I was looking for accommodation in Atlanta for TABConf 8, and I read a lot of bad reviews on Airbnb about a guesthouse in Bankhead. Example from July 2026:
The area is a very shady place, we left after the first night as we didn’t feel we’d be safe walking the streets.Hello Lee!
Even the taxi driver that picked us up the following morning couldn’t believe we stayed in that area.
Hosts told us it was a transitioning area, it’s been in transition since 2011.
I messaged the hosts on the day of check in just to let them know we would be there after 6pm, and asked if they knew of any pizza shops that delivered, it was 10pm when they replied.
We spent 1 night of a 4 night booking, the morning we left, I messaged to let them know we were checking out, due to not feeling safe in the area, and asked for maybe a partial refund, they never replied!
Before you book this place, please do your home work on the area, or Google Atlanta “BLUFF”
Personally I think AIRBNB should be vetting certain things like dangerous areas.
The accommodation itself was nice and clean. Apart from the broken bed, the middle support is broke, and it’s squeaky as hell.
It’s unfortunate that you took the time to misrepresent our airbnb in your rating and review. We provide what to expect regarding the unit and location in out description. It’s obvious to us that you didn’t do your due diligence to reference previous reviews and the area but then decided to complain about it once you arrived. In this particular instance our family was traveling for work and vacation which delayed some of the responses, however we did respond to you within 5 hours regarding a pizza recommendation, which is reasonable. As it relates to the walk ability of the neighborhood not once did you inquire about this. This is atlanta and we are not downtown. Transportation is planning issue not a location one. Lastly, this is a business! We do not give refunds to guest who say the unit is i quote "The accommodation is fantastic, lovely and clean and very homely." and then want a refund after they stayed a night and don’t like the location. Host beware!
The hosts' reply (with no paragraphs) didn't make it any better. They didn't disagree. They basically replied with "get fucked, should have done your homework". It's funny how they are referring to the other (bad) reviews, haha.
I sorted the reviews by "lowest rated", and when multiple people complain about the same thing, I think there's something there.
Is Bankhead really this bad? Would you stay there? Is Downtown better?
Oh, and apparently, with 4.67/5 stars, you can be in the bottom 10% of eligible listings:
I usually stay downtown, walking distance to the conference, when I'm there and it's nice. It's a big city with one of the biggest international airports in the country. It's kind of bound to have unsafe patches.
That puts things in perspective, thank you
ahh looks like k00b has you covered. I’ll book the two queen bed room just incase you or another stacker wants to bunk up!
Thanks for the offer! I’m already looking for a place with @Scoresby and maybe others, yes
Okay cool. I booked the double queen bed just incase any other stackers trying to save on lodging.
I know it’s super strange to offer strangers a bed but I met many stackers last year and plus you know k00b so there is a little WOT there.
Plus I can only stay till Wednesday.
No worries, I appreciated you making the first move and risking being strange haha
Maybe next year!
@ek do you want to bunk it with me? I was going to reserve my room tonight at the Hilton.
I don’t snore and I can get a twin bed we can do some stacker bonding before we sleep.
are you sure you don’t snore?
I think I don’t if I do just wake me up and I will stop
lol. I snore like a MFer. I feel bad for anyone else in the house
Yikes you might have a serious sleep apnea
I’ve been tested, it’s not severe enough to warrant a machine, apparently
AirBnB reviews are tricky. I've definitely ended up in shady locations, but I also think it's true that there are a lot of creampuff guests who feel unsafe outside of a Disneyland resort.
I doubt you will have issues with safety. However, the AirBnB itself might suck and that can really ruin a stay. If they have less than 10 reviews, I'd skip it. If they have a lot of reviews, but more than 10 negative reviews with specifics about what was wrong with the place, I'd probably skip it.
I am probably going to TabConf. Want to coordinate a place to stay?
Yes, for sure. It's why I checked whether other reviews mention the same things. The more people say the same things, the less subjective it seems to me.
That would be a-mazing! I feel like a lost potato in new cities. I assume you have Signal? My Signal handle is in my bio.
It’s mentioned in many older rap songs from Atlanta rappers who double as drug dealers and murderers. Take that for what it’s worth
Edit: I’ve never been, and that was a long time ago i heard it, so maybe things have changed
That would definitely make me think twice before booking there 😅 If even the taxi driver was surprised that’s a pretty big red flag. I’d rather pay a little more for somewhere safer.