I wish I could say that things went great. To start with the positives: this place is in a great location and was mostly well cleaned upon check in. The host’s rep met us there and helped us with our bags (which we had a lot) and helped us with the layout of the city. She even arranged for a taxi to pick us up from the airport which was super helpful.
Some of the challenges that we experienced however, was that there were several things that did not work properly. For example: the toilet in the one bedroom to the left did not flush. The handle on the bathroom door to the studio room was broken so the door could not properly close (which is critical when that room has no privacy to begin with. Also the overhead light in the studio bathroom did not work and the other light source did not provide adequate lighting.
There are also some inaccuracies in the description. It is listed as a 2 bedroom when really it is a 1 bedroom attached to a studio apartment. The studio room provides no privacy, and it is separated from the kitchen by a half wall.
Also it was listed as providing towels, extra blankets and toiletries. However, we received one towel and one hand towel each for a several day stay. No wash cloth or other means to shower with. The “extra blanket” was a thin sheet which provides little warmth and comfort. The toiletries were limited with only a couple toilet paper rolls and a very small bar soap.
Also to be aware of: the place is very noisy. The walls are thin, so you can easily hear the neighbors and those in the stairway. There was also a very loud alarm for the elevator that sounded like a fire alarm inside the apartment. Also the window next to the studio bed opens up to a neighbor’s patio, so no privacy there either.
One of the biggest issues we had though, was when we brought these concerns to the attention of the host and the host’s rep. It was a sort of deal with it (this is how things are done in Rome) response. To be fair, they did say they would arrange to fix the broken things but it was rescheduled twice and didn’t get fixed while we were there (we ended up leaving early because of it). Also the host’s rep who originally was very warm and welcoming, became very confrontational when she came back by to “discuss” the complaints.
(Also be aware that Air bnb is not very helpful when it comes to meditating and helping resolve issues like this. We ended up having to still pay half for all nights we did not stay there (we left early).
I personally would not stay there again, however with that being said, I wouldn’t say no one should. Obviously from the other reviews, many have had positive experiences. If the host makes the description more clear and accurate, ensure things are in working order, can be more open to communication and assistance and if you can deal with the noise, then it’s not a bad place. Like I mentioned, it’s in a great location, it’s mostly clean ( with the exception of a few spots which most wouldn’t notice-but we did because we run a cleaning business, so we tend to be more critical with cleanliness), and the beds were comfortable and actually a little bigger than advertised (a plus).
I hope this review is taken the right way. This is not meant to be taken as me “bashing” the host or the place, but rather being open and honest with our experience and providing constructive criticism to help improve. There were some positives but definitely some negatives that I think are all fixable (with the exception of the noise and privacy).