I would like to start by saying Eduardo has been very reactive and allowed us to shorten our stay when the flat was not up to our expectations.
Now about the flat. We were very disappointed about the overall quality of the flat. We ended up having to cancel our stay and book a last-minute hotel.
The very bad:
- There is only one bed in the flat, and 2 sofa beds. The one bed in the main bedroom is not very comfortable, you can feel the springs. The sofa bed (so not bed as advertised in the ad), is the worst "bed" I have ever slept on. It is wonky and has a very flat mattress. During the night I kept rolling to the middle of the bed between the 2 mattresses, it was terrible. I ended my night on the couch in the living room.
- there is a bath but the boiler is so small that it doesn't fill the bath... We had to boil water on the stove to fill our bath, which took ages of course.
The bad:
- the kitchen doors are very old, and when we opened one, an element fell off...
- the sheets and towels are really old. Reminded me of the 40 year old sheets at my grand-mother, which is fine when it's family, but not an accommodation you pay for.
- The overall state of the flat was pretty worn down, furniture is old. It is not in the state of an accommodation you would rent, and definitely not in the state of a hotel for that same price in Barcelona. Having good bedding and sheets is not a luxury when you rent out a flat, but a basic requirement.
- the flat was pretty noisy, I could follow the conversation of the neighbours until about midnight and hear the elevator, but after midnight it was pretty quiet.
The good:
- as mentioned, Eduardo was very reactive and present and allowed us to cancel our stay after the first night.
- the location is great, it is in a quieter area of Poblenou which is a lovely neighbourhood, and only a few steps away from the beach.
Overall, we were really dissatisfied with this accommodation. It is just not professional, and we won't be renting through Airbnb again, as people seem to think much lower standards are allowed for the same money you would pay for a four star hotel in Barcelona center. It's probably a good flat if you are a group of 6 students and want buck for your money, and don't mind not sleeping.