Unfortunately, we cannot recommend this apartment. Major trouble with the Internet for the first two days (unable to connect, constantly disconnected, exceptionally slow), the shower was not clean (mildew and soap scum), and the listing indicated there is a working stereo when in fact it was broken.

INTERNET: The WiFi is shared with another apartment and the modem isn’t even located in this unit. When we first contacted Marcella about the Internet, she responded, “I have asked to the other guests in the other apartment and it is working well for them,” which was dismissive and unhelpful. Marcella arranged for Orial to come over on short notice after the Internet company was unable to resolve the problems on day two. By day three it improved some, but anything more than browsing the web would overwhelm it (freeze up, kick you off).

BATHROOM: We cleaned the bathroom ourselves because we needed to use it. Marcella later told us we should have waited for someone to come clean. Waiting was not possible, as we needed to get ready for dinner and were coming off an exhausting day of travel. We emailed photos of the bathroom to Marcella but she said she did not receive them.

STEREO: Marcella wrote us that a stereo was not included with the listing and we had to point out that her listing, in fact, said there was one. She apologized for the inaccuracy. Orial was able to get the stereo on, but it only received one radio station and could not receive input from our mobile devices.

OTHER CONCERNS: The TV had digital noise interference that made listening difficult (no matter if you were watching TV or a DVD). Only one pillow per person was provided and they were of exceptionally low quality. Finally, Marcella never advised us that someone else (a male) would be escorting us from the boat dock for check in, and not her. Travelers concerned about safety might find this unsettling. Ultimately, Oriel was very nice and provided great suggestions for places to eat. To Marcella’s credit, we did not mention these during our stay, as they were low on the list of problems we encountered.

Given everything that happened, we asked Marcella if she could issue a partial refund—all told, her listing was not as promised. She did not respond to our first request and declined when we followed up. As airbnb hosts ourselves, we would have offered a small refund to any of our guests who experienced one of these problems, let alone all of them—an apology can only go so far. Marcella said she would give us a discount if we booked with her again. No thank you.