This was a BAD Airbnb experience! One of my primary search criteria in Lisbon was the a/c because a friend who lives there said it was mandatory during the very hot summer. I contacted Salvador before booking the place to ensure that the a/c on his listing was working and confirmed it. When I arrived at the apartment around midnight, the a/c was not working. I sent Salvador a message the next day but also contacted the concierge service. The concierge visited the apartment and finally confirmed the a/c was indeed not working. She said she could only get a technician visit on the next day. Left with no choices, we spent a troubled night, it was very hot inside the apartment and we had to open the windows, which allowed mosquitos and street noises in. We could barely sleep. The next day I sent another message to Salvador to explain what had happened and asked for some kind of compensation for the inconvenience since that was the second night without a working a/c. He had nothing to offer and had many different excuses, saying that he never had problems with the a/c before (which wasn’t true, it’s pretty clear from the reviews that other guests had the same issue). He confronted us saying that it was working before we arrived and that the concierge tested the a/c at the time of key pick up, which was also not true.
When my flight got canceled last minute due to a strike at TAP-Portugal, causing a delay in my arrival, I immediately contacted Salvador. He suggested the only way possible to get the keys after 10 pm was by hiring his 30-euro car service to pick me up and bring me the keys, with an Uber costing around 7 euros. He showed no flexibility or concern, even though it was an event that was beyond our control, so good luck trying to check-in if something goes wrong. Luckily, I knew someone in Lisbon who offered to pick up the keys for me. The same person told me, later, that the concierge did not test the a/c when she was there.
There were no instructions on how to use the washer and the dishwasher at the apartment, no information about the internet and wifi. And the information about it on the Airbnb website was completely inaccurate, making everything very inconvenient and difficult. Besides that, the apartment lacked basic provisions like paper towels, a dish sponge (in case you just want to do one dish instead of an entire washing machine), napkins, laundry detergent. It is not a functional apartment! As a 5-star host myself, I want all the appliances cited on my listing to be ready for use, offering the basic staples that will allow hosts to use the appliances right away. After all, they are paying for it! This is not the kind of care-free experience you want from Airbnb, and especially not the kind of responses you expect from a host.
What’s the use of a cute apartment that is not functional? Be aware!
￼