The decoration and layout of this house is a little… funky. But the things that really matter – the beds, pool, hot tub, kitchen appliances, and more than anything else, the patio – were great. In all, the house was a great place to stay, even with a big family including kids and a dog.
The first house we booked got sold and the host rebooked us at this home and it was for the best – the pool and the views from the deck were a family favorite!
But, there are a few reasons this was not a five star stay. First, booking this house was like selling my information on the dark web – I was getting emails and texts from all angles asking me if I had questions, to review things, and to pre-arrange things that I didn't need – all before I was ready to go on vacation. I'm sure the host team was trying to be helpful, but because it was all disjointed it felt mostly annoying. I miss the days of Airbnb being hosted by owners rather than management companies.
With all this attention to over-communication you'd think everything was answered quickly and clearly, but I got differing information depending who I talked to, and it wasn't always correct. Information on how to heat the pool, play music on the sound system, and use the appliances was complicated at best, and mostly unhelpful.
Lastly, I was bummed to get nickel and dimed while paying the pet fee – they charged a tax on the pet fee which was not disclosed anywhere else (including in the contract they made me sign about the pet fee), which just feels… petty.
To sum it up – the house was good, with some great attributes, but the experience is what you'd get with a company hosting you, not a person.