Firstly, I think it's vital that Airbnb visitors, and hosts, are free to provide honest feedback about either their stay or their guests. I've noticed that previous reviewers who left anything resembling a criticism of the property have been subject to quite aggressive responses by the host(s), and would like to state that we've been exemplary guests over the three nights that we stayed, and left the property in excellent condition (we took photos on arrival and departure in the event there was any dispute about this).
Pros: The apartment is situated in an excellent location, within easy walking distance of Princes Street, Waverley Station, the Castle etc. It was also extremely spacious, easy-to-find and all appliances were fully functional.
Cons: Unfortunately there were also a few negatives, Some of which have been commented on by previous visitors. I would suggest to the hosts that they provide sufficient towels for the number of guests staying. In our case we were four people (two in each room), and only two face/hand towels were available. There were several other items listed on Airbnb as being covered in the price, which were also missing: Shampoo, shower gel etc. This in itself wasn't a big deal at all, but when I sent a friendly request to the host asking if they could provide them, I received a very terse response. I think it's worth including our exchange in this review:
Me (at 9:48 am): "Hi there! Thanks so much for your welcome message, we really like the place. Would it be possible to grab two more hand towels and some shampoo and body wash though? Thank you again!"
Madeleine (5:19pm): "Had some dropped off outside your door".
When we arrived home we found two hand-towels lying outside our door, on the doormat, together with a tiny bottle of shampoo and two equally small bars of soap. I'm not quite sure what logic was employed in depositing a clean towel on a dirty floor. There are several additional recommendations that I would make:
1) Change the frying pan. Flaking bits of teflon are a health hazard. A bread knife would have been nice too.
2) Clean the carpet in the kitchen, as it's heavily stained.
3) Repair the kitchen window nearest to the door, as part of it is literally falling off.
4) Check the lightbulbs regularly: Three weren't functioning in the kitchen, and four were non-functional in the en-suite.
5) Get some Draino for the en-suite bathroom: the smell from the blocked drain/hair accumulation is awful.
6) One of the chairs in the kitchen is on the point of collapsing completely.
7) Create a welcome book for guests, with instructions on how - for example - to adjust the heating. 24c is not optimal, particularly during an unseasonally warm period, and there didn't seem to be an obvious way of turning it down.
8) One of the keys to the door of the apartment doesn't work on the inside lock - basically it's impossible to lock the door with that key.
9) Mention that the apartment is on the third floor up several steep flights of steps. My parents are elderly, and it was genuinely an effort for my mother to ascend them every time we returned home.
10) Buy some dishwasher salt and Rinse Aid for the dishwasher.
All of the above are issues that could be easily fixed and, together with the response of one of the hosts to our very reasonable request, to me displayed a lack of care for visitors. The flat would be pretty good value for its size and location, but this was offset to an extent by the attitude of the host and the problems I've listed. I'd also add that "pretty good value" does not mean it was cheap, especially when considering the high additional cleaning charge. This isn't a casual couch-surfing listing, but a business run to make a profit. As such, professionalism from hosts is expected. I'm sorry to say that this is the first negative review I have left on Airbnb and I hope that the hosts will take the above into consideration. It's a great property, let down by the apparent indifference of its' owners towards guests.