I stayed in Alex's apartment for a month while studying for some exams.
Positives:
- The flat itself is very modern and well furnished
- Wifi is fast, I was able to WFH without problem
- Weekly cleaning is a nice perk
- Location is right in the centre of fitzrovia with lots of lovely cafes and restaurants minutes away
- Comfy bed
- Lots of storage space
Potential negatives:
- Loud street noise. Flat is first floor above 2 restaurants and at weekends, also a club. You can clearly listen in on conversations outside the flat! The noise is particularly loud in evenings and at weekends.
- Kitchen is not really equipped for long stays or if you want to cook a lot. I had to buy my own oven gloves, tea towels etc in order to cook. I imagine that it would be sufficient for a short stay.
- Bedroom windows have blinds rather than curtains and there is a street lamp right outside, letting light in at night. I used an eye mask to sleep.
- Indirect and honestly quite laborious communication. Alex runs a business letting accommodation in london and I was referred to his office a few times, rather than communicating through airbnb.
- Lack of transparency about accommodation rates. I asked to extend my stay for 3 weeks and agreed the daily rate, however I was not given the option to book through airbnb, it had to be done "via his office". Upon speaking to staff at his office, the rates had increased by £35/night. I was told that his rates are "dynamic" and change daily. It felt a bit shady to be sorting deals over the phone, with rapidly changing rates and not within the protection of airbnb so I decided against it. I could see other (pretty much identical) flats of his in the same building available on airbnb for the same dates much cheaper rates. I mentioned this to his staff, but was told I was wrong and that I had not taken into account service fee, which was untrue. I decided instead to try to book one of the cheaper ones via airbnb but was declined with a fairly abrupt message from Alex saying "as previously mentioned, that price is not available". If it's not available, then don't advertise it as such. The price then increased by over £100/night! All in all, quite odd!
I mention these negatives not to criticise, but purely to help future guests make an informed decision before deciding to book.