Yume is a wonderful host on arrival, but when there were issues the communications changed.
First, there are no blinds whatsoever on the bedroom level so there is not privacy and there is not a way to block light. Yume will share that the architect wanted it this way, but it is a common expectation to have privacy and light blocking. This fact was added after our stay.
Second, the shower was criticized by a previous guest for falling down on its own, but it is only tall enueugh for someone 5’ 8” to shower unless you hold the handle over your own head. That makes it quite difficult for someone taller to shower and does not meet Airbnb standards without disclosure. I hope this is fixed as showering with one hand and trying to bathe with the other is not expected.
Third, men are NOT ALLOWED TO STAND UP TO USE THE BATHROOM. There is a sign stating this in English in front of the bathroom toilet from the housekeeper. Again, disclosing this as a house rule in advance would have been insightful. I hope this is changed in the description in the future.
With this issues not being in the description and being core to my sleep / privacy / cleanliness, I left within 24 hours of a six day stay. My family joined me at the nearby Westin 48 hours later. The communication went from being immediate through check-in to painfully slow with the longest gap being four days while we were actively attempting to communicate. At the end, Yume said that she could not deal with my issues directly because she cared so deeply about her home. I appreciate that, but if we had resolved this while I was in Tokyo this would have been so much easier. Instead, it took escalation to Airbnb resolution center.
Again, Yume is a wonderful person. She cares deeply about her home. I am sharing this story because I think that her pride in her home did not allow her to see this from a customer’s perspective. I hope that sharing the details leads to an improvement of stay for other families. The location is wonderful. The house is good except for these issues. Yumi’s hospitality is strong until there are issues, but in her defense she shared this is the first time that she had issues like this.