We never met or spoke with Zoe, even though it says that she was our host. Instead, the host we met was Bonnie and we definitely remembered her name by the end of the trip.
When we arrived, it was extremely important to Bonnie that they be the ones to show us the room and how to get in. We were never given a handbook, just Bonnie giving us constant updates.
So, we let her know we would be there right at 3:00pm (our check-in time), and she said her husband would meet us. When we arrived, he seemed irritated that he had to be the one to greet us and let us in. We felt quickly rushed, he said he was in a hurry and had to get to his grandson’s soccer game. We didn’t need hands on treatment, just information on how to get in.
Once we arrived in the room, it was beautiful. Just like the photos. Until we saw a door that we assumed was a closet, and when we opened it, it opened into the entire personal home of our hosts. It didn’t lock. So at anytime they could walk in on us, and us them. In today’s world, that is completely unacceptable. We ran to Walmart that night and had to buy security bars, so we could feel comfortable in this house.
The door was paper thin, we could hear everything. Piano practicing and any instrument they were feeling at the time. It was at all times of day. We could also hear Bonnie and her husband at all times, whether that was talking or walking around. We felt like we had to whisper and be library quiet at all times. Far from the relaxing vacation we were looking for.
Then, almost every single day, Bonnie called us to check in and see how it was going. This was done through our personal phone number, and not through the app. She was considering buying a heater, she was leaving a recycle bin by the door, or whatever she was wanting to have a conversation about that day. We finally drew the line when on Wednesday, she asked if her cleaning crew could come in and clean the room on Thursday, because they couldn’t come on Friday (our check out day). Which made us quickly question the cleanliness of the room, because they were wanting to clean it for the next guest, a day before we checked out.
The night before we checked out was the only time we couldn’t get ahold of Bonnie, which was frustrating, because she never explained the check out process. Finally the next day, almost minutes before we left, she sent us a message.
Don’t get me wrong, Bonnie was a very sweet lady who clearly wished she was running a bed and breakfast, but she doesn’t seem to understand the world we live in, and how careful you need to be.
We felt so uncomfortable the entire time we were at this Airbnb. It was the kind of place the makes you question using the application ever again.