I stayed in this apartment for 5 weeks and, as advertised, the apartment is in an excellent location and there is a nice view from the balcony. The building and swimming pool are really nice and the apartment has good amenities.
I believe I was one of Sherif’s first guests, and I kind of felt like I was being allowed to stay there as a favor rather than as a paying guest. Some downsides:
- The listing states that there is free street parking, which is not the case. Street parking is by permit, which wasn’t available and meant the car needed to be moved every two hours. The host secured parking for the first two weeks after this was pointed out, but then effectively told me I am on my own.
- There were dirty dishes in the sink, the bedding did not smell fresh, and the bathtub was not clean and didn’t drain properly. There was little evidence AirBnB 'Enhanced Clean' checklists were followed.
- Apartment had random clutter, and the cupboards, cabinets, dresser, and closets were mostly full, leaving very little storage space for guests. A big bicycle was left by the entrance in the living room, large cardboard boxes behind/under the sofa that were covered in dust, and a massive tv box was left in the bedroom with its styrofoam and padding not fully packed. I was told I can throw them out or move them myself if I didn’t want them there, which should not be on the guest.
- Very loud trash and recycling collection for the building and hotel next door happens daily below the bedroom window, often early in the morning (eg. 7 AM on a Sunday).
All in all it was still a good experience once I was able to make myself comfortable in the apartment, and Santa Monica is a beautiful place.