Paolo and Simona were very good at communicating, quick to answer my messages. They accommodated an error I made in my schedule and helped us book a driver for an early morning plane to catch. Paolo even performed an internet test so we could confidently know that my partner and I would be able to both work remotely using the wifi in the apartment (the wifi was great!). The place itself was quite spacious, the bed comfortable, and the black out blinds are very effective. There is a supermarket very close by, and relatively easy bus & metro options to make your way downtown to the “main attractions”.
There are a few additional insights into the apartment that I think are valuable to share with the next guests. Some of these are out of the control of the hosts, but I know I would appreciate knowing them as I rely on reviews when booking AirBnBs.
The advertised dishwasher does not work. We asked for help to get it working, but for the 4 weeks that we stayed and asked and reminded, this issue was not resolved (but instead we were told that using it would cause the power would go out. The power did cut out if we used the mashing machine and oven or microwave, etc, so be careful how much you have going on at once. This doesn't happen often in Canada so we were caught off guard).
The ignition on the stove is broken. We inquired about this and were told to use a lighter; however, the provided lighter out of fuel so we purchased one from the store.
The advertised hot tub is a jacuzzi tub that is too small for the space it sits in, resulting in a 3 inch gap between the edge of the tub and the back wall of the shower. We didn’t notice this at first and when I utilized the shower the first time it resulted in a decent amount of water on the floor. There was a considerable amount of black mold in the corners of the bathroom near the tub, which I believe is probably due to others experiencing this issue.
The shower head needs to be pointing sideways into the wall in order to avoid water going on the floor, resulting in an awkward and cold bathing experience. The shower head also leaks and sprays in multiple directions. The shower curtain is on a movable pole resting on edges along the wall that are set closely inside the shower area, so that the curtain is constantly brushing against you when you’re bathing. The entire pole and curtain fell down on me a couple times while showering when trying to brush the curtain off of me.
Unfortunately the overall cleanliness of the apartment was also disappointing - we washed all of the dishes (by hand) before using as many required it, we wiped down the drawers from dust before putting clothes in, almost half of the lightbulbs were burnt out, and there was a ashtray with old cigarettes on the little patio.
Lastely, the apartment is on a fairly busy street, leading to many noises throughout the day & night. Several times we were woken by car alarms, frequent sirens, honking, and construction work that went well past midnight. Something to keep in mind if you’re a light sleeper.