I booked this apartment for my family of 11 people and will provide a detailed breakdown of the pros/cons of this booking and my interactions with the host in hope that it will help others decide whether this place is fitting for their stay. I wanted to like this space as it was rated 4 STARS on Airbnb, but the cons outweigh the pros. I also would like to add that I am a seasoned traveler and have basic standards. I wasn’t expecting this place to be the greatest, but to be FUNCTIONAL for a large family was very important.
Pros: Close to train station (7 min walk), check in lady was very informative of the location/ public transportation options, good Gelato spot near apt (3 min walk), walking distance to supermarket to buy food, host is quick to reply, apartment fits multiple families with 4 rooms and 2.5 baths
Cons: Bus stop right in front of apt window (not soundproof, thin windows), you can hear the bus throughout the day and also while sleeping earlier in the night. If you didn’t hear the bus, it was garbage pick-up, and/or street cleaning people water hosing the sidewalks making noises…
-Not able to adjust thermostat as it was blocked, (according to host, not allow to set past 21C because there is an antipollution law and it shouldn’t be over - this seems questionable as I was not able to locate this regulation online- upon further review, this was the same excuse he used when searching past Airbnb reviews from a 2007 response)
-Although the apt is listed as 2.5 baths, during our stay it was actually 1.5 bath. One bathroom was totally unusable as it had a sewer smell that also extended to the nearby bedroom. Host noted that the chemicals used to clean the drains caused the smell- first day we could not use, following day the smell reduced but then his handyman came by apt to check the concerns and poured more chemicals down the drain which then induced the sewer smell again. For the remaining stay, we did not use that bathroom and had to put a towel underneath the door so the smell will not extend to the hallway and bedroom. I am not even exaggerating; it was awful, and I have smelled a lot of things in my life as a medical professional.
-POOR WATER PRESSURE -oh my god, this was a BIG issue! Imagine two showers running and then someone turn on the kitchen skin to prep for dinner, the water in the showers will start to trickle. The host noted that the city may be working on the water line and called them to follow up with our concerns. However, 2 days in and we still have the same issues. Additionally, not only is the water pressure a concern, hot water was out of the question after two showers (not even 5-minute showers). Fantastic start for my family of 11 to get ready with now, only 1 shower…
-On two separate occasions, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in the bathroom went off. No one in my family smokes. Host needs to check this as it was a safety concern.
-Condition of the apartment- furniture and kitchen appliances of the apartment were all worn down and old. Pots and pans were peeling, the stove air vents are dusty and have not been wiped, the kitchen dining chairs are supposed to be white… they have seen better days, main bathroom trash can does not lift up using foot petal- you have to manually use your hand to open the container to throw away trash
-Resolution to noted concerns from the host was POOR. When I shared the issues, on the 2nd day, he offered that he will provide a taxi to move my family to another apt that he has. However, it is located further away from the city center (keep in mind we are already located at the outskirt of central city)- but that apt is only available till Sunday. My reservation is until Monday and that would require us to move AGAIN to another apt for the remaining stay. YES, I would have considered this option if it was available for the remaining stay of our vacation. However, it was not. Therefore, I do not think it is a valid resolution for the problems we have encountered. Additionally, the hassle it would be to pack up everything and move my family and kids to another location 2x, wasting time out of already short stay in Rome. Although the host did keep in communication with us, he kept sweeping the problems we encountered under the rug and replying by saying that everything is all fixed and good. IF IT WAS- BELIEVE ME, I WOULDN’T BE SPENDING MY VACATION TIME CALLING YOU TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS. He has an answer to everything but essentially answered nothing in terms of resolving our concerns. Instead, he offered a cheap $5 bottle of wine for the inconvenience. I did not even bother with it, what a joke. He also discussed refunding us for part of the inconvenience, that has yet to occur and I wouldn’t hold my breath to that.
Overall: Walking to main attractions such as Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, Pantheon, Colosseum will take at least 28 mins; took a taxi to the Vatican Center. Essentially, if the host was able to follow through with the addressed problems or noted in his Airbnb descriptions the condition of the apt with the water pressure and possible heating concerns- I would have appreciated that prior to booking this “4 Star” space. I get this apt is older, but don’t place blame on other things that you can be straight forward with and take ownership of.