So this review will be a pro and con list, and I think with some work, communication, and a manual from the owner, the con list could disappear.
Pros:
1. I will say that the pictures match the apartment. It was amazing. A gorgeously decorated house. I would have loved to have learned more information about the art and art installations.
2. There is a bus stop right in front of the building- buses 26 and 388.
3. The building is very secure with the fences needing a key and a key needed to get into the building.
4. The rooftop view is amazing. Wow. I wish it was warmer up there so we could hang out there.
5. The beds are very comfortable.
6. The apartment is very spacious with tons of room in the bedrooms and bathrooms.
7. Paul was very responsive when we messaged him with any questions.
Cons:
1. It isn't the only penthouse, there are I believe 4 penthouses up there.
2. There isn't anything in the listing about the number of stairs to get to the apartment. This needs to be explicit, especially for folks who have a lot of luggage. I wasn't expecting the 4- 5 or so flights of stairs with no elevator. This also might change people's mind about staying- if there is no elevator.
3. The rooms aren't really enclosed so there is a glaring lack of privacy that wasn't mentioned in the listening. This is important if it is couples or people who need privacy going. The bedroom downstairs has sliding doors that can close, but the top bedroom only has a curtain that goes around the bed area. This is an important detail because if you are getting dressed from the area outside the bed you can be seen by people in the kitchen.
4. The downstairs bathroom doesn't have a shower, only a bathtub. I would suggest adding one because it wasn't notated in the listing and would have changed us staying because our friend had to come up to use our shower.
5. There needs to be information on how to turn on the shower and make the water hot.
6. There needs to be information on how to turn on the towel warmer, we couldn't figure out how to do it.
7. There needs to be explicit info on which bathroom cabinets we can get access to and which we can't.
8. There are glass squares near the end of the bed on the top which make the top viewable from the downstairs bedrooms. This needs to be mentioned because it can make it uncomfortable for people walking around upstairs naked. I would have a rug that people could put on it if they want to.
9. There should be some information about how to turn on the lights in the hall and how long they stay on. When getting there at night it is hard and a safety hazard trying to navigate the stairs with luggage.
10. There wasn't really a manual once booked or in the apartment on how to use the apartment. Once you walk in, on the left is a bunch of switches but we had no clue what turned on or off what. These are important things to have information on. We had to try to figure out what everything did.
11. A manual would help explain how to work the appliances in the kitchen (dishwasher, washer, dryer), where dishes are, where the fridge is, any cleaning supplies, garbage bags, and etc. It is important that these things are explained, not only because it makes it easier for people, but also so that people don't break your things when trying to figure out how to work them.
12. Have information on which cabinets we can open and what we can't. It was hard, because we weren't sure which cabinets we just couldn't figure out how to open like in the kitchen and which ones we couldn't open like the ones in the bathroom.
13. Have info on where the ironing board, blow dryer, extra towels, linens, etc are.
14. Explain how to use the call box especially if multiple people are staying in the apartment. It would have been nice to not have to go down to the gate to let people in, instead used the box.
15. Where do we put the garbage if we fill it up?
16. Have the check-out procedure written down?
17. Have some waters in the fridge, because it is difficult once we get up to the top of the stairs we didn't know that existed we were thirsty as hell and didn't want to go back out to get water.
18. Information on places to eat and drink around the area to help out.
19. Information on where the heat is located to turn it on or off. Paul was helpful to make it warmer in the place, but that is something that the guests should be able to do.
20. Information on how to get out of the gate, a neighbor had to show us.
21. I believe that the gate that you enter is the only access point out which can feel a little weird, but information about that would have been great as well.
As I said, there are great pros to the place, but the cons are things that are needed in an airbnb to make the stay easier.