The apartment is even more spacious and lovely than the pictures show. Everything was clean and the kitchen had all the tools necessary to cook light meals. The location is also very central and close to many great attractions in Munich.
Sandra appeared to be very kind, but perhaps hosting is not for her. She was upset that we were a bit late to check in, but she knew that we were new to Munich and trying to navigate a foreign country without cellphone service. If she does not want to wait around for people to check in, she should just leave the keys in a lockbox or something.
The remainder of this review is a bit lengthy, but I believe it is a fair and honest accounting of my experiences at this apartment. Sandra knew that I was in town with two friends to visit my sister who had moved to Germany. After we checked in, Sandra made multiple, unannounced visits to see if we had any other people in the apartment, which made me feel very uncomfortable. On the first evening of our stay, my sister and her boyfriend came over to the apartment to meet up with us and take us to dinner. One of Sandra’s unannounced visits came when my sister and boyfriend had stopped by. Sandra told us that they were not on the listing and could not stay with us. We informed her that they were not staying with us, but just stopping by before taking us to dinner. In response, Sandra told us that no one was even allowed in her apartment that was not included on the listing. I understand no parties, but saying no one at all can even stop by to see you is a very strange and severe rule.
My sister and her boyfriend were in the apartment for a few hours while we waited for one of their friends who was joining us for dinner to get off of work. Because of the central location of the apartment, we told this friend to also meet us there so we could all walk to dinner together. While waiting for this friend, we were catching up and drinking a few beers in the apartment before leaving to eat. Once my sister’s friend got to the apartment, we left for dinner. Further, after we all left the apartment, no one besides myself and two friends who were on the listing came back and us three on the listing were the only ones who stayed the night.
Around midnight on the first night, we blew up an air mattress. Sandra again stopped by and she asked us what we had done that we needed to vacuum so late at night. We showed her the air mattress and assured her we were not making any messes that needed to be vacuumed. I asked around about this situation and some of the Germans I met told me that their neighbors will also get mad if they vacuum late at night or on Sundays, so while I did not know this, if that was the case with us blowing up the air mattress, I will take the blame for this particular transgression. Either way, it felt weird that Sandra was listening to us so closely.
The next day, we were going to the Oktoberfest and had a group reservation for Lederhosen and Dirndls. To pick the outfits up, all parties on the reservation had to be present at the same time. As the store was a few blocks from Sandra’s centrally located apartment, we again had the other people joining us meet at the apartment so we could walk to get the Lederhosen and Dirndls at the same time. Once everyone in the group was there, we walked to pick up our outfits. We then came back to change and left for the Oktoberfest. While Sandra did not stop by as she did the night before, based on how she monitored us the night before, I presume she saw other people besides us three on the listing coming into the apartment. Again, no one besides the three of us on the listing returned after the Oktoberfest or stayed the night. I would not consider these situations to be a “party” or an “event,” and I don’t know how any reasonable person possibly could. Regardless, Sandra still filed a complaint with Airbnb about us hosting parties and having too many people in the apartment.
Sandra’s listing boasts of the central location and proximity to Oktoberfest (the listing is titled “Beautiful flat 10 walking min from the Oktoberfest”), which we were obviously in town for, but then she was very stressed about people being in her apartment. We were respectful of the space (minus perhaps my possible cultural faux pas with the blow up mattress), did not damage anything, and cleaned up after ourselves. It is very strange to me that you would highlight the central location and proximity of your apartment to the Oktoberfest, but then make such an issue out of people meeting there so they can walk to dinner or the Oktoberfest together.
Long story short, the apartment itself was beautiful, the location is great and if you enjoy the vibes of a Catholic boarding school where you must be quiet as church mice at all times and someone will be stopping by unannounced periodically throughout the visit to ensure you have no “nighttime visitors,” then this place will be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you think there’s any possibility that you will make noise above a peep or would like the opportunity to meet new friends and hang out with them where you are staying, I would recommend looking for another apartment lest your Airbnb account be suspended.