Airbnb | what could possibly go wrong?

rent this 2BR Parisian apartment for $438 per night through OneFineStay

Just over a year ago, I wrote an article recommending a Virtuoso alternative to a shot-in-the-dark apartment rental through Airbnb or VRBO, One Fine Stay.

What could possibly go wrong when renting an apartment sight-unseen from an owner you don't know? Apparently, quite a few things. I mentioned the following in that article:

1. Misleading web pictures can lead to disappointment. A photo take from a corner of the room with a wide angle lens can make a "cozy" room seem spacious.
2. Dirt, chipped paint, and soiled furnishings are not a good way to begin your stay.
3. You can't connect with the owner to let you in in the event your flight arrived late and he had to leave on his trip.
4. Not all renters are model citizens. We've all read about customers who paid in advance, showed up, and found that not only was there "no room in the inn," there was no inn.
5. Problems come up, and you have to deal with them on your own.

Just today, I heard this horror story — a friend of my son found herself trapped in an Airbnb New York apartment because the doorknob fell off the door.

The Virtuoso alternative is OneFineStay.com. Highly selective, only 10% of the apartments are accepted into the rental pool. You don't need to deal with the owner; a professional team is working for you to let you into your apartment, show you how everything works, even provide you with an iPhone with free local calls and data, programmed with a one-touch button for assistance 24/7. The apartment is professionally cleaned, and OneFineStay provides the hotel-quality linens. (You're not sleeping on someone else's sheets).

Book through your Virtuoso travel advisor for your own special amenity, a pair of cashmere slippers for everyone in your party — and, yes, you get to keep them! Not as dirt cheap as booking direct with the owner, but what you get are quality, peace of mind, and great value. The 2BR apartment shown above is currently on their website for just $438 per night. (They have apartments in Paris, London, Rome, New York, and LA).

I'll be seeing a OneFineStay apartment during my upcoming trip to Paris; watch here as I live blog during my trip.

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.