PROS:
- excellent location, one of the best in Oslo
- great views of the city from the rooftop
- host was very accommodating. My adapter broke in my bag on the way to Norway, and they lent me a phone charger until I could go buy a new adapter
- they also left our umbrellas, and a hair dryer when asked
- place was sparkling clean!!
CONS:
- the room is tiny and there is no common area/no kitchen, which I found a bit misleading from the photos
- walls are super thin - when there are others staying there you can hear everything
- the hosts were super accommodating, however it was a bit overkill with all of the messages, and the host wanting me to message 10 mins before arrival (which is difficult with no WiFi and a 15 min walk from the train station in the pouring rain)
- I was allowed to check in early (which was great) but was charged 200 NOK, and was only allowed to pay cash. Super inconvenient as most of Norway takes credit card (they are always caught off guard if you have cash) so it’s a bit of a pain to take out cash for just one thing.
Overall, the experience was ok. It seemed that the hosts were there all the time (even though I don’t think they lived there) and to be honest, my friend and I felt a bit uncomfortable. We are both professionals in our 30s, and we felt like we were teenagers being watched over at summer camp. We felt uncomfortable talking at a normal volume, we had to whisper the whole time, and we felt like we were being checked on. Not really very relaxing when we are there on vacation.
I also felt a bit nickel and dimed while I was there. They charge for use of an iron. They wanted us to pay for early check in and late check out. My parents own a house that I run for them on Airbnb, and if people need to check in early/late or leave their bags, we allow them to for free if there is no one checking in/out that day, as do every Airbnb that I’ve stayed at.
As an owner of a travel company and someone who runs an Airbnb myself, the number one thing I want is for my guests to be comfortable on their holiday, and unfortunately the hosts missed the mark on this. If I’m being completely honest, I wouldn’t stay here again, even though the location is amazing. The value wasn’t great, and with all of the extra costs, it would’ve been cheaper and more convenient just to book a hotel closeby, not to mention it would’ve been a lot more relaxed. However, I do appreciate the hospitality of lending the phone charger and umbrellas, and I know they were doing their best to accommodate.