This has been by far the worst airbnb experience in my 10+ years of traveling over 22 countries.
As a former hotel general manager and digital nomad, I have stayed at numerous accommodations and never experienced this many issues, without any resolution.
Positive:
Gal, the owner of the property, tried resolving my almost daily internet issues, however was unsuccessful.
The front desk staff is attentive & kind.
Negative:
At check-in, the keys were at a 3rd party location (gas/pedrol station). This should be communicated prior to booking as this is an inconvenience for me traveling with 4 bags. With the studio being located right behind Long street, expect daily noise until about 2 am, as the windows aren’t properly noise protected. Each time I entered the apartment building, I had to ask the desk staff to open that gate, as no key fob was provided for me. The apartment has an indoor AC unit which is very noisy, especially for light sleepers. There aren’t any curtains, just blinds so expect bright light each morning. The washing machine has a moldy smell to it. Due to the slow internet connection, I was forced to spend most days in coffee shops as my zoom participants would not be able to understand me. After my first week at the apartment, I noticed a cockroach in the bathroom. Two days later I saw a couple more. When I messaged a picture to Gal, the owner, he responded “ The management team will handle it”. No apology was offered. After contacting him a few more times, due to them not responding to the urgent matter, he called me and informed me that either A: it’s a building issue or B: I as the guest am “dirty and that's what brings the cockroaches in”. Definitely not the response I would have given a guest thats paying to stay at my place. When I informed him that due to the cockroaches being a major health issue, that I would like to check-out and kindly requested a refund for the remaining stay (over a week left), he declined my request for a refund. Due to major events going on in the city that past weekend, most airbnb's and hotels being at capacity, I let the management company who eventually got back with me, send someone to fumigate the unit. The gentlemen as well as the property management company both promised that I would no longer have this issue moving forward. Their text stated " We have fumigated the property so this will no longer be an issue!" I then saw a few cockroaches on Sunday evening in the lobby as well as on Tuesday evening on the 5th floor, which is where the apartment is located. On Wednesday morning, I had a few more cockroaches in the apartment. I notified the owner & management company and their response was “ We can have our maintenance team come out to take a look at the issue”, which I kindly declined, as this is clearly a common issue in the building. Since most airbnb’s in the area were fully booked or 3 times the price, I therefore checked into a hotel, which cost me additional funds that weren't calculated for. Not to mention, I will have to get my entire 4 suitcases filled with clothes professionally cleaned, to ensure I do not take any of the cockroaches to my next destination. Airbnb offered me a $12.50 credit for all the inconvenience which is absurd.
When informing a local about my experience at the apartment complex, his response was “That place was a drug house once upon a time , they “gentrified” it but it used to be really disgusting at one point. The cockroaches may still be from that time…”
To conclude, I have been disgusted staying at Gal's property & have not been given any compensation for all of the inconveniences encountered during my stay. I will report this severe health issue to the according divisions. lack in guest care, shows when you as a business rather keep your money than ensuring the guests had a pleasant experience while staying on your property. As a former super host with Airbnb, I would have never allowed a guest to leave dissatisfied.