My wife and I have used Airbnb very successfully numerous times over the last 2 years, in Australasia, Italy and Hawaii. All previous reviews have been highly complimentary. This has been our very first disappointment.
On all other occasions, the accommodation met or exceeded our expectations. Photos have usually not done justice to the places provided.
This is the first time we’ve felt ripped off. We paid $440 per day (prior to school holidays) for accommodation worth perhaps $260 per day. Our accommodation was not terrible - just ordinary and grossly over-priced.
This was our first Airbnb booking that did not include linen and wifi. While we like firm mattresses, the mattresses provided were too hard for my wife. Lounge furnishings were sub-standard, and the TV remote did not work. The accommodation was however acceptably clean.
This accommodation was managed by a local real estate agent. All previous bookings were with owners who seemed to be striving to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Perhaps we’ve been spoilt, but the owners generally went out of their way to communicate promptly and included extra things like high quality linen, toiletries, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, coffee machines, tissues, personal suggestions for walks, restaurants, consumables, etc. While these are not essentials, wifi and comfortable beds certainly are. [In fairness, mattress requirements are subjective, and the hard mattresses provided might suit other guests. ]
While guests are provided with a voucher to refill the gas canister for the BBQ, I disliked the inconvenience of having to interrupt dinner preparation and socialising in order to waste 15-20 minutes replacing the heavy gas bottle at a garage for our first BBQ. What if guests are elderly, or have bad backs, or don’t want to waste their time? If they can’t fill the bottles, surely they can provide spare bottles!
This is also the first self-contained accommodation that we have rented from Airbnb that provided only 1 spare garbage bag. Non-provision is just not rational. Extra spare tiny soaps would also have been appreciated.
This was poor value for money and very ordinary hospitality.
Pacific Palms is highly recommended as a destination. The beaches are great. The Kingfisher Cafe, located at Bluey’s Retreat, had great food and Blueys Retreat appeared to have some superior (and far less expensive) accommodation and included linen and wifi, although individual units are separately owned.