I’ll start this by saying that I think my time using AirBnBs is over. Large corporations have now bought lots of the short term rentals and instead of communicating with the owner of the property (a human being that can help problem solve or provide a more quality experience), it’s turned into communicating with a larger service that provides so/so quality and not any creative solutions. I would rather stick with hotels for the same price that have continuous staff available, predictable experiences, and more amenities.
First the good - 1) the location is incredible!! I cannot state this enough. It’s just around the corner from a tube stop, multiple bus stops, a large grocery store and 2 pharmacies as well as a handful of restaurants and bars. So whether you’re going to Kensington or Old City - it’s just a tube or bus away! And there’s a Starbucks on the next block. I cannot rave enough about the location. 2) The courtyard/terrace was a great place to convene in the evenings to plan our next day. We also loved the private street entrance! Definitely recommend Fitzrovia to first time London-goers. 3) Checkout was easy and we didn’t have to do any cleaning ourselves (which is common for AirBnBs in my past experience).
Second the mediocre - 1) Check in was confusing and we interrupted the cleaning lady trying to drop our bags and the host got a little curt with us in the messages afterward. Not an ideal way to be welcomed after 10+ hours of travel. Also - it’s 2022 - how do you not have remote check in? 2) AC is not widely available in the UK so on warm days and nights, you have to crack the window. There was a small fan available but it would not cool an entire room. So what happens when you open the windows is that all of the smells and sounds of the street are now in your flat - including the hookah bar below and loud partiers leaving the bars at 2am smoking cigs and people blaring music on their motorcycles. Not ideal for getting quality sleep on hot busy weekend nights. 3) Additionally, everything just felt like kind of the bare minimum for a stay. No creature comforts or luxury (which may be fine for someone else - but for what we paid, this seemed ridiculous). For example — The beds were really worn out and thin. Only one towel per person was provided.
Third the bad - 1) When previous reviews complained about the noise, I brushed it off. But the noise was a serious problem even on nights when we closed the windows and chose to endure the 80 degree inside temps. 2) We had the washer/dryer broken for the entire duration of our stay. Also - it’s reeked of mildew throughout the entire kitchen and living room, so it didn’t just break before our stay. It hasn’t been working or cleaned properly in a long time. The host ignored messages over the weekend. And sent someone Monday morning (while we were all showering and getting ready) unannounced to repair it. It was still broken when we returned. Then the next afternoon - they had someone from the gas company come repair a switch in the lobby of the building and cut off power for over an hour while we were getting ready and charging our devices before dinner. Just inconsiderate considering we were only there for a week. If an amenity is advertised it should work.
Also there was a delivery inside the apartment when we got back one day. Felt weird that someone just came into the apartment unannounced without a message from the host.
All in all - it was an overall “meh” experience. And a pretty bad one for the price compared to what a hotel would charge. Nothing worth going and finding another place to stay. But we will never use Arcore again and would recommend others opt for a hotel or more “homey” AirBnB for their travels. Just be warned against these large companies doing short term rentals.