Well, this is actually my first fairly mixed review on airbnb. So far I only ever had superpleasant experiences and in the rare cases something went wrong, hosts usually went out of their way to fix things, most of the time even beyond what was necessary. This time, though, I left disappointed.
We were a two couples with 2 small children and had booked the place from Dec 25, 2018 to Jan 1, 2019. Prior to our arrival Frankie was quick to respond and answer questions, which was great. Also, we ended up arriving in CPT one day earlier and Frankie was quick to accommodate our request to extend the reservation by 1 day to start from Dec 24.
Check-in was easy as the keys to the house had been left with security at the gate. At first sight the house looks really nice and for 6 people it's also really spacious. Once we settled in we started noticing more and more little things that didn't really meet our expectations. I won't list everything here, let's just say that most airbnbs I have stayed in so far have been cared for and equipped with a lot more love and attention to detail. This place, unfortunately, really feels like a rental.
On the second or third day we started noticing a more and more pungent smell coming from the drains in the bathrooms. The smell got so strong that it was really disgusting getting into the bathrooms and we had to keep the doors closed at all times. Especially the master bedroom which has an ensuite bath, though, started smelling shortly after as well, because the door to the bathroom isn't anywhere near airtight.
Because it was between Christmas and New Years we felt we had basically no other option than to stay and make the best of it, as it would have been impossible to find another place for 2 couples and 2 small children at short notice. Kate, a colleague of Frankie came by on day 4 (or so) asking whether everything was ok. She was really nice and when I told her about our complaints and that we were thinking of leaving a bit earlier, she was understanding and told me that she would inform Frankie as well.
At some point we actually made up our mind to, respectively, cut our vacation short (1 couple with the 2 kids) and try and find a hotel room somewhere in the cape region for the last 2 nights (my girlfriend and I). I informed Frankie and asked her to please change our booking accordingly and refund the last 2 nights. I did NOT ask for a refund or partial refund for the time we had actually spent in the place, we were just looking to get out 2 night sooner than planned.
While Frankie had been quick to accommodate my request to add one night to the booking and take our money, I only got a number of vague replies that she would have to check with the owner whether she could refund. And she clearly said that the owner would be more receptive of my request if I promised a positive review on airbnb.
That is probably not how it should work. Nevertheless, more or less right after that she stopped responding alltogether and never got back to me with a final answer to my request. My booking change request which I put into airbnb also went unanswered and I was never refunded the 1000+ EUR we paid for 2 nights that we actually did not spent in the house anymore.
Needless to say that I am not amused and will not keep a very fond memory of this experience. I have still tried to review the stay as fairly as possible because it seems there are already enough people on airbnb who don't care about fairness and experience but only care about the quick buck.