AirBnB is like the proverbial curléd girl:

When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.

This comment is Google's first hit for "curléd girl".

I don't know what that is, but it made me laugh!

In europe my experience is kind of the oposite. Airbnbs have been incrementally more expensive over the years. Thet are now as expensive as hotels, but without the quality of service.

Only times I enjoy airbnb are when I am travelling alone, don't need more than a room, and want to actually have the opportunity to chat and get tips from the host.

They are comfortable during the stay, but not when you arrive or leave and waste so much time there.

I never know if that Airbnb will have toilet paper, towels, shampoo, dishwashing liquid, etc. and for everything that they don't I have to do a supermarket trip and buy a quantity that would last 2 months when I'm staying 2 days.

Then when you leave, despite paying 20% of cleaning fees, you may be asked to do the dishes, vaccum the floor, etc.

All of that together has an extremely high cost, especially on a vacation.

I live in the US, and for most places I travel in-country, my experience is similar to yours.

There are exceptions, of course.