First, I just want to point out some of the positives from our stay before identifying things I would do differently or criticize the listing. I also own and operate an Airbnb and have stayed in dozens of homes that were worthy of excellent reviews. This is not one of those times, but the house and host did have some very good things that stood out. First, the location is perfect! It’s literally right on the beach and access to the equipment they offer was a nice added bonus. The host was responsive when needed and quick to address issues. She also met our party at the house when we arrived. There were plenty of things to do and the house had tons of good quality towels to use. There was a newly added spa and the perimeter of the property is secured and safe.
Cons:
This list is extensive and I’ll do my best to offer sincere feedback. The house is overpriced for what it offers in my opinion. First, the furnishings in the living rooms and dining room are dated, the couch has rips that have been taped, the dining room table is scratched up, chairs are wobbly. The property offers ocean toys but almost no actual amenities. The pots and pans are old and gross. There’s only one larger stock pot and we actually had to buy one to cook dinner. There’s no spatula. I tried to fry an egg for my granddaughters and had to use a ton of butter to flip it in the pan. There’s no cleaning supplies or windex for the multiple areas with glass; there’s no door rugs so you’ll be constantly sweeping sand.
The listing says there’s a bbq which doesn’t operate safely. It also says there’s a fire pit, which it doesn’t actually have. The beds have 1 sheet and one duvet, nothing else. The pillows are old, stained and flat and I’m thankful we brought our own. The first night we couldn’t find extra bedding and contacted the owner the following morning. The cleaning lady came to show us where to find extra bedding but it still wasn’t enough for two extra beds provided and we had to use the heater at night because the beds only had one blanket each. The bedroom downstairs had two extra blankets for 4 beds. We were also woken up to a chirping smoke alarm the second night around 2am. At 8am the entire house was tired and my husband went and bought a $2 battery and used the wobbly ladder in the garage to change it. It was about 20’ to the ceiling. I contacted the owner and she stated that she’d be glad to reimburse me for the battery with a receipt. I have to admit, paying $8k for 8 days and her offering to reimburse our receipt was a bit offensive to me. The smoke alarms are a safety issue and the owner has an obligation to make sure her home is safe and maintained. Not to mention, we had to pull our granddaughter in bed with us the first night because there was no bedding for the extra beds and the second night we were wide awake listening to the chirping of the smoke alarm.
I also cut my foot on the metal strip on the door downstairs. It was pouring blood and the house has no first aid kit. My husband drove to store and bought one. We were also told by the owner to take the trash out to the road on Sunday. We went out there to find that she was driving by and took them out herself. That required her to come inside the gated front yard, through the garage and pull them to the street. She failed to mention she was there and we were in the house. There’s also cameras front and back which are not disclosed in the listing. After she showed up unannounced, it felt like we were being watched the entire time. Maybe we weren’t but it felt like an invasion of privacy.
Overall, the location is the best thing about this place, but other than that, I’d pass. The positive reviews are really surprising and for basically $1k/day, this house lacks tremendously. I’ve stayed in other homes on mission beach for less money that showed much greater pride in ownership. The location of this house can’t be beat but I don’t think it’s worth what we paid and I personally wouldn’t stay here again.