Joana's place was muy interesante. Here are the pros and cons:
PROS:
- Location was great. Gracia is the most charming barrio and we spent a lot of time there, apart from the sights. It is also walking distance to Gaudi's Casa Batllo and Sagrada Familia. Only took the metro to Gotic and Barceloneta.
- Joana was very responsive and available, but only via airbnb messaging, not text.
CONS:
- So we learned that Barcelona overall is dealing with an anti-tourist campaign and the apt got graffitied. We came home late one night and woke up with "TOURIST GO HOME!" on our door. This is obviously not Joana's fault. However, the problem is that the apartment is on the ground floor and there is no lobby or entry way. It is just directly on the street. So after the graffiti, it was unnerving to not have a barrier that separates and protects you from the street. Joana, however, responded above and beyond and went out of her way to clean the graffiti since it happened over the weekend. Also, because you are on the ground floor, there is some street noise, but also the walls are thin and you hear everything. I think the description should make clear that the apt is on the ground floor.
- the apt looks like the photos, however, everything is very old and not clean. Our towels were moldy. I think part of this is due to very limited ventilation. Also, when I laid on the couch, my face broke out in hives after putting my head on a pillow. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there were a lot of dirty spots on the rug and the pillows and the couch. Overall, the apt could use a deep clean and refurbish.
- we didn't have hot water the first night and Joana responded immediately to fix it. The water the first night was completey cold. After Joana fixed it, instead of freezing, the water was just barely luke warm and did not warm up much more after that. It was manageable, but not ideal. If you're a person that needs a hot shower, this place is probably not for you.
- wifi was also not working. Joana had given us a ehads up and we had international cell phone plans so while not ideal, it was not a major issue.
Overall, location was great, but apartment needs some major updates and we really wish we knew the apt was directly on the street (ie no lobby, and on the ground floor).