We had a great stay at this apartment. The overall experience was positive and I would surely come back, but I would like to share the whole experience to get the complete picture of it.
The good:
- location: we were at walking distance from every single point that one may want to visit in Amsterdam.
- services nearby: supermarket, pharmacy, restaurants, bicycle rent shop, you name it and you'll have it nearby.
- host(s): Joost was always very nice when he replied to my messages (more on that below). We also met some other two colleagues that were also very nice, a girl that welcomed us and explained us all the details of the apartment, and Juan that was actually our point of contact through the whole stay
- space: the apartment is very roomy and it perfectly fits four people (two on the main floor and two more on the upper floor). The apartment itself seems to have been renovated a few years ago. Although it does not look as glamorous as in the pictures, it is very pleasant.
The not so good:
- communication: I had to be very persistent to get the host to reply to my queries (did not get an answer for a few questions). I may be a spoiled guest based on previous Airbnb stays :) , but it is always nice to get some attention on the initial queries before committing to book, as well as some indications for tourists.
- cleanliness: although the apartment was not super dirty, there could be more attention to this, specially in covid times. We even had to unclog the shower drain (was completely filled with hair) after the first shower that nearly flooded the bathroom.
There were some cleaning cloths on the kitchen cabinet that were stiff due to its state... we felt the need to spray every spot that we were going to use prior to use them.
- safety equipment: we did not see any fire extinguisher blanket or first aid kit. Maybe these are not required in the Netherlands (they are required in Portugal), but it would be nice to have it just in case.
- kitchen equipment: you do get a basic set of dishes, glasses and cooking pots. There are also a few spoons and knives, as well as a... single fork. If you have room for 4 people, you would expect at least 4 forks :)
- beds: these are on the flimsy side and the mattress is so soft that you get "buried" on it each time you go to bed :) . This may not be all that bad, but the lack of additional blankets is something I would point out (we managed to sort that out by using the blankets from the other room).
- constant marijuana smell. If you're not into smoking, then this is not the apartment for you. As there is a (amsterdam) coffee shop on the floor below the apartment, there is a constant marijuana smell that gets into everything, even with the windows closed (the stairs communicate with the coffee shop and the smoke gets into the apartment). When we got back home we had to wash our clothes that we did not wear due to the smoke smell. On the plus side, if that is your thing you may be able to get high just by hanging around on the apartment :) . But anyway, after a couple of days we got used to it.