The positives:
The apartment is in a great location. The apartment was very clean. Lots of restaurants/cafes/stores just outside the unit, a very safe neighborhood and easily accessible to all parts of Montreal. Just a 1-minute walk away from the famous Fairmount Bagels! Open 24 Hours. I went several times! The hosts provided a guestbook with recommendations in town, that was very helpful. The kitchen had dishes, glasses, silverware (some dirty ones), pots and pans, etc. -- which was helpful. A few times I needed to heat up some food that I got from the grocery.
The negatives:
1.) Hosted by a group of individuals that run a business operating Airbnb properties throughout the city. Not hands on at all like if you were staying at the home where the actual host lived.
2. Be aware that there are about 15 very steep steps to climb up to the second floor where the apartment is.
3.) Communication was decent at best. It was clear right off the bat that it was going to be an inconvenience for them to have to communicate with me if I had any questions. I emailed Kinza via the app before my flight took off and politely asked if it was possible to check-in early, so I could get to my work event a bit earlier. She said she would ask her "colleague" and get back to me. 4 hours later my flight arrived in Montreal and I had still not heard back from Kinza. I emailed her on the app while I got in my Uber. She did not reply. 20 minutes later, I called her and she did not pick-up. When she did call a little later, she said her "colleague just now" let her know I could check-in early. Mmm, interesting timing. While it was hard to believe getting a simple answer should have taken 4+ hours and eventually did right when I happened to follow-up, I truly appreciated being able to check-in early and it went a long way for me to be able to arrive at my work event a bit early -- but I am not sure I would have ever heard back from Kinza though had I not followed-up at the airport.
3a.) It was very hot in the apartment the first night I got back to the place. I texted Kinza around 11:30 p.m. EST. when I got home from work. I felt horrible I texted her cell phone so late and mentioned this to her via text. I knew it was late, but the A/C did not seem to be working and I needed her help in getting it fixed. I was not willing to sleep in an apartment that was very warm on a summer night. I did not get a reply from her until the next morning. It was very upsetting to me that the host did not reply to me. I own my own business and whether it is 11:30 p.m. EST or 3:30 a.m. EST, if a client reaches out on an urgent matter like this request was about the A/C, I will always reply.
4.) I paid a lot of money to stay at this Airbnb. The hosts visibly invest a lot of their money, time and effort making sure the apartment is well designed because it makes their job easy to market and promote their Airbnb as a great place to stay while in town. The reality is that you will not see in the photos of this Airbnb when deciding on booking this property or not is that the "everyday stuff" needed to live in an apartment was so basic and little money is spent in these areas. It does not benefit them, so no extra effort there.
4a). The toilet paper in the bathroom was the cheapest quality possible. The kind you get at public bathrooms.
4b.) The toilet was having issues flushing my entire stay from the first time I used it. Barely any water was in the toilet, probably the reason why. But since I knew it was going to be impossible to communicate with the hosts about it, I just had to deal with it.
4c.) There was only 1 bottle of shower gel in the shower and no shampoo.
4d.) The fridge looked very nice and was huge, but it had absolutely nothing in it. Even the most basic Airbnb's I have stayed in before with mini fridges are stocked with bottled waters, maybe some soft drinks and little snacks to make the guest feel at home.
4e.) Not the biggest deal at the end of the day, but the TV controls were not working properly, so I could never watch TV -- and probably not worth an "ask" to the hosts to help me figure it out knowing it might be tough to get a reply.
Previously, I have only stayed at Airbnb properties that the hosts actually live at. Since they are always present throughout my stay, I always feel very comfortable when at the property and have questions. They are always more than happy to help and always friendly.
Unfortunately, this Airbnb in Montreal is not worth the price if you ask me. Priced way too high, but I did like that it was 100% refundable for a week after I booked it. Most places the week I was in town did not have a refundable option, so Kinza's place caught my attention because of the refund option. I think having the refund option is great. I will not stay at another Airbnb run by a business that keeps their focus on having the units filled, rather than making sure the guest is happy/comfortable from start to finish during their stay and having good communication is not really a priority to the hosts.
As always when I check out at Airbnb's, I stripped the sheets on the bed before I left for the airport. The hosts always appreciate it as you will see in the reviews various hosts have left me. I hope the housekeepers hired