Berrak's studio is a lovely, sunny, breezy place, perfectly located in Ortakoy, close to everything that a person might need after landing in the city (phone shops, money exchange offices, grocery shops, pharmacies, etc...).
Unfortunately though, my stay at the studio was not good. And the main reason behind that is that the host was away in a different city and was not aware of the situation in and around the studio. I initially booked this studio for a month-long stay and had to cut it short.
Problem 1: Accuracy
Bad point: Although I booked the place two weeks in advance, and communicated my time of arrival, the place was not available immediately upon my arrival. I arrived Tuesday late evening after an international flight with my cat and we had to wait an hour before getting in. The place was not ready. The person the host left in charge did not have the time to clean nor change the bedsheets. Needless to say, my first night was a bit traumatic.
Positive point: 1- I had asked the host if it would be possible to prepare a litter box for the cat. Upon arriving, a brand new litter box and litter were available for the cat. Much appreciated.
2- Upon complaining to the host about cleanliness, she immediately offered me to leave the next day without paying for the night; and she also explained that she would be able to have it cleaned on Thursday if I wish to stay.
I wanted to leave the next day but I was having trouble finding a different place to stay. The host's friend who was left in charge of the place, came by, cleaned the studio very well and brought new bedsheets and covers. Both the host (through phone communication) and her friend were very nice and trying their best to fix the situation.
Problem 2: Noise Pollution
In all honesty I wouldn't have cut my stay short and left if it wasn't for the next surprise: A construction site right in front of the studio. Like literally 2 meters away. The construction site started on August 28 - I arrived on September 7 - the host was not aware of this issue. I explained to the host that now that the studio is clean, I would love to stay but the noise from the construction site is horrible. I had to keep the windows close and the place is not equipped with AC or fan. The construction work went on from 9am till 7pm with one hour silence at noon when they stop for lunch. It took me a few days to establish that it will not be feasible for me to spend my days working in cafes to avoid the noise. The construction was ongoing on Saturday and Sunday as well. The host was not happy with my decision to leave. Airbnb support explained to me that it's up to the host whether I'll get my money back and if so how much. I initially paid USD711 for Sep7-Oct7. I stayed at the studio Sep7-8-9-10-11 and checked out on Sep 12. I got USD319 back. The host said that the situation is not fair to her, that they need the money, and that because she is a nice person, she is agreeing to give me money back, and that Airbnb is also taking a cut.
I have no clue who is at fault here. But I'm guessing Berrak is a rookie host. She is indeed a nice person and was very responsive, nevertheless, I had a traumatic first night, spent my time in the studio with noise cancellation headphones on, and paid USD392 for 5 days in a tiny studio.
I understand that we get discounts with long stays, and that I would definitely lose money when changing bookings. But the place was going 30$/night, so why did I have to pay $392 for 5 nights?