Before booking a Classical loft, carefully read the additional costs that may surprise you. Most of the apartments do not include the Tourist tax - 2.64 euros per person per day. Classical loft host does not have a self-check-in option, and you will be charged an additional cash fee for arriving outside of the specified time. In my case, the total additional expenses were EUR 79. It wouldn't be terrible if the house lived up to the picture created by Airbnb pictures.
Before coming to Barcelona, my partner, a sculptor, and educator visited the Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales in Madrid for an exchange of experiences as part of the Erasmus program. He and I have some knowledge of art history, architecture, construction, sculpture, and conservation.
The host, Joaquin, is a construction and design specialist who creates unique homes. If the artistic intention of the Classical loft was to create the style of an aged apartment, it has completely succeeded.
I received the following message from Joaquin: <<< would like to let you know that I have already submitted my🌟 5-star review for your stay, it would be of great help to us if you also leave us 5🌟stars in all the reviews and especially in the "Overall rating" to be able to recover the Superhost status 😉
(but if you think 5 is too much, in this case, please don't leave your public review but you can send me any recommendations to improve our service)>>>
This nice message prompted me to leave a public rating, especially since after reading the suggestions of previous visitors, I can see that improvements have not been made and Classical loft is as far from a 5-star rating as it is from the Universe stars.
Nominally, the house has all the listed equipment and furniture, only their condition is bad. I will make the assumption that they were purchased secondhand. The cabinet door and drawer are missing a handle, one door has a broken key, and it can only be opened from the inside. Table surface veneer with holes also defects in the kitchen work surface. The damage to the surface of the refrigerator door is covered with "decor". The microwave oven lacks a rotating surface, the usual plate inserted in it did not fulfill the function of the missing part. Only one cooking vessel (3l pot, overuse, curved bottom) had a lid, 3 pans, and 2 small pots had no lids. There was mold in the Italian coffee machine, about which I did not immediately inform the owner, because it was nothing against the general background of unpleasant surprises. There was also a capsule coffee machine in the kitchen cabinet, but capsules were needed to test its functionality. I refrained from experimenting because the general condition of other equipment made me doubt that it would be successful. The hood works peculiarly - additional quest - both room light switches must be turned on. One of the two electrical contacts on the kitchen worktop is in an emergency condition, really dangerous.
The most unpleasant thing was the state of the plates - the surface with cracks, and the edges crumbled. I admit, for 100-year-old porcelain dishes, the glaze mesh is acceptable, even natural and valuable, but not for IKEA FÄRGKLAR worth 2.5 euros. In my nation's tradition, such cracked dishes are thrown away immediately. Of the three coffee cups, only one had a saucer. There were no wine glasses at all. By the way, when it comes to IKEA, the SVALKA set of 6 wine glasses costs only ~ 6 euros.
Previous visitors complained about the length of the bed. Of course, Joaquin didn't shorten it on purpose, but the length of the bed is not enough for people with a height of more than 1.76 cm. The inconvenience is enhanced by the wardrobe, the back wall of which is located at the foot of the bed. If the wardrobe is pushed back, there is space for the legs of a tall sleeper over the edge of the bed.
There is 1 large window in the house, the other "windows" are openings to communication shafts and the shaft of a last-century non-working elevator. For air exchange with this one window in November was completely enough, and the functionality of the air conditioner was not tested.
The noises caused by the movement of the neighbors are disturbing, but they are a consequence of the location of the building and the apartment and Joaquin cannot impact it. Since the overall rating of the home also includes the overall condition of the building, a 5-star rating for the Classical loft will never be possible, even when Joaquin makes interior improvements.
As for the arrangement and functionality of the shower and WC, it is excellent against the background of the rest, only the towels are sharp because they have not been dried in the tumble dryer.
The house is clean, and communication with the owner is very good. However, nice communication cannot make up for the apartment's shortcomings and inconveniences.