Vienna Stay Apartments - review from a couple with 5 year old in August 2021 during a 5 night stay here located in Tabor Strasse 41.
In short - property overcharged compared to what it actually offers (~90EUR/night) + 59EUR in cleaning fees.
Detailed review:
2/5 stars; We could live there for 5 nights, I didn't feel any immediate danger for my family's health during our stay, however I have not experienced similar conditions for a long time, and definitely not on an AirBnB well reviewed location. I have photos to share on this topic.
Prior to booking, I've read on Google a nasty review on them regarding cleanliness (or lack of it) similar to what I'm describing below;
Major fails:
1) overall cleanliness of apartment: in less than 1h after arriving, our daughter's white socks were dark grey from walking inside the apartment without slippers. (hallway entrance excepted); This means previous clean cycle was done in a hurry (5 minute slot maximum);
2) white bed sheets provided highlighted several long and dark strings of hair (more than 3); We're all light brown/blonde so it couldn't have come from us; at least one bed cover and pillow presented some strange yellowish colors - although no smell was present.
3) windows curtains (at least in the living room) were dirty, from my experience it seems they were last washed 6 months back or more;
4) arriving around 22:00 hours on a Friday, I've immediately went insects hunting: 2 spiders, 1 fly like insect. In the morning after I've noticed several spider nets mainly on ceiling on both rooms and under the living couch; from my experience it seems proper clean hasn't been done for at least 3-4 month;
5) toilet - wasn't properly deep cleaned; shower ceiling was presenting mold spots near the exhaust fan. Mobile shower faucet was 20% full of mold - water sprouting holes and fixing handle; Bathroom was provided with towels and hand soap. Soap dispenser was uncleaned, it was 50% full and pump was jammed/not working;
6) living room extensible couch - was comfortable but NOISY; While extended for sleeping it was noisy as one would move/sleep inside the bed;
6*) owner requested to do a separate registration on a 3rd party web portal (CoVID related, show proof of vaccination - which is fine as per Austrian regulation) and also requested a credit card enrolment for "safety deposit"; They conditioned providing access codes until credit card was provided. Now, at 24h after "check-out" no charge was requested on that card;
Normal stuff - could be marginally improved with little effort:
7) kitchen furniture (lower part, close to floor tiles) was showing some previous dismantling and not fixing it back;
8) Nespresso coffee pods machine was provided; It was leaking water but if water tank was left to rest overnight in the machine - due to no maintenance/cleaning; Definitely it wouldn't broke the bank if owner provided a couple of pods as initial package;
9) kitchen apparatus - was provided, Definitely it wouldn't broke the bank if owner provided a couple of tea envelopes, some basic sugar/salt/pepper (restaurant like sealed envelopes) or even a cooking oil. Dishwasher soap was provided; If you are not aware shops in Vienna close early and Sunday's are off;
10) outdoor (the apartment) cleanliness, meaning inside the building, was also to be improved; Access stairs to 1st floor were dirty by pigeon poo for at least 4 days, then cleaning occurred partially due to rain outside;
11) no replace garbage bags were provided;
Good points:
- location, 3 minute walking from nearest Metro / U Bahn location;
- several grocery stores in 3-5 minutes walking range: Billa, Hopfer/Aldi, Spaar; several "quick bite" locations; There are also some restaurants but haven't tried them;
Worth mentioning:
- terrace was equipped with outdoor chairs/table;
- noise from the tram passing in front of the building wasn't disruptive, as this was an interior facing apartment;
- waste recycling room at ground floor had bins only for carton/paper and general waste; No separate recycling for metal cans / plastic / bottles;
- plenty of charging sockets inside the home;
- my google review will contain also photos, as it seems I cannot add them here;
- check-in / check-out was contact free; using a safe provided; no human interaction;
- before "checking out" I saw a room being cleaned/restocked; There was no vacuum cleaner involved;