Unfortunately there were major issues here that cannot be ignored. First, the description of the space is inaccurate. Instead of “very quiet,” “recently renovated” and “spacious,” the room is cramped, worn, dirty and noisy. In fact, it could not plausibly be “very quiet” considering its location. The bedroom door faces a washer and dryer that are used almost constantly. One wall adjoins a shared bathroom from which you hear every sound, such as other guests vomiting at 3 a.m. when they stumble back from the pub, or groaning as they relieve themselves. We could also mention the spring-loaded bath door that always slams shut, the concerto of creaking floorboards and barking dogs, and nightly yelling from the street below.
And then the host got Covid. It wasn’t his fault, of course, but his response was terrible. Upon feeling ill, David was concerned enough for himself to get tested but not concerned enough for his guests to inform us. Apparently he was clueless about the fact that antigen tests give false negatives for days after symptoms and infectiousness begin. Even after testing positive, he never quarantined himself or wore a mask. I did not see any alteration in his behavior at all as he coughed throughout the house. For me and other guests, it was impossible to find another place at the last minute. Instead we tried to be away as much as possible, then put on masks to scurry into our rooms at night.
When I explained all this to David in hopes of finding resolution, he said 1) it didn’t matter because other places are more expensive, and 2) if I didn’t like it, I should go to a fancy hotel. Huh. I never even got a chance to inquire about when the dog peed on the kitchen floor. David mopped it up, then washed out the piss mop in the kitchen sink while I was using the sink to cook a meal. Ye gods ...