As a frequent user of Airbnb, I understand that Airbnb hosts and guests rely greatly on the honesty of both parties, therefore, I feel that I have an obligation to be completely honest regarding this listing. I have stayed in many Airbnb locations around the world, and this was one of the most disappointing locations. It is listed as, “Romantic Ocean View”, but the ocean view is where the romantic aspect of this apartments ends, and that view is experienced on a balcony bare of anything except a dirty mop, a mop bucket and a cat litter box.

Inside, the apartment shows considerable signs of wear from a tattered afghan spread across the back of the couch, to the worn and pilled carpeting, and torn draperies in the living area. The electric kettle for boiling water for coffee and tea had a wire that had been burned through the exterior insulation exposing the bare electrical wiring.

I was charged a $57 cleaning fee for an apartment that had not been cleaned satisfactorily before we arrived. There was a layer of dust, dirt, and crumbs over most all the surfaces. The carpeting and flooring had not been vacuumed, and the wastepaper can in the bathroom was full of used feminine sanitary products.

Communication with the host was difficult. When I requested an address or GPS location for the apartment, she responded with the name of a hotel across the street, advising that since she was out of town, the keys to the apartment would be with a shop keeper downstairs. She didn’t give me the actual address, the name of the shop, or any description of the building so that I could be certain I was in the correct place. I made an assumption regarding the apartment location and inquired several times with shopkeepers at the two shops located downstairs, and neither of them could produce keys to the apartment. When the owner suggested that I try again, I did so. After so many attempts, someone in the neighborhood reported me and my husband to the police as acting suspiciously, and we were approached by a police officer inquiring to know why we were in the area. Eventually, the owner text the name of a contact in the area who had access to the apartment, and it took two different phone numbers to locate the contact, who finally came to meet us with keys. Our attempt to gain entrance to the apartment lasted approximately 3 hours.

I am sorry to say this, but I could not recommend this listing to others. My husband even commented that if this had been our first Airbnb experience, we likely would have never stayed in another. I would be glad to provide photographs of the apartment upon my arrival and departure if requested.