This was a very frustrating experience. When I arrived at the room, it smelled terribly of cigarette smoke. It was so bad that I developed a headache, and I did not feel comfortable unpacking my things. Normally I can power through, but this was unbearable. Initially the host was very understanding and offered to move me to another location, but I had to wait until after my dinner/delivery order had arrived. While smell was uncomfortable, the idea of moving all of my things again after a very long day was not appealing. Ultimately I took her up on the offer because she offered to reimburse my taxi through Pay Pal. I told her I did not have cash, and I asked her to call the taxi for me thinking she could handle the payment directly that way. She informed me I needed to pay the driver (once he was on the way), and she would reimburse me. When I arrived at the new location, everything was fine. But when I asked for her Pay Pal information, she completely avoided answering that question. She answered all of my other questions, but seemed to be unwilling to fulfill her original offer to reimburse me.
When booking my room, I had the option of choosing the room where I ultimately ended up, however I chose the less expensive room to stay within my budget. Had I known I would incur an additional expense plus a lot of extra hassle anyway, obviously I would’ve chosen the second room or other lodging entirely. Upon checkout, I was asked to leave € 2 for cleaning in the room. Considering I still haven’t been reimbursed for the € 15 taxi (and had asked for her pay pal info twice already) I told her to forget the reimbursement because I didn’t have cash. Yes, Ivana is responsive, but it seems like maybe she doesn’t understand the reality that some people travel on a budget. Considering all of the extra trouble I went through just to get a night’s rest (which was difficult thanks to the barking dog in another room), the reimbursement she offered is literally the least she could do. If your room is in good condition when you arrive, I’m sure she’s a fine host. But if something goes wrong, be prepared for a bait and switch.