our family stayed at Herminia’s airBNB for a total of 9 nights, during the Primavera Festival. the apartment is really nice, with almost entirely new furnishings/appliances, boasting a view of the library & park from a pair of nice little verandas, and well located in a good, safe part of town with many amenities nearby (and good proximity to the metro).
we found the place to be a good size for 3, though (as some reviews have noted) the pull-out sofa isn’t really as much a bed as a modular sofa that pulls out to resemble the size of a bed. we had this exact piece of furniture at home, and it does have an issue w/ one piece not attaching well at the base — which allows it to “drift” in the night. and it’s not nearly padded enough to allow a good night’s sleep. so a duvet was necessary, and like one other reviewer we had quite a time trying to find it (after being assured it was on-site) — turns out there’s a hidden shelving unit in the wall btw the entrance & bedroom. unfortunately there was no such instruction about that, nor were we told exactly where to find it, so we lost a day looking.
the responsiveness from the host was quick — but more up-front information like the above would have been appreciated and spared us some frustration. and we would have also appreciated their providing some very basic items. it was a long day of travel for us before we checked in, only to find 1 bathtowel, one coin-sized bar of soap, 1 full roll of toilet tissue, and no detergent pods — for a family of 3, over 9 days. these are cheap & reasonable items to expect for a rental of this price, and they’re basics that all other hosts on our trip provided, without having to request. instead, we went shopping. move-in readiness is pretty crucial to me, as it is to many long-distance travelers. this is the only point on which i would say this residence is of a lesser overall value.
most importantly, there were a couple issues of personal safety that should have been expressly stated, that were not. for one, the stovetop is electronic, and if you fail to notice that’s activated, and brush it with a wet hand, you’ll feel an electric current that’s mildly “shocking” (cautionary note for parents). also, the door has an elaborate locking mechanism that requires the key to open it from the INSIDE. which means if you happen to have only one key (as we did when we checked in), and one of your party leaves with it, anyone in the apartment is quite literally TRAPPED INSIDE. this strikes me as a major fire hazard, though it could prove a problem for any number of other reasons. (i was pretty incredulous to hear management express surprise at that, when i first reported the issue) bottom line: be sure to request additional key(s) in advance — especially since they must be retrieved from another location, which has limited daily hours.
generally clean, though the floor had clearly not been done. and we were unable to cite this upon check-in, as the smartcode for the check-in service was non-operational.
all in all, a great stay. but one that was not without its bumps.