I stayed for a month at Margo’s place in Venice Beach…
Pros
- Location can’t be beat, it’s a block from the beach. The downside to the location too is that it’s on one of the busiest street in Venice, so expect a LOT of noise at all times of the day and night. If you’re a light sleeper, this place may not be the best option for you.
- Margo was overall great with communication. There was a few times when I had questions or there was maintenance in the building and Margo was quick to communicate changes.
- The kitchen was equipped with everything you need if you wanted to cook. Note that there is a full-size fridge (although not shown in the photos).
Cons
- For a month-long stay, I was hoping that Margo would supply additional basics to keep up with the apartment like I had read in previous reviews (i.e. additional cleaning supplies/vacuum, additional toilet paper and a change of bed sheets). Although the apartment was professionally cleaned, I did notice upon check-in that there was hair in the bathroom and the carpet wasn’t fully vacuumed.
- Noise. This unit #7 is right by the front entrance of the building, so expect to hear everyone coming in and out of the apartment complex and the buzzer to open the doors at night. The building itself is relatively old too so there are thin walls and windows. You’ll likely hear all of the noise from the street and from people within the apartment building.
- Hot/cold apartment. There is minimal air circulation in the apartment, so I was constantly running the fan and heater. The unit also got surprisingly humid as well. To solve, you’d open the windows (but then hear a lot of noise at night).
- Safety. To enter the building, there is a keypad with a code which buzzes you into the complex - my concern was that sometimes the door didn’t fully lock and you had to pull the door to ensure it was shut. There was a note on the door telling people to ensure the door is locked behind them but I noticed often it wasn’t shut. There are other residents in the building outside of the Airbnb (lots of people coming in and out) so it didn’t always feel the most secure place. I also had a package stolen during my stay.
Overall, I think the stay was alright with what I was looking for (simple stay and to be close to the beach), but the experience wasn’t above and beyond.