Host: Shanna was a nice host who was responsive from my first interaction with her. I never had to wait long for her to communicate back and forth when I has questions or concerns. I also appreciated that she provided recommendations for different areas of SD- several which we tried and enjoyed.
Location: while this location is very convenient to many desirable places in SD (~5+ minute drive into downtown, little Italy - ~10 minute drive to Coronado or Balboa - 30 minute drive to La Jolla) I can’t say it was my favorite neighborhood and upon returning to SD I would not stay in this area again. Overall it was fine, especially given the price of the unit, but it was pretty lackluster in my opinion in a lot of ways. First, you have to park on the street which initially seems pretty sketchy as you’re right along the 5 highway. The side street is pretty run down and there is a large population of homeless within a block of the unit in either direction. Initially this made me uncomfortable as I was hoping to be in a walkable neighborhood and quickly discovered how run down the surroundings were. Luckily we never had any issues, our car was safe on the street and we didn’t witness any crime (although one day we went to cafe virtuoso for coffee and saw a car with its window smashed in, who knows how/ when that happened).
The apartment: based on the location, we were happy that the unit had a locked gate surrounding the complex and also felt safe staying inside of the apartment. The codes provided to get in/ out always worked and we never had any trouble. The apartment itself was cute in terms of decor, but a bit dated and in need of general sprucing up. For example, the baseboards are pretty weathered and looks like they haven’t been cleaned in a long time, the kitchen cabinets were rickety, the appliances in the kitchen were all older. However, everything worked which was nice and there’s the essentials there for day to day living. I also thought the bed and couch were very comfy for lounging and loved the French doors in the living room leading out to the balcony. All of the rooms were much larger in person than pictured which we were pleasantly surprised by. It’s a pretty spacious apartment with high ceilings throughout. There is a skylight in the bedroom right over the bed which didn’t bother us much but can’t say it’s the best design because it does let light in starting pretty early (6am or so).
In terms of cleanliness, I would say the cleaners likely do the bare minimum. I was told we couldn’t check in early because the cleaners were “double cleaning.” However, upon arrival there was an awful smell that lingered throughout and lasted a few days (it was only when we aired it out and sprayed fabric refresher everywhere that it dissipated). The couch also had hair all over it and the floors had crumbs and dust, all of which I vacuumed and swept. There were dishes that had dried food, so I ran everything through the dishwasher before using. I didn’t bother to contact Shanna about this because I honestly would have rather cleaned it myself than have the cleaners return and likely do a poor job again. Not a huge deal, but also annoying especially in the era of covid where enhanced cleanliness is key.
The next downside and this was a HUGE inconvenience were the surrounding units in the complex and the paper thin (I mean literally not an exaggeration) walls in the bedroom. There are about a 3-4 permanent residents in the complex, one of which is immediately in front of the balcony with a nice and well behaved dog - these people were lovely, we spoke with them a few times and always waved when we passed by. The other units are Shanna’s airbnbs. Initially everything was great as there was no one staying in the front or lower unit but that quickly changed when guests checked in. We had noise issues several times, of which for a stretch of 4 nights in a row the neighbors were blasting music so loud I felt like we were in a nightclub and had to sleep in the living room to try and drown the sound. I did contact Shanna and she quickly took action messaging the guests but the noise persisted into the next several days so clearly the renters did not listen. I personally would have a 0 tolerance policy for something like this, especially when the house rules state no parties/ loud music since the units are attached. I also think having pre-booking vetting (ie, why are you renting) could help. I’m all for having fun but this complex isn’t designed for that and when there is noise around the unit you can hear absolutely everything from the bedroom.
Overall, our 2.5 week stay was fine and if you’re looking for a cheap landing place in SD then it could work. We were generally comfortable with a few exceptions and the apartment worked. But, with all of the options in San Diego, I can’t say I would immediately book again. That’s not to say that others shouldn’t stay here, just that there are just some things to consider if you do.