I had a really bad experience at Julie's and would like to warn other guests:
1. Upon arrival, I was informed that the condo does not allow Airbnb rentals, and was asked to not talk to anyone in the building, especially the concierge, and if they ask, I should lie and say I am Julie's friend. The host also had regular panic attacks about it that I had to deal with, and did not appreciate the fact that I tried to calm her down about this (even though I did not feel comfortable lying to the concierge, I just tried to stay away because the host seemed to be so troubled by it).
2. Upon arrival, for 18 hours, Julie shared all of her life's troubles with me, including illness, death, depression, showing her scars, and how she's been crying for days before I came, and that I came at a very bad time. Even though she came to pick me up at the airport (which I appreciated), her opening statement was about her crying and needing support, and the stories just went on and on, without as much as welcoming me, asking me why I was traveling internationally, what i hoped to accomplish during my trip, or any of that. I tried to be polite and support her, but I got extremely overwhelmed. Julie spoke rapidly, without interruptions, claiming she is having panic attacks in between, and not seeming to register who was in front of her.
3. During the first 18 hours, Julie made insulting and derogatory comments about my ethnicity, my generation, immigrants, and certain races. I was quite shocked and did not know what to do with all that. Again, Julie did not seem to register who was in front of her or just did not care. She also kept calling me Jill many times for 22 days and I kept correcting that that's not my name, but it did not seem to register with her as well.
4. I ended up having chest pains and nightmares from all the negative information I got from Julie, so I told her on day 3 that I am not comfortable receiving all that negativity from her and that traveled internationally to try to enjoy my time, and wanted to leave and go home. Julie sent me apologies, describing how difficult life was for her, and asking for another chance, so I was guilt-trapped into staying.
5. Of course, it did not stop there. The cycle kept continuing, followed by apologies and promises to respect me and my privacy, which I repeatedly asked for. I asked to leave after 2 weeks as well and a partial refund, which was first met by aggression and hostility, followed by an apology and asking for another chance again.
6. I did not spend so much money and travel from another country to be Julie's 24/7 therapist, which Julie refused to acknowledge or appreciate any time I already spent dealing with her troubles. She did not seem to register that I was not a personal friend, relative, or a medical professional obligated to help her, kept demanding attention, and never thanked me for it. Any requests for privacy or quiet time were met with hostility.
7. I expected a working person as stated on her profile, but Julie got fired and was home all the time, speaking loudly on the phone (for many hours including talking to her bird) or watching loud TV, which is attached to the wall to the guest bedroom. Any requests to turn the volume down because otherwise I couldn't sleep (late at night) were met with hostility and shouts about it being her place, and how she enjoys late night shows, followed by apologies the following day.
8. The culmination came when 2 days before my month was supposed to end, Julie decided to have a private massage in the living room (which is what you see first when you enter the apartment). She gave me a timeframe and I left the place. However, it was still continuing 2 hours later, every time I tried to come back, the guy that I didn't know was still there massaging her, so I sent her a message asking when is it going to end, since it was already 2 hrs later. Of course, this was met with hostility and telling me it is her place and she can do whatever she wants. This was the final straw for me, since Julie did not show any respect to a simple question. I questioned her lack of respect and why it could not happen in her bedroom (without any personal insults), and of course Julie retorted to personal insults again, calling me the worst, gross, and telling me she can't wait for me to leave. So I left and checked into a hotel. Julie did not issue any refunds to me for the remaining 2 days.
Julie does not seem to have any insight into her extremely toxic behavior, or simply does not care. I do not believe this place is suitable for diverse Airbnb guests unless Julie gets some professional help and also gets permission from her condo.