Our overall experience was just okay. There are many things to like about this Airbnb, but also a few issues which could be easily addressed to make future stays very pleasurable.
The good parts: 1. Great location (just outside of touristy area allowing you to interact with locals and also be within walking distance from all of the major sites). 2. Modern building, spacious apartment, nice bathroom. 3. Very good restaurant and coffee shop on the ground floor of buildings. 4. Francesca was very nice and checked in with us to see if we had any questions or needed anything.
The gripes: 1. The pictures aren’t a true representation of what you are getting. There is a lot more clutter in the apartment than the pictures indicate (books, dvds, electronics, a broken picture frame). The bed does not have a headboard or footboard. The couch is distressed white wicker with a colourful bottom cushion and mismatched pillows to lean against (not the couch in photos). In picture 18/29 the wall sockets under the wall opening are photoshopped out (not a big deal at all but the idea that the picture is altered leaves an unpleasant feeling in your mind of what else could be amiss). Upon booking the location, I sent Francesca a greetings message in which I stated that I was excited to listen to her vinyl collection (as shown in closeup pictures) to which she did not reply that the records and the record player are no longer in the apartment (This was actually one of the reasons I chose this Airbnb over another). These might not be an issue for some but the accumulation of little inconsistencies leaves me feeling disappointed. 2. Although the apartment had been cleaned prior to our arrival, it was not cleaned well enough. It had the appearance of being cleaned by a company looking to finish as quickly as possible and not doing a thorough job. The toilet was cleaned very well, but the sink, mirror, and shower had soap marks from the previous user. The back of the rungs on the towel rack/heater were covered in a thick layer of dust (towel would be dusty if placed on there). The floor was vacuumed but you could see a thick layer of dust (months and months worth) under the couch and refrigerator as soon as the sunlight came into the room. The pillows on the couch were stained and musty/dusty. Countertops, doors, and tables were wiped, but you could see streaks across the surfaces (the dirt was smudged across the surface rather than being wiped away). The bed sheets were washed and pressed, but could use to be replaced as you could see small stains on the pillow cases. I’m surprised that more reviews don’t mention the cleanliness. I imagine the lack of cleaning might be a new development, and could be addressed very easily in the future for a much nicer stay experience. 3. There was only one roll of toilet paper in the apartment. There was barely any hand soap left in the bottles in the bathroom and kitchen. To be fair, we could have asked Francesca to bring some and I’m sure she would have done so, but our schedule was very hectic and I did not want her coming when we were not there. We just ended up picking some up ourselves, but I think that these items should be provided upon arrival.
As stated previously, Francesca seems like a nice host and the apartment is great. All of these issues could be addressed (updated pictures and better cleaning) very easily in the future and others would have a lovely experience, ours however was only just okay.