We were 5 girls and we stayed for 4 nights in Sonia’s apartment. The apartment is in a great location, very close to several bars, shops and metro stations, very central and convenient, within walking distance from the Miro museum and the gothic quarter. Before our arrival, Laura (a friend of Sonia’s, who is also a co-host) was very helpful, answering any questions and sending useful tips on restaurants and sightseeing. All in all it was a pleasant stay in Barcelona.
Although, the apartment looks bigger in the photos, it was comfortable enough for us and it was very clean. The reasons I am not giving it 5 stars have as follows:
-Each guest was only given one large bathroom towel (and not a small one for the face as well. Two hand towels were available in the bathroom though). That was the first time I encountered this in an Airbnb rental, as two towels per guest is a standard every host offers. We didn’t like that, as we hadn’t bring our own towels, taking it for granted that they would be provided.
-However the biggest problem was the check-in process. As the listing mentions that the check-I is not always made at the apartment, I specifically asked if someone could meet us there because I am pregnant and I didn’t want to walk 15-20 minutes just to get the keys. I asked twice and both times I was told that Laura herself or the cleaner, would meet us there. However, the day prior to our arrival, Laura told me that she couldn’t make it and she would leave the keys at a nearby bakery. When we went to the bakery though nobody knew anything about the key. Laura told us that this was the first time that happened and she started to get to the apartment herself. The result was that we waited for an hour and a half outside the apartment, on the street with our luggage, after a tiring trip. Better coordination is needed and the hosts should really care more for the comfort of their guests.