So I am not a fan of Airbnb. Sad. Not going to go into detail, but I really just like the consistency that hotels have.
The way I book my hotels is through Priceline. Reason: Express Deals.
So the way Express Deals work is that you will not know what hotel you're going to book. Sketch?? Not really because Priceline tells you the overall location of the hotel. As well as the type of hotel/motel you are going to be booking (5 star- 1 star). AND they let you know the average rating of the hotel.
I booked a hotel like this when I was in Miami, ended up staying at the JW Marriott in August (prime season) for $90/ night.
What are your risks? The reservation will be prepaid, so it is non-callable and non-changeable. Yeah, I think that's it. So basically get it right the first time.