General comments: Space was used for long-term stay with elements of everyday living. We left the reservation early for a refund and switched to a Superhost location as this reservation was not appropriate for comfort and health in a long-term stay. Communication with the host was inconsistent, as was her communication with AirBnb regarding issues we reported, and at times would take multiple days. This led to delays in attempts to remedy issues with the apartment that further highlighted the need to move to a space and host who knew how to handle longer term stays. In the end, AirBnb had to ask us to tell her to respond to their messages as they were able to see she read their communication but just never responded.
We also found out that she has a second listing for the same exact apartment when someone else booked the apartment after we had already made the reservation and she tried to get us to change our dates.
Pros:
-The space itself was nice and spacious
-Abundant natural light and windows
-AC available in every room
-Incredibly safe neighborhood where you can easily walk without worries at any time in the day
-7-10 walk from the Peninsula Open Mall that has various conveniences available
-WiFi was capable of supporting 2 simultaneous video conference meetings while streaming TV via Google Chrome without issues
-Plate ware, flatware, and cups in good condition
-Updated fridge and microwave
Cons:
-Upon arrival the apartment itself was dirty. Over a week later, the host’s personal cleaner was sent but the woman said the apartment was so dirty she was unable to clean it in a single day and would need to return
-WiFi only works downstairs so we had to buy a new range extender to get some internet available upstairs
-All sinks/drains and the surrounding areas constantly smell of mildew or mold
-Literally every drawer and cupboard around the sink in the kitchen reeks of mold or mildew and it never goes away
-Cooking utensils and eating utensils were damaged, old, and dingy
-Pots are old and not useable. Some had old nonstick lining on the sides but the bottoms had it all scraped off and were silver and no longer black. Her driver had to grab a chopping board from her house as one was not provided in the apartment
-The space was not represented by the pictures accurately and ended up being extremely dated
-No drinking water was available and you need to supply your own. The fridge was actually moldy in the water reservoir when we arrived
-Couch was very uncomfortable and you can feel every wooden beam you sit on as the padding was completely old and worn
-The furniture in the loft was different than the pictures. The couch has a huge stain and tears on it. The bench had random cushions to hide the old dirty bench underneath. I actually moved the cushions to the couch downstairs to make sitting on the couch tolerable
-Bedroom sheets, pillow cases, actual pillows themselves, mattresses, and blankets have stains on them
-Sheets, blankets, and pillows had mold. The host refused to acknowledge mold in the apartment even after pictures and videos were taken, submitted to AirBnb, and her driver took the items away.
-The master bedroom mattress is thin so you end up feeling pressure on the parts of your body that make contact with the box spring under the mattress
-The bed and couch as a combo had us waking up every morning with aching backs and pain in our hips. It’s awful when you can’t find a single comfortable place in the apartment to simply sit down
-The newly installed AC unit in the master bed room leaks water down the wall pooling into the floor and you can see water damage on the wall under the paint and the grout
-Bathroom sinks are poorly designed so when the faucet is turned on it splashes the counter top and your shirt
-Master shower has mold
-Upstairs hand rail moves and jiggles
-My husband sat down in the sole decrepit chair that was on the balcony and it broke immediately -Balcony had none of the furniture that was in the pictures so you had to just stand around or sit on the floor
-Floor tiles on the roof balcony had paint on them
-Jacuzzi on the deck was very dirty and uncared for
-Half of the jacuzzi jets don’t work and it does not heat at all
-All of the furniture was tattered or beat up in some way. The dining table had a fake top replacement unsecured and laying on top of the old table top. The cream leather couch had small scratches allover the surface and was greyed from dirt. The brown couch was discolored and had strings hanging off from old seams. One of the bar stools had the foot rest hanging off from missing screws. Living room tables were all untreated wood with stains, cracks, and water rings on the tops.
Overall we were incredibly disappointed. It was obvious the host never visits the apartment and would give conflicting stories when we notified her of the issues within the apartment. She sends her driver to maintain the space when that isn’t really his job or role at all.