The apartment is just as we expected from other reviewers. Yes you do have to climb stairs to get to the apartment, but thats how any Amsterdam apartment will be. It really is not bad at all. The room is a nice size with a comfortable bed. The porch does not overlook anything. Its more so a middle area in-between other buildings/restaurants. You share the bathroom with Simon - which is not an issue at all as he keeps it very clean as was the room. We used the washer and dryer and he helped us navigate the Dutch settings. Overall, Simon is a fabulous host and most likely the best we have had thus far. He has amazing recommendations - The Seafood Bar and Bo Nam are two which we greatly enjoyed. The apartment is also in a great location. Located just steps away from the tram stop which makes getting around the city very easy. We got the daily tram passes which we highly recommend. I would highly recommend this apartment!