On May 16th, a court in Hua Hin sent out a legal notice to the Wan Vyla condominium complex in Khao Tao referring to the ruling of two out of three cases where the condominiums were rented for less than a month.

Interesting read: Hacks for the first time international traveller

As per the verdict in case one, a fine of 5,000 Thai Baht has to be paid along with 500 Baht for each of the 20 days. In case two, a fine of 5,000 Baht has to be paid along with 100 Baht for each of the 81 days. The third case is still pending.

Now, this is significant.

If you are someone who is looking forward to booking in Airbnb over hotels, then this is your wake up call. Impositions like these not only affect the hosts but you as well. One of the main reasons most travellers cite for preferring Airbnb over hotels is that they feel Airbnb’s are cheaper than hotels. But in reality, they are not. On top of this, hotels are safe, easy to reserve and offer a consistent level of service which Airbnb lacks.

Informative read: 9 Sure-fire Hotel Hacks for the Smart Traveller

The recent crackdown on Airbnb comes in after repeated instances where owners of condos and apartments were reported renting their units on a daily basis. According to the law in Thailand, only registered hotels are given the liberty to offer rentals on a daily & weekly basis. Despite clear evidence on the lack of relaxation on the rules for players other than hotels, companies like Airbnb have made it a habit to continue to offer daily & weekly rentals.

The court verdict now adds to the already existing list of Airbnb’s woes which include a decline in quality, inattentive hosts, hidden cams, discrimination, and misrepresentation.

While this is something new in Thailand, we have received plenty of negative feedback from our customers who have used Airbnb in Europe in the past.

At Pickyourtrail, when it comes to suggesting accommodation to our customers, we have always stopped ourselves from recommending Airbnb. This comes in after serious learning experiences over the years. There are instances where few of our customer’s Schengen visa got rejected because of Airbnb bookings.

Further, many travellers have faced last minute booking cancellations without any prior notice. Last minute cancellations put a traveller in the worst position possible. Lack of a proper accommodation affects your entire plan and you have to pay a hefty price in the end.

The policy in Airbnb is also something very unwelcoming. According to one of their policies, if the host discovers a damage to the property, he/she can make a claim on your deposit. The problem arises here. There is no way you can prove your innocence to the host nor the other way around. With your card details being automatically stored in Airbnb, the transaction happens without even you being aware. Now, that is scary! The policies in hotels are far more transparent and the transaction is professional.

Related read: Tips & Tricks – Schengen Visa for Indians

Leaving out Airbnb from our model hasn’t affected us in any way. Over the years, we have only continued to grow and have had huge success on ‘Pickyourtrail recommended hotels’. We will continue to maintain the same standard in the coming years as well.

At the end of the day, customer happiness is a reflection of your company’s success.

Looking for a hassle-free holiday? Go Pickyourtrail.

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The post Thinking of booking an Airbnb? Read this before you do appeared first on Pickyourtrail Travel Blog.