Airbnb Host Tries to Hike Price Post-Booking After Learning Why Guest Is In Town

A woman had a bizarre experience when she attempted to book an Airbnb stay, and she detailed the entire encounter on TikTok. Ariel Stewart, who goes by @arielnicolestewart, booked an Airbnb for a trip to New Orleans to see Taylor Swift.

However, shortly after the host confirmed her booking, Ariel received a message explaining that the price for her stay was incorrectly set. Keep reading for all of the details.

After Ariel booked her Airbnb, she got a message. It said, “Unfortunately the pricing has not been properly set for these dates yet,” read a message from the Airbnb host. “We can accommodate you, but we will have to collect additional funds.” The host suggested that Ariel cancel her trip and explained that this could be done “penalty free,” but Ariel was weary of the interaction.

The host then advises that Ariel and her party move to another location in the “same neighborhood” as the property she originally booked. After looking up the distance from the suggested location to the Superdome, Ariel declined the offer.

“After speaking with Airbnb, you can choose to cancel me but it will penalize you and block those dates from being booked in the future,” Ariel told the property owner. The host wasn't happy with Ariel’s message and let off a fiery response.

After Ariel refused to cancel her stay at the New Orleans Airbnb, the property owner took a few jabs at the Taylor Swift fan. “100 percent, you will not be staying here. You’re welcome to justify your behavior to whoever will listen,” read a message to Ariel.

The host continued, “I’m assuming you don’t have a lot of friends, but that doesn’t mean we have to listen to it.” Ariel stopped replying to the host and later chose to leave a review on the property detailing her booking experience.

Shortly after she left the review, Ariel received a message from the property owner. The woman, named Heather, was relentless in her fight and threatened to contact Ariel’s employer to make them aware of her “dishonest behavior.”

Instead of replying to Heather, Ariel reported the messages to Airbnb. She later discovered that the property was relisted on Airbnb under a different owner, with stays going for $1,299 a night.

Ariel has been met with conflicting opinions over her Airbnb debacle. After one TikTok user suggested that she was being “difficult,” Ariel explained why she chose not to cancel her reservation. “Doesn’t seem like my fair booking at whatever price I booked and paid $1,800 mattered,” Ariel said. “The host did not plan accordingly and wanted to upcharge me to $1200, making my stay $2,400.”

And while Ariel received some pushback for her actions, there were others on TikTok who supported her decision not to cancel the booking. One woman, who is an Airbnb host, explained that there are many ways for a host to regulate their prices. She added, “This is literally them having an oh s--- moment when you mentioned TS.”