“Sleeping sofa was covered in dog hair.”

“The host kicked out my pregnant fiancée and called the police on her.”

“Even more distressing was waking up in the morning to a homeless person sleeping in the hallway.”

“Airbnb customer service simply doesn’t treat anything as urgent.”

Ah, the pleasures of vacationing with Airbnb.

All of the above are quotes from actual travelers about their terrible Airbnb experiences. Complaints abound about filthy accommodations, last-minute cancellations by hosts, listings that look nothing like what’s advertised, and a lack of customer service from Airbnb itself. You may even have a horror story of your own. 

Nonetheless, Airbnb just held a huge IPO that made its investors billions of dollars. Why? Well, the company has made travel more accessible and affordable for many guests, and it has helped hosts earn extra income. But if Wall Street is still in the honeymoon phase with the platform, many travelers fell out of love years ago. The truth is that putting your vacation plans in the hands of a total stranger is risky business. 

We created KOALA as a timeshare rental platform that would help reduce that risk. We feel that travelers should be able to book with confidence and vacation with their family in a place that’s satisfying, not stressful. By the same token, we give timeshare owners the opportunity to defray their expenses by listing their unused vacation properties easily and at a minimum cost.  That’s how we’re able to keep prices surprisingly affordable.

Now, to be honest, we are also huge admirers of Airbnb. In fact, we sometimes refer to ourselves as “The Airbnb of Timeshare” — because we’re both marketplaces where hosts and guests can meet and transact.

But as anyone who’s ever rented an Airbnb knows, the reality is sometimes far from utopian. Here are the ways Airbnb can go wrong — and how KOALA is different. 

1. You can depend on us. 

You’ve heard the horror stories: room switcheroos, misleading photos, broken windows, cigarette odors. The promise of a restful, affordable vacation rental — dashed upon arrival. That’s because Airbnb relies mostly upon the honor system and doesn’t actually vet any of the listings to make sure they are as they’re described. 

At KOALA, what you see is really what you get. All of our listings are located at timeshare resorts, not private homes. The resorts are run by companies you know — Marriott, Wyndham, Westin, Disney, and more — and are staffed by professionals who are trained to uphold the brand’s standards. Want to know what other guests think? Most of the resorts are reviewed on TripAdvisor, Google, and other sites. What’s more, we verify all listings before they go live. If an owner tells us they have a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo for rent, we make sure that’s really what it is. 

2. We like keeping it clean. 

Now more than ever, travelers are hyper-aware of how clean they want their accommodations to be. It’s not just fresh sheets and towels and a broom-swept floor: We’re talking every surface sanitized and pathogen-free, cleaned by mask-and-glove-wearing pros who know what they’re doing. Airbnb recently required all hosts to commit to a comprehensive five-step cleaning process. That’s an improvement — previously, participation was optional — but it still operates on the honor system. You’re still relying on the host to make sure the place is properly cleaned before you and your family arrive. 

But guess what? Stay in one of the resorts on KOALA and you can avoid the other-people’s-stuff grossness you sometimes encounter at an Airbnb. All of our resort partners follow rigorous cleaning protocols, updated by their parent brands in response to COVID-19. These companies train their housekeepers in proper hygiene and sanitation procedures and hire managers to supervise. That’s a chain of command you won’t find at an Airbnb.

Moreover, units at most KOALA resorts are only cleaned prior to the guest’s arrival. That helps limit interactions with other people, which is a concern for some travelers. You can always request additional cleaning during your stay (sometimes for an additional cost).

3. We take security seriously.

Creepy buildings down dark alleyways. The stress of locating a stashed-away key or remembering a lockbox passcode. The house party (or worse) next door. All part of the Airbnb adventure! 

But we think vacations are more fun when you don’t have to worry about you and your family being safe. KOALA resorts have reception desks, where staff will check you in, show you around, and make sure you’re settled. (What’s more, we only release payment to the timeshare owner 24 hours after check-in, enough time to iron out any wrinkles.) And the staffing extends to resort security, of course, so you can let your kids run around the property while you relax by the pool with a margarita.

4. Our Customer Success Team is actually dedicated to customers. 

What can we say about Airbnb and customer service? Maybe we’ll just quietly leave this right here instead.

You know the drill by now: When you stay with KOALA you’re staying at an actual resort. Actual resorts have staffers. And staffers know how to take care of everyday needs, whether it’s replenishing towels, fixing a dripping faucet, or telling you where to find a decent cold brew nearby (or just a CVS). 

That’s just at the resort. But resorts aren’t perfect, so you also have us: We’re here to help 24/7 if anything goes wrong, you can reach us anytime at +1 833-KOALA-CO or hello@go-koala.com. We’re just a small team of travel lovers based in Brooklyn, N.Y., but we want to change the way you take vacations, and we’ll do everything in our power to make things right.