The apartment itself is beautiful. The beds are extremely comfortable and it’s a very nice space. It was very clean and nice to have a washer/dryer in unit. The pictures match the apartment perfectly. The host was quick to respond when I messaged him.
We were not able to check in early, so keep that in mind. He told us that they need to stick to that 4 pm check in time due to cleaners, which I completely understand. Most other air bnbs have told me that they will text me when the cleaners leave. Even 3:30 or 3:45 would have been helpful as we had been up since 3 AM for our flight and were basically sitting in our car waiting.
Also, be aware that the parking spot is VERY tight. There is a pole that goes over the parking spot line, and with a different car tight on the other side, we didn’t feel comfortable squeezing our rental car in the spot since we’d have to pay for any scratches. The host simply said that he has fit his car in there before. I felt because I was a young girl that my concerns were dismissed, which I didn’t appreciate. I’m a Boston girl, so I’m very used to not only parking in tight spots, but parking in spots where the cars are facing both directions when parallel parking. It wasn’t until I mentioned that my dad could not get the car in when he seemed more apologetic. This was via messaging, so maybe I read the tone incorrectly, but I didn’t find him helpful in that regard (we found construction people outside more helpful in telling us the dos and don’ts with overnight street parking in Vancouver).
We also witnessed 4+ cars being towed from the area (nothing to do with the host, our course), but just be aware of the signs.
The biggest issue however was the amount of individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction right on the street. I was happy I was with my dad, because I was originally taking the trip alone. Again as a young girl, I would not have felt safe in this area. I am not one to pass judgements or ignore that they are human beings, but I have never see such blatant drugs use. I would look out the window and wonder if the person had OD’d or was just slumped on drugs. We also had to close the windows often so the smell of weed and cigarettes from outside would not make the apartment smell bad.
I chose this location because it was a 15 minute walk to Gastown which I read was the best place to be. However, about 7 minutes from this apartment in between Gastown we stumbled upon a street that was essentially like Skid Row if you’re familiar with LA. If you want to walk more into the city, just be very aware of the route you are taking. We ended up leaning towards staying in because I just felt shaken from a few of the interactions of people chasing me.
I want to reiterate the the apartment itself is lovely. It was a very comfortable place to stay, and felt clean and safe inside the building; I just believe that more transparency is needed for what to expect in the surrounding area.