wife is involved in the low-income housing space and has a first-hand view of how short-term rentals like Airbnb have hoovered up so much housing capacity that what’s left for long-term rentals is insanely expensive.”

That’s not a niche opinion anymore — even people who still use short-term rentals said they’re more aware of where and how they book now.

But travelers also admitted: Airbnb still wins in a few situations

Even in a thread that leaned heavily “team hotel,” plenty of people acknowledged the obvious exceptions.

Big one: groups and kitchens. When you’re traveling with family or a larger crew, it’s hard for hotels to compete on space and the ability to cook.

As one commenter said: “Airbnb if I have a big family event or group event and we all want to be in the same house (with a real kitchen). Hotels for stuff on my own or with my partner.”

Kids were another big reason: “Airbnb with kids is just easier to spread out.”

And some people made the point that hotels aren’t exactly innocent when it comes to fees either. Resort fees, parking charges, and extra add-ons can get out of hand fast — especially in beach destinations.

One traveler explained why they went the Airbnb route for an upcoming trip: “I’m 50/50. Next week I am going to a beach town and EVERY SINGLE HOTEL has some bull***t ‘resort fee’ added to it. Some are over $150 A DAY. Parking between $40-60 per day! So we picked an Airbnb that’s 2 blocks from the beach and includes beach chairs, ice chest, beach bag etc.”

So no, Airbnb isn’t “dead.” But it’s becoming more situational — less of a default.

So… have hotels officially won again?

A lot of people in the thread basically said: this isn’t new. It’s just that more travelers are finally saying it out loud.

One comment summed up the overall tone perfectly: “Umm we hit that point a while ago buddy.”

The takeaway from the thread wasn’t “never book an Airbnb again.” It was more like:

• Hotel for cities, short trips, and anything where you just want predictability.
• Airbnb/short-term rental for groups, kids, kitchens, and remote stays where hotels either don’t exist or don’t make sense.

Or, as one commenter put it in the cleanest one-liner of the entire debate: “Hotels for cities, Airbnb for remote locations.”

For travelers who say cleanliness and consistency are what finally pushed them back to hotels, some destinations are clearly doing it better than others. A recent ranking broke down which U.S. cities are earning the strongest marks for hotel cleanliness — while another list highlights the hotels setting the bar highest nationwide, according to the Michelin Guide.

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Care to scuba dive to your hotel room? How about zip-lining down the side of a cliff after you check out of your room? What about a hotel where a giraffe poking its head through a window is your wake-up call? Does it sound like I’m making these things up? I can assure you these are all real and very unique hotels!

Read more: 10 Unique Hotels Around the World for Adventure Lovers

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