Our stay at SEA SHELLS with Great Ocean Road was quite upsetting and disappointing. Before arriving to the property we were asked to pay a secure bond of $1,000AUD because they kept insisting they were anxious we were going to damage the property just because we're a group booking and my guests are in the 20s...All their replies were via phone and not Airbnb thus nothing was noted in writing (for our security). As they asked us to do it over the phone via card which I felt was unreasonable as Airbnb already holds a $1,000AUD bond with them, I transferred $1,000AUD to them via the Airbnb platform to have it in writing. When we arrived at the property it was dirty, there had been leftover food and the bins were full with trash that had been there for a while. There was dog hair around and the house smelt. The cleaning lady arrived later and it was getting late and the guests were to arrive soon so I had ended up cleaning the house with her because I wasn't going to make the guests do it.
The experience was quite upsetting as they challenged us to pay $1,000AUD upfront otherwise they were going to cancel our booking and it was always spoken about over the phone not via Airbnb. After all that back and forth we arrived to a property that was dirty and unsanitary, and I had to help the lady clean because she had family to go home to as it was getting late and my guests were to arrive soon.
Marilyn the lady who I was in contact with always called and never communicated via this platform which I thought was odd, when we arrived at the office she didn't speak with me after all that back and forth over the phone and simply kept her back to me, and from the arrival onwards they started to communicate over Airbnb so they didn't have to speak verbally with us which I found so unprofessional, because it seemed that they were asking for money over the phone and not via Airbnb and when they didn't want to deal with us, just left it in writing.
Overall I feel this was handled very poorly on Great Ocean Roads Real Estate's side, and the reservation was made very stressful, when it didn't need to be. I have made many Airbnb bookings and have references on my profile, am responsible and was demanded money for this property just because I'm in my 20s (and late so to speak!).
The place was left much cleaner than what we found it in.