This was one of my worst AirBnB stays but absolutely not due to the host because he’s says he was unaware of construction.
The building next door was majorly damaged in the 2017 earthquake and is being demolished and rebuilt. Starting between 7-7:30 am every single morning but Sunday, the workers start jack hammering, sawing and blasting music. This all goes on right behind the wall where the bed is los Ted and floats through the large back windows overlooking a shared parking lot/courtyard. The noise goes until between 5:30-7 pm at night. It is impossible to sleep through, difficult to hear the TV, or hold a call while this is going on. I was there in December 2021 and the construction is going to go on for at least another year, possibly two years. Having a washing machine, a heater and the reviews of how quiet the place are why I booked. In the evenings after the construction workers leave, it is usually very quiet. Sometimes a neighbor throws a party but it stops around midnight (I was there during Christmas festivities). Another neighbor in a different building will use an electric saw at times in the shared area outside the back windows and will do this until 11 at the latest or so.
The photos of the apartment pretty much show it as it is. You walk in the front door and there is glass to the right that allows light in from the light shaft. One of the windows is cracked and sometimes cigarette smoke from a neighbor would float into the apartment through that area but mostly just linger by the front door. I am an asthmatic so sharing for those that cannot be around smoke.
The TV, washing machine, and hot water are all awesome. This place has a heater/AC combo, which is rare. I had to run the heater each night/all night because besides the sheets, there is one very thin blanket on the bed (think airplane blanket thickness and texture). The heater makes a clicking noise if it is turned on and the vent is shooting the hot air straight down so reach up and sim it towards the couch/tv and it stops.
The bathroom surprisingly had a small heater too, which was nice in the morning. The host provides two very nice towels. The sheets are of great quality too but had a small repaired hole in the top sheet. Bring slippers with you though because walking barefoot on the floor resulted in picking up dirt and things due to past tenants wearing shoes in the apartment and the floor not being mopped so well.
Another reviewer from September talked about how the internet sucked and it should be upgraded. As of December 2021, it still sucks. It would constantly stop working and the restart. Restarting the modem did nothing to resolve the ongoing problem. At first, I thought it was just a daytime issue (the slowness and stopping) but realized that it’s an anytime of the day thing. It made uploading photos at night from my trip a lengthy process. One night it took an hour to see 30 minutes of a show I was trying to stream. However, I did not book this place because it had any specific kind of internet speed, but those looking to work remotely from here should be aware the internet (and construction noise) are not going to be conducive to working from this place.
The studio apartment is located one floor up from ground floor. The two security guards that switch off are both very nice and helpful. The check-in instructions for this place are lacking. Basically go to the front desk and the security guy will give you the key/show you where to go. Watch out when going up and down the black stairs between PB and floor the studio is located on. They are dangerously slippery, which I learned my first morning staying there. Gave me the largest bruise this rugby player has ever had and I’m still trying to figure out how to get rid of the hematoma that remains a month later.
Absent the construction, this studio would have been perfect for a solo traveler. A bit more expensive than the much larger two bedroom apartment I stayed in on Calle Milan in September, but that place did not have the washer unit, heater or front security.