The antithesis of my vision of what Airbnb is & could be. I do not see Airbnb as a platform to book the equivalent of a hotel room with a kitchen.
So, although this flat is clean and spacious for a ground floor studio, it felt soulless and a money generating endeavor.
Set up of the property to be aware of:
Clean yet furnished with the bare minimum expenditure.
There is just a large wardrobe separating the kitchen/dining/living room area from the bedroom. Which meant that there is no sound or smell barrier between the 2 spaces. This was a problem for my friend and I for a number of reasons but particularly as I ran online activities for children several times in the week which meant that she needed to be out of the house as, she either could not access the toilet/bathroom or the main entrance and kitchen.
Booking and communication:
Contrary to the numerous Airbnbs I have stayed in previously, specifically between July to September this year, the processes here took longer and was more complicated than I thought necessary.
Enzo, whom you first liase with seems to be in charge of the Airbnb liaison, it doesn't seem to be his property but one of many that he manages (a little like the booking/sales team in a hotel). He was not best placed to answer my questions on Venise.
The Venice Neighbours team acted more like the reception/concierge service of said hotel.
What was missing however was heart and connection to the city. There was no personalised touches/book to advise on places to eat and explore like i have fond in most places I have stayed in previously and although I was told I would be sent some tips and addresses, this was not done.
We asked for 2 keys or the codes to be able to use the lock box but this was not provided either so we could not be totally independent of one another as and when we wished.
Money money money
Although the above issues were bothersome it was not what I had the biggest issues with. Indeed it felt that we were paying for a relatively premium service and only been offered restrictions
- instead of a book with tips, advice and house rules, there was a note on the door of what we must and must not do in the property.
- instead of house hold products (soap/dishwashing liquid/etc...) there was poor quality industrial products that were super diluted and thus required us to purchase our own.
- instead basics you'd find in most homes salt/pepper/oil... that were indicated as being included there was only a little pepper requiring from the guest to do a major shop instead of the community spirit of replacing what you finish.
Although Venice was beautiful, the flat very well located, the space clean, the Wifi, electricity, water etc all worked perfectly, I will definitely go back to Venice but will not choose this place to stay in again.