Let me preface this review by saying that we have had many wonderful and memorable AirBnb experiences and writing this brings me no joy as I believe the host to be a lovely person. We arrived at Jan's Beachfront House with four super excited kids who had been planning a long-awaited visit to Port Arthur since covid lockdown last year. Unfortunately we had to cut our stay short after a single night as this listing should not be available during the Winter months. Jan had warned us when we booked that the shack can be very cold during Winter but assured us that there was adequate bedding and the wood fire would adequately heat the living area. This, on both points, was untrue. And I say that as a Tasmanian who is used to the cold with children that usually don't feel the cold! We utilised all the additional bedding and even brought two electric heaters from home for the bedrooms and were still freezing and unable to sleep. The bedding in one room was damp to the touch while the "trundle" was in fact a thin foam mattress on the freezing floor with a fitted sheet and no blankets/doona. The wood fire was set and ready to light which was appreciated, but even at full roar did not provide anywhere near adequate heating for the living area - we were able to see our own breath while standing a few metres away from it.
We had a very unsettled night with four children who were unable to get warm and intermittent trips to put more wood on the fire. Needless to say our trip to Port Arthur the next day was all but ruined. The kids were exhausted and had no energy for the historic site and we cut our day short which was upsetting for all of us. We contacted Jan and informed her of our experience and that we had packed up and left the shack. Jan was polite and offered us a refund minus the first nights accommodation, the cleaning fee and AirBnb service fee. At the time I was happy to pay for the first night but felt that we shouldn't have to pay for the cleaning or service fee. Jan was insistent and to be honest I was too tired to argue. Now that I have caught up on sleep I wish I had pushed for a full refund including the night we stayed as the listing is, in essence, false advertising.
Let me finish off on some positives. I can see how this AirBnb would be just perfect for a Summer trip to the beach with kids. Jan's listing is in a spectacular location, right on Slopen Main beach with views of the water and Mt Wellington in the distance. The property is positioned perfectly to take in the glorious sunsets. It is well equipped for kids with toys, games, and a plethora of DVD's to choose from. There are kayaks in the backyard but bring your own life jackets. The kitchen is well equipped for an extended stay and Jan invites you to use what you need from the staples supplied.
In a nutshell stay in Summer, avoid entirely in Winter.