My stay at Val’s Retreat was not as expected.
After booking the advertised space as “a private room downstairs separated from the rest of the house and with its own external access. There is a separate lounge for you to use and your own bathroom and kitchenette” I was shocked to find that this was not the case. On arrival, the host informed me there had now been multiple rooms rented out which were not usually used for this purpose due to demand, and facilities were now all to be shared.
When I asked if there was a key so I could lock my bedroom door, the host was unsure and advised she would try to find one later. The other guests were given the external access key and told me that they would leave this under the mat so I could come and go as needed.
As a young professional and solo traveler who booked the space purely for the safe, private nature of it, I felt uncomfortable and anxious and so arranged to stay elsewhere that night. Upon returning to my room in the morning to get ready for the day, I found myself locked out of the bedroom. Another guest informed me that the hosts had found a key after I left and had locked it. The host eventually came down from upstairs and unlocked this for me questioning why I had not come home that night. I imagine if I had returned to the room late that night, then I would have found myself sleeping on the couch.
The second night, I was advised that the external access would be locked by the hosts and that access to the “private room downstairs separated from the rest of the house” would be through the main house front door only. Once again, I felt uncomfortable with this arrangement and using the main house as a thoroughfare, so did not spend the night.
On the final night, the other guests had departed. It appeared that the downstairs space was finally somewhat private, albeit the stairs to the main house were still accessible and the host’s laundry area in the downstairs lounge was regularly in use during my stay.
It was then that I found several messages from the hosts on the Airbnb app, asking on various occasions what time I would be coming home that night etc.
My expectation when booking accommodation, whether that is Airbnb, a hotel or even a holiday home, is to have a key, make my own arrangements and not have to explain my movements. The host mentioned when I checked out, that in future I should communicate more around what times I would be expected home each night.
Finally, when I returned from my alternative accommodation on the last morning, the external access had once again been locked and when I tried knocking at the front door of the main house there was no answer. I waited around for approx. half an hour, panicking and unsure what to do. I tried knocking at the front door once again and was eventually given access through the main house, down the stairs and into the “private space”.
During my stay at “Val’s Retreat” I felt constant anxiety and felt as though I had been misled by the way in which the accommodation was advertised. I do not believe I should be required to arrange set times to be home in order to be let in and out like a naughty teenager. If there are multiple guests staying then multiple keys should be provided for the external access to avoid the same debacle, and the space should be advertised as “private bedroom with shared facilities”. The experience was bizarre, a complete waste of money and has put me off using Airbnb in future.
On top of this, the pool which is advertised as being available in summer months was empty.