Summary: Check in was atrocious. It was hard to find the flat in the building, find the key in the trolley, and open the 3 locks. Help wasn't available, and she wasn't even in town. The flat was cluttered, and opening the sofa bed required moving furniture. The mattress on the sofa bed was collapsed and painful to sleep on. Many amenities in the listing simply weren't there. And, when we complained about check in, we were told to cancel and find another place. Lastly, after the trip, she asked us to pay for items missing from the trolley, OUTSIDE the flat. She also asked us to pay for cleaning, even though we had been charged a cleaning fee on booking, and lastly she tried to get me to pay extra for my son as a second person, even though she had agreed not to charge extra for him.
Check-In:
Flat Difficult to find:
There is no number over the door of the flat. It is in a group of 3, where only the one in the middle has a number, meaning it is extremely difficult to ascertain which flat it is. The entrance is a door with no number or other markings, meaning you are unsure if it is a door to a flat, a side room, a closet etc.
Unclear Instructions:
The host said the key "was in a trolley." This was an issue for a few reasons:
A. Trolley only has the intended meaning in British English. In British English it means a small cart, while in American English it means a tram. This made it hard to figure out if the cart was what she meant by trolley.
B. The key was extremely deep in the trolley, under plastic bags that seemed to be trash. The first few times I looked inside, I didn't see the key and assumed the trolley just had trash in it, as I didn't even know if this was the correct flat.
This was compounded by the difficult to find issue, as I don't want to put my hand in a bag which I am unsure I am allowed to look around in.
Lastly, there were 3 locks on the door, with 3 different keys and no instructions on how the locks work. Even after we got the keys, it took time to open the door, as it was unclear which key was which and how each lock worked.
Communication Issues:
Whatsapp, her requested communication method, was nonfunctional. Voice calls failed, and she seemed to be unable to hear me. This lead to her being unresponsive, further compounding issues with check-in.
Flat Clutter:
The flat was not functional, was overcrowded for the space, and opening the sofa bed required the placing of furniture on the kitchen counter. The kitchen is out of proportion, huge for the small flat. The flat, generally, is badly designed for the space available.
Mattress Issues:
The mattress was collapsed in the middle. You can feel the springs from the frame when you lie down, and it leads to bad sleep and issues when going around the city.
Amenities Missing:
- The listing says "You can check in with the doorman." However, no such doorman exists, and in fact there is no one on the premises to assist.
- The listing says "Washing machine: In the building, free or for a fee." However, the machine was full of clothing.
- The listing says "A table or desk with space for a laptop and a chair that’s comfortable to work in." However, the flat is too crowded to put the chair on the floor and use the desk.
- The listing says "Breakfast is provided." However, there was no such provision. There was nothing in the fridge that could be used as "Breakfast."
- The listing says "Someone is available 24 hours a day to let guests in." However, there was no one there to let the guest in at the flat.
Told to Cancel:
When I complained about check-in issues, she told me I should cancel and find a new place. This is rude and doesn't solve my issue, since finding a new place takes time and isn't the proper solution from a host.
Extra Charge:
After the trip, she requested I pay extra for 3 things:
A. Items were missing from the trolley outside the flat: This is outside the flat, and not my responsibility. That trolley is open access for anyone in the building. It is not my responsibility to ensure it stays safe.
B. Cleaning: A cleaning fee was already charged in the initial booking.
And C. My son as a second person: She had explicitly agreed to not charge extra for my son as a second guest. However, after we left, she requested I pay extra for him retroactively.
I would not recomment this flat.