Communication at check-in was definitely a weird and likely one-off situation. We said we were checking in around 9pm, then got a bunch of text messages from one of the hosts (the sister) asking us where we were, then rang the bell and no one answered, so we waited for the delayed text message responses back and forth instructing us to go to the back gate, but there were no lights anywhere, so we stumbled in the dark past the pool and a bunch of furniture to find ourselves in a dark garage with the light switch hidden behind a curtain and bookshelf. Then we got a text saying to park the car in the driveway and leave the key in the house, which was just strange, since we didn’t know this person and were just texting a random number that was telling us to leave our car and car key with them. It was weird.
The place wasn’t as nice as the pics — loud and busy boulevard, lots of cobwebs, humid/clammy, random clutter/junk, strange hairs in the shower, and we didn’t have towels, which we didn’t find out until after we had showered (she went to bed at 10pm, so she didn’t respond to our text about it, so we had to find small kitchen towels in the main house instead). BUT, in the morning Edgar at least explained and apologized for this bizarre check-in situation, which made me give 3 stars instead of 1.
I can see why some people like the place. It’s super chill, at least one host is friendly and accommodating, the backyard is cluttered in a lived-in/homey way, the main house has familial remnants from their parents and their childhood, and the breakfast was basic Costco fare, but big and varied. It felt like a high school rager house on a weekend when the parents are away.
I definitely like quirky Airbnbs, but I also like clean and organized. I just feel too old now to stay in places like this after a long day, especially for the same price of a clean and uncomplicated hotel.