I do not recommend this property despite its tranquil setting.
We booked this place for a long term stay and based on a mutually agreed-to discount. The place was clean. The location on the lake was beautiful and within walking and cycling distances to various attractions.
What the photos did not show was the steep grade of the exterior paths to the door to the cottage and to the lower second bedroom and laundry area. These graded paths appear to be new, within the last 18 months, and warrant a railing or steps. The paths are not lit at night.
I am an experienced hiker, and fit, however I lost my footing on the steep, loose-gravel path from the parking area and the door to the cottage. I struck both knees on a large boulder at the path’s edge which was loosely anchored into the walkway. I struck my head on the cottage wall, the boulder came loose, and I was pinned between the boulder and the wall.
I went to Emergency, where they performed a CT scan. Among my injuries I had a concussion, a cut on my left leg requiring medical attention and sprained fingers on both hands. The attending physician said the effects of the concussion could last six months or more.
It had been our intention to stay at the Airbnb for five more weeks, but the incident seriously and adversely affected our thoughts of staying. I simply could not risk another fall, and so my husband and I decided to seek out another Airbnb which did not present these hazards.
I contacted Sarah and explained I had fallen and that we wanted to end our stay for the reasons above. Sarah seemed sympathetic to my fall and indicated once we checked out she’d make the adjustments for the refund.
We checked out two days after the fall, and Sarah sent us two messages indicating she was very happy with how clean we had left the property. We began our stay at another Airbnb on the BC west coast.
Two days later, when I inquired about the next steps in the process for a refund, she indicated she had no intention of offering a refund, and that, because we had a discounted long-term stay, we should pay more!
We have contacted Airbnb for a fair resolution to this issue. We felt it necessary, for our safety, to seek other accommodation, only requesting a refund for the days for which we had already been charged and would not be there. Checking the Airbnb web site, Sarah has rented the property for days for which we had been booked. Reading online the experiences of other guests going through the Airbnb Resolution Centre, it appears resolution is a long, arduous and frustrating process.
My husband and I are sad and disappointed. What started as a wonderful reprieve from the prairie winter has ended as a disappointing and trust-breaking experience.