This was a very disappointing experience. For the price, we were not expecting much, but we were shocked to arrive and find that the door to the private room is frosted glass, as it was not mentioned in the listing. This does not offer much in the way of safety, privacy, sound protection, or even fire safety – plus, it means that any noise or light in the shared hallway will pollute the room. As two women, myself and my partner have to be even more mindful of our safety than other travellers. We tried to rig up some blankets and the coat rack to cover the door, but we didn't want to effectively barricade ourselves in the room for the sake of privacy – what if we needed to get to the bathroom or the kitchen?
We notified Ryan but he was not helpful at all, essentially saying that no one else had had issues. This was completely untrue, as I later read through every single review and found that a few people had mentioned the glass door in theirs. We were so uncomfortable that we had to find another place to stay – at 9pm. Needless to say, this was very inconvenient and an additional expense. Once we had notified Ryan that we would not be staying in the room, he went completely silent on us, leaving me to try to resolve things through Airbnb. He did not even agree to what I considered a fair compromise – a half-refund, as we had given short notice about our discomfort with the room, but had not in fact stayed there for even one night. I have asked him to at least update the listing to show the door so that future guests can make a more informed decision.
There were several other things that made the experience a bad one. The heating was off and the portable heater in the room did not work. The sliding bathroom door does not close fully, leaving an inch gap for any voyeurs. There is staining that looks to be from mould or something around the base of the shower. The toaster in the kitchen apparently trips the fuse and has a sign to say as much – but hasn't been replaced. The lock-box for the key was difficult to open, as was the front door – it's not ideal to be standing on the street, conspicuously struggling to open a door, as a tourist in a new city. When we arrived, the flat stank of vomit from the other people staying there.
Had we at least felt safe and secure in our room, I would have overlooked the other issues. As it was, I don't recommend this place at all.