Leading up to check-in the hosts were very responsive and accommodating. Provided that initial impression, along with the reviews, I felt confident in making this space my home away from home for one and half months… then my confidence level dropped when:
- I walked into an old, pitch-black stairwell with the lighting sensors busted out and wires and unlit bulbs sticking out from the top of the old, partially painted on, sconces.
- Upon entering the first floor of the space, the air was stiff and smelled of mildew. It looked like the pictures in the listing, but felt more make-shift and lacked the feeling of life.
- I ventured upstairs (experiencing more broken staircase lighting) to the loft where the hammock and the view were the only wins. The space felt a lot smaller than in the pictures. The smell also got a lot worse (mildew + sewage).
- I walked to bed barefoot after showering (with a moldy shower curtain) and had to wipe the dirt off my feet with a towel before getting into bed.
- After a nap, I opened the windows, stepped out for some exploring, came back, and the space still had a strong odour…
- I found mold — bugs crawling in the mold— a broken dishwasher facade and an old, opened, half eaten box of cereal.
- I contacted the hosts to share my experiences and was met with a response stating the broken lighting in the hall was known and they were working on getting it fixed, and “we have never heard such description and disappointment about the flat” followed by going into other guest experiences with no real regard to my present experience within the space. I received no apology, no empathy, no solutions and no response to the picture of the 2’x 3’ patch of mold with bugs crawling in it.
I had zero confidence after all of the above so I decided to search for a new space and asked the hosts for a full refund. I received a response stating they would not provide a full refund, along with a “do what’s best for you” sentiment wishing me the best of luck.
I contacted Airbnb Support. Airbnb Support was timely with their responses, investigated the matter, agreed it was an unfit space and that it did not align with the guest experiences Airbnb hopes to provide. They provided a full refund with other stay recommendations and a credit within a couple of days.
I have stayed in some of the most beautiful and inspiring spaces through Airbnb, with hosts matching that beauty and inspiration, and this experience was not one of those situations. You could tell the hosts were absentee and the space lacked the love and attention one hopes for when looking for a home away from home.