Anna is a really nice lady, she is friendly and kind. However, we had some issues while staying at her house. First of all, the dogs. Anna has two really big dogs; they are very
friendly, but as soon as we checked in she warned us that we weren' t supposed to startle one of the dogs, Elsa (a rottweiler), as she would try to knock us down. We had to call her name every time we went down the stairs or entered the house, or else we would risk getting hurt. Moreover, while we were staying there, on of the other hosts was actually bitten. Also, one day Anna asked for our help to hold the dog while she was medicating her. The dog, at that point, was giving clear sings of being upset and was probably going to bite.
Our room was quite strange, as it didn' t look like a typical guest room: for example, it was full of religious iconography, such as paintings, small statues and rosaries. It was also full of old family pictures. Overall, it wasn t as neutral as you would expect an Airbnb guest room to be. It was very dark as well and the balcony was quite dirty. There was a crib, and the mattress was stained and wasn t even covered. Our bed was comfortable but our bedsheet looked like it was for a single bed.
A private bathroom was included, BUT said bahtroom was downstairs, right in the middle of the main living area, and our room was on the first floor. That meant
that every time we needed the bathroom we met Anna and whoever was in the dining room.
Also, while assuring us that the bathroom was ours only, we noticed a few things: first of all, when we arrived there was an already used towel there and some open
products in the shower, including dog shampoo. When we asked about it, she stated that she would be using the bathroom too. The bathroom was also very spartan:
there where no hangers, the sink was like toddler-size, the shower had no curtain and on the shower wall there was a window that overlooked the garden and
wouldn' t close completely.
While we were staying there, Anna hosted a a birthday party for her niece, and the house was full of toddlers and their parents. While the guests were there, we
clearly saw some of the guests using our private bathroom.
Also, on the day of the party, an absorbent mat for dogs appeared right outside our bathroom and it was left there, dirty, until we left.
The presence of the dogs didn' t go unnoticed: the house smelled a lot like dogs and there was dog hair all over the place.
Anna was quite loud: she shouted at her dogs early in the mornings, and it got really noisy when she had guests, too.
Use of the kitchen was included, but it wasn' t actually available all the time, especially during the party, when we had trouble even washing two teacups,
as the sink was full of dirty dishes and the kitchen full of people cooking.
The day of our departure, we left without saying goodbye because the check out was at 10 am and at 10.30 Anna was nowhere to be found. We later texted her and
she told us that, at the time we left, she was in the garden; why didn' t she come in to say goodbye then?
Overall, it felt more like being hosted by a relative for free than an Airbnb experience, as Anna was quite careless and not professional.