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I hosted for a little while years ago and am presently in a 4 day airbnb, because my house is for sale and I’m staying out of the way of showings this weekend.
I was looking forward to sitting back and watching some interesting new channels, but am finding out that their tv only works if I bring some of my own paid subscription and connect with a laptop.
I’m beyond ticked off. Yes, it’s a way for hosts to save money, but to me tv is the most basic thing that even the cheapest hotel offers. I don’t understand how there can be the expectation that guests have to bring their own subscriptions?? This is not a cheap place and I honestly wished I would have rather gone to a cheap motel.
Is that the norm now with airbnb? If so, I will avoid in the future
Did you thoroughly read the listing information and amenities list? Was cableTV offered? If not, you have zero reason to be “beyond ticked off” or even slightly ticked off.
As a former host, you should be aware that there is no “norm” when it comes to Airbnbs, which are each unique. You can only expect an Airbnb to be clean, accurate in the description, and provide what they say they provide in the amenities list, not have expectations beyond that.
Plenty of Airbnbs do not have TVs and their guests have no interest in nor expectations of one. and it’s not necessarily a matter of saving money- some hosts do not want a TV and many guests have zero interest in one. I have never had a TV in my adult life and not one of my guests has ever mentioned wanting a TV.
The majority of guests don’t book a place to sit around and watch TV. They are on holiday and busy with activities. Some even want a media-free break. And many people these days do have their own Netflix, etc, accounts, or watch things on their laptops, so I imagine there are less accommodations that provide cable TV than in the past, just as most people now have cell phones and no landline.
If guests have specific wants or needs that are not mentioned nor offered in the listing info, they should either look for another place to book or communicate with the host to ascertain if that might be available.
You have my sympathy. Perhaps somewhere in the listing, buried deep, there is an explanation about the TV. Or maybe not. Anything that really matters to you, you have to message the host and ask.
Our AirBnB cottage has no television at all. I am booked months in advance. But I disclose no TV in 4 places on my listing, and of course TV is crossed out in the amenities summary.
I say I have a TV and an Amazon Firestick. I offer FTA TV and free Youtube. Netflix and other apps are installed on the Firestick but I make it clear you have to have your own account. Nobody has complained about that. And occasionally when I am checking that all the smart TV stuff works for the next guest I find the current guest has left their account logged on. I usually log them off and let them know I did that.
I feel your pain. I provide TV and go beyond because ALL of my guests use it…sometimes I marvel at how much because we are ON THE LAKE, yet they spend time indoors. In addition to streaming live TV, I don’t make people sign in to Prime, Netflix and all that…I just created another profile for them to use and set up the controls so they can’t charge anything. It’s not hard to do.
No, it’s not the normal thing. I stay in Airbnbs several times a year, ~30 total over the last decade, and I don’t recall any of them having only Chromecast. I have stayed in multiple Airbnbs that had no TV at all.
That said, having a phone or other device from which one can stream content, as well as subscriptions to various programming services is quite common. So it’s not unbelievable that a host would think that’s a reasonable option. If they were really interested in being the best they could be they could at least get an antenna to get the broadcast channels for nothing aside from the cost of the antenna.
How does it compare to the feeling you had as a host when a guest expected an amenity you didn’t provide because they didn’t read the listing? If the host doesn’t clearly state the TV only has Chromecast, they deserve to be marked down in the review. Otherwise, you must just be frustrated with yourself.
Not inexpensive. Though I think you should have read the listing carefully, this host does indeed seem “cheap.”
Yeah but when you get there and the TV doesn’t work, no other rooms are available and the one towel looks like it’s older than God…
