**Don't book until you read this review**
(TLDR at the end)
Our experience at this Airbnb, and with the host in particular, was a disappointment. The product you see advertised in the photos does not match what you find when you arrive. Unfortunately, we had been traveling all day and arrived late in the evening so our only option was to stay the first night (we booked two nights total), otherwise we would have found a hotel right away and stayed elsewhere. We chose this location because we wanted to be close to Wembley and we wanted to stay together (we were a group of 5). We spent the next day attending the NFL game played at Wembley Stadium and decided that all 5 of us would purchase hotel rooms for the remaining night, causing the group to split up our last night of vacation.
I've compiled a list of things that were sub-par or not as advertised in the listing. See below:
Cons:
- The carpet is covered in stains
- The second bathroom was missing the shower curtain so water sprayed directly on the floor (images on the listing show a shower curtain)
- The sofa bed is simply a futon with no sheets nor pillows (this is advertised as a bed. My friend had to use his sweatshirt as a blanket)
- The lockbox that is supposed to hold the key is broken so expect a curveball when trying to locate the key in a storage closet
- The towels had an awful vinegar/urine smell to them (ultimate reason we decided to pack up and get a hotel)
- The coffee pot had water left inside with a large amount of calcium build up (this was super gnarly lol)
Now, as much as a disappointment as those things were, sometimes that's just the way it goes. We thought the right thing to do was reach out to the host and simply let her know our stay was a bummer and that we intended to stay our final night at a hotel. We listed the things above along with images as proof, hoping to get a refund for our final night just to break even with the hotel fare, and that's when the flood gates opened... The host responded back and fought everything we said tooth and nail, refusing to accept any fault or responsibility. It was instantly personal and we were "fraudsters" trying to stay at her Airbnb for free. She started saying everyone warned her about people like "us", and she normally meets all her guests, but couldn't this time so it was a "lesson learnt" lol - in the end, neither the host nor Airbnb did anything to fix the issue and we ate the fees for the final night. Hosts are protected because that's how Airbnb makes money, I get it. Take your licks and move on.
TLDR: Was it uninhabitable? No, of course not, but for the price you can find COUNTLESS better options and my recommendation is that you look elsewhere. There are hosts much more professional and deserving of your reservation.