We have rented many AirBNB homes up to two months and have had mostly good experiences. I had come to trust the reviews. Unfortunately, this was such a bad experience that I really implore AirBNB hosts and guest to expect better. And I encourage AirBNB to overhaul its review process so that people feel free to leave open and honest feedback. (Maybe they should use secret shoppers?) I have to admit that I have, on occasion, left an undeserved five star rating because I fear retaliatory reviews. I have tried to present the facts without embellishment, so please, you make the decision that is right for you. Gino’s place may be perfect for backpackers of a certain age or others who might be comfortable in a youth hostel or a campground. It just was not for us! That being said, I want potential guests to know what to really expect with Gino’s place. If you understand and like the description, then I say go for it. I do not have an issue with “alternative” housing on AirBNB. But I do want to know what I am getting. And I do expect to feel safe and secure. Full disclosure here: we contracted for 7 nights. But once we saw the place, we sent Gino a note saying that we would be checking out the next morning. I felt duped, not only by the listing, but also by the countless number of positively glowing reviews that I thought I could trust. Here’s what you need to understand: The guesthouse resembles a treehouse on the ground, a clubhouse built for kids, or a container house (you know those houses built from huge wooden shipping containers?) than an actual guesthouse. A lot of the construction is plywood. Gino greeted us at a side door leading us through the “private entrance” which actually appears to be the first floor of his house. We took a few steps through a shaggy garden to the front door of the guest house. We immediately noticed a huge crack in the window of the door. Gino informed us that the glass had been broken the week before. Indeed, the large, single pane glass in the front door was cracked from side to side, threatening to shatter with the next unintentionally hard door closing. This was not thick safety glass; later, my husband would run his hand over the surface, finding that it was not only loose, but that he could feel the broken edge. When Gino opened the door, the next thing I noticed was a very soiled rug at the front entrance and then the “animal hide” rug, not quite as dingy looking under the kitchen table. From the photos, I thought that the “kitchen” would be finished with butcher block or some sort of laminate wood. It was actually plywood. I thought Gino might say that he was in the middle of a remodel, about to install tile over the plywood, but no, that was not the case. Plywood appears around the “kitchen” area and in the bathroom (yes, the sink is painted plywood). In the bathroom, there is no proper shower; rather there is a shower apparatus attached to the bathroom wall just a few feet from the radiator and the toilet. There is no tile in the bathroom; rather there is a painted concrete floor and plain white wall with no baseboards. In the main room, there are no curtains or blinds other than over the front door; and you are separated from the main two story house and all of its windows by just a few feet. As I recall, the back of the main house is primarily windows. To gain privacy, you must step OUTSIDE through the brush and close each of the four or five plywood(?) shutter pairs. Gino explains that you can keep them from banging against the house by leaning (yes, leaning!) a 2 by 4 board on the window sill. I couldn’t actually manage that task by myself had I needed to do so. You can open the windows, but there is little air circulation or light from the outside when the shutters are closed. There is apparently some air, however, because by morning, the bathroom “shower” was lined with outhouse flies and other pests. The “stove” in the kitchen is actually just a crusty looking hot plate. I’m not sure why it looked that way, but I’m assuming it had never been cleaned. There is no counter space unless you move the dish drainer. We were traveling with a laptop, iPads and passports; even though the guesthouse is in the backyard of Gino’s residence, we did not feel that there were adequate locks on the windows and doors. According to Gino, stray cats walk across the roof skylight at night, so we figured a robber could, as well. At any rate, my husband, who normally gets up before me, did not feel that I would be safe if he left me alone in the morning to go get coffee. There is a garden outside which was a bit on the wild side, not horribly untidy, but enough to make you a bit uncomfortable if you like to see what’s underfoot. Several reviewers said they felt that the place was much better than the photos. In our opinion, the photos were quite flattering. My husband, who is an ex-football player and not much of a stickler for creature comforts, wanted to leave immediately. I was very thankful that we agreed that this was not the place for us. It was Day 1 of our month of travel including multiple AirBNB stays...and it was off to a very bad start. As mentioned, we checked out the following morning and checked into Hotel Europ very near the center of Bruges. I am writing this review from our next AirBNB stay, from an apartment in Prague that I never want to leave. So it makes me a little sad to publish such...