Video: TikTok users show off their worst Airbnb experiences
There are a lot of awful Airbnbs (and bed and breakfast) hosts in the world. From tales of Iceland guest house hosts (allegedly) holding guests hostage to the owner of Australia’s best Airbnb being charged with (allegedly) menacing a man who left a negative review we’re not short on stories to show how Airbnbs aren’t always amazing (though in many cases they certainly can be).
But the latest story to grace our screens isn’t about the host. It’s about the Airbnb itself. And it’s quite literally a stinker. What is it, exactly? It’s an Airbnb in which the toilet is located in the same room as the bed. In fact it’s barely three metres away.
The most surprising thing, arguably, is that, other than the bizarre location of the toilet, it actually looks like quite a nice Airbnb. That being said, the guest who posted the photo to Twitter on Sunday – Reuters journalist Byron Kaye – wasn’t (it seems) impressed.
In typical Reuters style (though this was his personal Twitter account), he – unlike most aggrieved Airbnb guest reviews – appears to have stuck to the facts, simply writing: “I just drove five hours for an Airbnb with a toilet in the bedroom.”
I just drove five hours for an Airbnb with a toilet in the bedroom. pic.twitter.com/UrVmdTXVvE
— Byron Kaye (@byronkaye) January 16, 2022
Mr Kaye did not say where the Airbnb was. He reports on a lot of Australian news for Reuters though and Tweets about a lot of Australian happenings, and is based in Sydney, so our guess would be that it is in Australia somewhere.
DMARGE contacted Airbnb and asked if having a toilet in the bedroom meets Airbnb standards in Australia. We were told Airbnb would look into this and get back to us. At the time of publishing we are yet to recieve a response.
Airbnb has also commented on the post, writing: “Hi, Byron. We’d like to take a closer look at this, can you please DM us the email address associated with your Airbnb account? We’ll be looking out for your reply.”
As for the commenters on My Kaye’s Tweet, many were quite certain it’s unacceptable. One wrote: “An innovative approach by a greed driven scam Airbnb landlord. I’m surprised there are not a few double bunks in the room as well to maximize income?”
Another wrote: “Not sure that would meet building regulations in Australia.”
RELATED: ‘HOW IS THIS LEGAL?’: Wild New York City Story Proves Why Airbnbs Are Always A Gamble
This commenter wasn’t alone, with another writing: “Unlikely to be compliant with the BCA (Building Code of Australia). After you leave, you might consider reporting it.”
Others were a little more facetious (fecesious?), with comments like “It’s cool that the owners can keep an eye on you though, make sure you’re ok, and pass you another roll of toilet paper should they see you are running low” and “Well your room is covered in faecal particles, if any of the previous guests left the lid up when flushing” rolling in.
“Five hours, that’s outrageous. I wouldn’t drive more than three hours for an Airbnb with a toilet in the bedroom.”
Another wrote: “Did you REQUEST the toilet NOT be in the bedroom?!”
It didn’t end there. Twitter commenters had a field day, penning such digital poetry as: “I’d be turning that wardrobe to make a false wall – and leave it like it as a statement,” “Probably fine if you’re a very short man peeing,” and “Nothing says romance like the auditory pleasure of listening to ones beloved move their bowels.”
“Au contraire, if you open one of those wardrobe doors, privacy is assured.”
The image also inspired some Australians to recount some of their close toilet encounters overseas, with Prague and London cropping up as examples various times.
“Haha! Lived in a flat in Swaffham, UK sometime in the ’90s with a shower in the kitchen,” said one.
“Sorry, but I’ve seen this in more than one French hotel,” said another.
“The technical term is ‘s***house.'”
One wrote: “I stayed in dormitory style post war complex near Prague years ago. The showers had saloon doors from the waist up. Talk about disconcerting.”
Very European. We had a toilet in our room in Pisa. Or at least I thought we did, until I ‘went’ and then realised it was a bidet. Toilet down the hallway😬.
— Renae Carolin (@RenaeCarolin1) January 16, 2022
Others asked whether Mr Kaye had seen photos of the room before booking it, querying: “Would you have taken it if you knew?” and asking: “Surely this would have been mentioned in the reviews,” as well as asking if it’s really so different to an ensuite.
“I feel like people are pretending that this isn’t exactly what an ensuite is. Sure, there’s usually a door, but really.”
Other theories included: “It looks like a section of flooring has been replaced and wall has not been painted from partition removal possibly for that huge flue” and “They probably spent all their money outbidding locals who wanted to do something outrageous like…use the place as a home.”
“Airbnb, seems quaint to visitors but it’s an absolute scourge in our regional communities.”
Some Twitter users, however, looked on the bright side. One wrote: “If that’s an attic bedroom, as a male who is getting older is actually be grateful, I didn’t have to go downstairs multiple times during the night.”
Another said even if it stinks, it could have been worse (or, at least, more dangerous): “I stayed in one in Tasmania that had a sunken spa in the floor…right next to the bed. Let’s just say I was VERY careful getting up in the middle of the night.”
One to ponder the next time you’re on the can…
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