Ackislander

We rent apartments in Paris because we DO eat breakfast, because we like to eat our main meal of the day in a restaurant and eat lightly in the evening, and because we like to deal with the logistics of housekeeping in a neighborhood. Which bakery, which traiteur, which affineur? Monoprix or Franprix? Wine merchant or supermarket? Market stall or shop? This is a big part of our pleasure in Paris, whatever the neighborhood we might be in this year.

It makes a lot of sense to stay in hotels the first couple of times, and we did, but as lovely as hotel staff can be, we enjoy the opportunity to have contact, however fleeting, with people who are not part of the hospitality and tourist industry.

Christina

I think if you like to eat in a lot, it does make sense. But you can shop at lots of stores without staying in an apt, you know. I always shop in Monoprix and buy things at bakeries, for example, and I often buy a bottle of wine to keep in my room. And you interact with a lot of local people if you go out to eat at small local places or hang out in the local cafes having drinks in the evening, also. I have never felt it made any difference in terms of how many local people I interact with when in a hotel vs. apt. In fact, sometimes I have interacted more with some people when staying in a hotel as I have talked a lot with some of the people working there. I remember one really nice night clerk at a hotel who wanted to know where I had gone that night, and we talked about the show as he thought his mother might like it, etc. And I interact with people in shops, anyway, not matter what. And if I go out to a cafe for coffee in the morning, I interact a lot more than eating at home. You tend to get to know the early morning waiter, he remembers which newspaper you like to read, etc.

dulciusexasperis

Funny how you all have nothing to say about the current situation with renting apartments.

Since the advent of Airbnb 6 years ago, there have been dramitic changes in the number of apartments being rented vs. hotel rooms. For whatever reason, unlike it's predecessors such as VRBO, etc. Airbnb has taken off exponentially. It now claims to take a booking every 2 SECONDS, 24/7, 365 days per year. Digest that number.

As a result, it has become a victim of its own success. Now city governments are facing increasing opposition to Airbnb for various reasons. Most of the rentals listed on Airbnb (as well as the others that have been ignored up until now) are in fact illegal rentals in many places. That includes Paris where the law says you cannot rent an apartment for less than 1 year (9 months for students) UNLESS it is a commercail property.

In the last 2 years of Airbnb's 6 year history, they have come under increasing pressure because of this. So the question is what affect will that pressure have this year and next year on the traveller. At present, the only possible answer is a potentially negative one.

The discussion about the pros vs. the cons of an apartment vs. a hotel is pretty pointless when you are actually comparing an illegal vs. a legal rental.

Guess what your travel insurance would have to say for example if you had an accident in your illegal rental. Not covered under the policy.

joan

dulciusexasperis,
What is the difference between Airbnb and VRBO in terms of renting an apartment? I have used VRBO many times, and have looked at Airbnb apt offerings, did not end up choosing one of theirs. I know that Airbnb charges both renter and owner a fee, but other than that, how is renting from Airbnb any more risky than an apt thru VRBO? Are they being singled out for another reason? Thanks.

Scootoir

For the best of both worlds take a look at the apartments offered by the Hotel Relais Bosquet, http://apartmentsnextdoorparis.com/en
We have enjoyed staying at the hotel and would consider one of the apartments. I would also consider this one: http://www.residencehenri4.com/en/rooms/ which offers some apartments.

dulciusexasperis

There is no real difference joan. Websites like VRBO have been around for much longer than Airbnb and no one has bothered about them. The issue is the exponential growth that Airbnb has had. They have single-handedly moved apartment rentals by individual owners from a very small fringe business to a signifigant percentage of all tourist bed rentals.

Did you do the math on the numbers I gave? It works out to 15.768 MILLION bookings last year. VRBO probably hasn't had that many since it started. That is what is making people notice them.

You have cities losing hotel taxes. People who want to rent an apartment to live in not able to find one because they owner can make more money renting out by the night. Neighbours having people coming and going constantly to the apartment next door to them. Owners who buy properties for the sole purpose of renting them out by the night and sometimes in mutiple numbers. There are all kinds of negative impacts involved but as long as it was only a very small number, no one cared. Now they do.

Airbnb started out as an idea of making a few dollars by renting an airbed (that's where the name came from 'airbed and breadkfast') in your home (where you live)when hotels were all full in town such as during a major event like the Olympics or something. The owner makes a few dollars and the renter finds a bed where none were to be had.

But for some unknown reason, the website took off like a rocket. The original concept is long gone. Now you have people buying several units in a condominium building and renting all of them out by the night. Imagine if you are living in that building and have all these people coming and going constantly.

In most cities where these rentals are illegal, a normal B&B is not illegal. The difference is in a B&B, the owner is present during your stay.

So no, VRBO is no different, just less well known and they too will be hit by whatever cities decide to do as a result of the rise of Airbnb.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/0...orror-stories/

http://www.businessinsider.com/airbn...istings-2014-4

https://www.google.ca/#q=airbnb+illegal

joan

This is so interesting.
A small beach town near where I live is going through the motions to shut down all the VRBO properties (they count about 14, but I don't even know if they've looked at Airbnb listings). For the reasons you give, the neighbors hate it, but the owners want to keep going with it, saying it brings in wealthier vacationers. There's also some discussion that the state rules trump the towns etc.

That is strange about Airbnb's popularity. All the folks I know who love travel, most still use VRBO/Homeaway and don't know about Airbnb...guess they will soon enough.

Is there any way to check whether an apartment one has booked is "legal", except for an outright question in an email or phone call to the owner?