My review, score, and comments are purely based on communication (or lack thereof) upon arrival, as well as the state of the entry way and stairs leading up to the apartment.
The apartment was fine. It is cute and the furniture is just enough to not make the inside of this place horribly uncomfortable. The AC works perfectly and the kitchen is well equipped, as described. The level of cleanliness was as expected, but not above and beyond anything I’ve seen. The shower drain should be cleaned out as it seems mostly clogged and water collects immediately when showering. Same for the shower head. A good third of it is clogged and the water pressure reflects that.
Regarding communication and greeting upon arrival - I messaged the iFlat via the AirBNB App when we landed to notify of our arrival at the airport and to say the driver we had booked through them was nowhere to be found. When we finally did find him, we had been looking for him (inside and outside the terminal) for at least 15 minutes, while also not having heard back from iFlat… And although the driver’s timelines may not have anything to do with iFlat, their lack of responsiveness is their own doing. I have yet to receive any sort of response to my message actually.
Once the driver was finally found, we eventually made it to the property. To our surprise the “host” who was said would be waiting for us outside the property upon arrival, was not there. Knowing things happen and people sometimes run a little late, we gave it a few minutes and stood outside with our luggage waiting. Finally, after about 20 minutes I messaged iFlat again via the AirBNB App and received no answer. Five minutes later I called and was told I should have called earlier because the host WAS actually there. What?? I MESSAGED!! TWICE. I should be getting answers whether I message or call.
Anyway, the host had been waiting upstairs inside the apartment, while we waited outside with our luggage, standing in the heat. When he was finally asked by his colleague who I’d spoken to over the phone to meet us outside, he “greets” us with a rude and nasty attitude before leading us upstairs to the apartment. He speeds up the stairs, not acknowledging the fact that we are carrying luggage, in the heat, and up very steep stairs. I mean I get it, we didn’t pay for luggage services and for him to offer to help carry any of it but he could have waited vs speeding and then clearly looking annoyed at the fact that we had failed to keep up, forcing him to wait another few minutes for us to make it into the apartment. Once inside, he proceeds to very rudely tell us everything is working fine, that he had tested the air conditioning, and that if we wanted to use the stove we would need to buy matches. He rudely asks if there are any questions (while looking super annoyed at us) which makes me uncomfortable to actually ask anything. He then proceeds to hurry out the door, leaving it wide open behind him.
As a final comment - the entry hall to the building is filthy and creepy to be honest. The floors are dusty, stained, and cracked, as well as the walls, and there is minimal lighting. There are no signs that show the layout or which way toward each of the apartments which is inconvenient if you’re in a situation like ours, where the host was nowhere to be found upon arrival. I understand this is a shared space but none of this was mentioned in the description. Had I known how bad the hallway and stairs were, I probably wouldn’t have booked the place.
With all of this said, the host’s behavior and rude personality really is what made our first day at this property and in Rome the most uncomfortable I’ve ever had. He truly made us feel unwelcome. As a result, I will not be staying or recommending this place going forward.