We had a mostly pleasant stay in this central and convenient location. I found the communication quite persistent with increasingly extra information required. We booked the entire listing for the previous night as well as they weren't able to guarantee and early check in. Only 1 out of 10 guest stayed the first night and we found it difficult to give the hosts an exact ETA and were advised that self check in was not an option despite it being listed.
Upon arrival, it was noted that some areas of the apartments could use more attention to detail with the cleaning. Many of the vents were dusty and dirty, the curved bedroom wall was covered in dust, the showers had some mould in the grouting, bathroom cleaning products were left there and there was only 1 teatowel per apartment. When I asked for another as ours became quickly wet and dirty, was told that only 1 was allowed and I could use the washing machine and dryer, which is not likely for just one teatowel.
Our group of 10 people were spread across each apartment for sleeping but during the day and evenings, we would congregate in the one apartment living area. We weren't partying or being boisterous, simply playing card games and having a laugh, but the sound must have bothered the neighbours who submitted a complaint regarding our noise at 5:30pm in the afternoon. This resulted in the hosts calling, messaging and emailing me within several minutes with threatening messages about losing access to the building and our belongings plus paying fines of $2000 per neighbour who complained. The signs on the walls in the apartment said to be mindful of our sound after 8pm.
I called back right away to clear things up as I did not believe we were at fault. I was told the neighbours could hear our footsteps and every time a chair moved across the floor. The hosts were reassuring that perhaps the neighbours were being picky but it ruined the rest of my stay as I felt constantly anxious that any sound would result in serious consequences. The night was filled with constant shushing and warnings from me to the rest of the guests which wasn't exactly the mood we were going for.
I offered to move up to the other apartment but were warned the upstairs neighbours were less tolerable. It was a disappointing early last night for us before our very early flight to leave the next day. The one child that came, spent most of the time on his device and wasn't making a sound - I'm concerned that groups with more noisy children would be subject to similar complaints.
There were some issues of usability in the apartment. The #13 main bathroom had a barely frosted glass into the kitchen which could be a privacy issue. The loungeroom light switch was not able to be found or the bulbs just weren't working. The blinds don't shut out much light so nights and mornings are quite bright from the outside light.
Overall, we couldn't fault the location, we had a great time walking around the city every day and enjoying the local cafes and experiences. I'm glad we didn't get punished for the unreasonable neighbourly complaint despite the anguish it caused. Our large group was able to be accommodated in the middle of the CBD which is great.