The second I stepped into this flat, I heard a loud motorbike go past and thought "uh oh, this flat's going to be noisy". It's on a very noisy road and I found it almost impossible to get a good night's sleep due to the loud motorbikes, trucks and taxis that hoot all day and night. There is also a school right next door with kids that run around screaming from very early in the morning. To add to this cacophony, there is a large flock of seabirds permanently camped just across the road. I live in London but I’m a regular in Cape Town and I can say, without a doubt, that this flat is noisy. It also dawned on me why there are so many load motorbikes going past - it’s due to the Harley Davidson dealership just down the road.
When I mentioned the noise to Ceez, she told me that no-one had mentioned it before which I found incredible. Anyway, Ceez was very apologetic and offered all sorts of potential solutions including earplugs. Eventually, she installed curtains with acoustic material that did reduce the noise in the bedroom - but not completely. They also blocked out more light which is another important ingredient for a good night’s sleep. I think the only real way to stop the noise would be to install double-glazing.
I had booked the flat for 2 months and asked if I could end the contract early due to the noise levels (that were not mentioned on the profile when I booked). But Ceez stuck to the Airbnb contract and I had to stay at least 30 days before I could leave.
Other than that, Ceez was a good host, the flat is in a great location, has a beautiful view and is very well-equipped. Also, Ceez very kindly let us have use of her garage for parking.