Ana’s flat is nice enough. The location is ok, but Camberwell isn’t the best connected area for getting around London (we probably should have checked this! This is obviously something out of Ana’s control, but something worth pointing out). All in all, the flat served its purpose but we wouldn’t return.
Pros:
- Nice enough decor;
- The flat is within reach of some nice restaurants and bars in Camberwell. We were also able to walk to areas like Bermondsey and Peckham in under 30 minutes which is great;
- We accidentally left the flat without our keys one afternoon. Ana was very responsive and helpful when this happened and we were able to sort this out fairly quickly so we are very grateful for this.
Cons:
- The bed linen in the green room did not smell at all fresh and all of the towels provided to us smelt of mould. The bed frames in both rooms are extremely rickety and in need of repair or replacement, the mattresses also have springs which dig into your back;
- Ana’s cleaner was banging on our door at 7:00am after our first night in the flat but, since she couldn’t speak a word of english (which is ironic given Ana’s ‘HOUSE RULES’ explicitly state that guests “need to be able to communicate in English”), we had no idea what she needed from us. I was then texted by Ana asking if I could let the cleaner in so that she could collect the hoover in our flat to clean the flat below ours (also an airbnb listing of Ana’s). We of course helped and brought the hoover downstairs but this is just completely inappropriate. To add insult to injury, when we returned to the flat later that day, we could smell fresh laundry and to our surprise the tumble dryer was full and the washing machine had items in it - the cleaner had let herself in to do laundry for other guests…not only that but had we not taken the (still wet) towels out of the dryer they would have remained in there until we checked out which explains why our towels smelt awful;
- Some of Ana’s instructions/communications are completely unnecessary and quite hostile. The tone of her messaging around electricity, heat usage and opening windows made us feel as though we’d done something wrong before we even checked in. And, in case you forget the ‘RULES’ (and there are many), there are helpful A4 sheets dotted throughout the flat reminding you of them.
- The flat generally did not feel very well kept or clean. For example, the freezer was completely frozen over with ice so that you could not even open a single drawer. Additionally, the pink bedroom has a small balcony which you cannot access as the door is locked but, generously, you are granted the pleasure of looking out onto a plastic table that is absolutely filthy and grimy instead.
My two friends and I were left with a sour taste in our mouths from this stay. There is a very clear prioritisation of Ana’s profit margins over the comfort and enjoyment of her guests. I would look elsewhere for a nice stay in London.