Based on all the other great reviews, I really wanted to love this place and had high hopes, but unfortunately, it was a disappointment for our family. I’ll leave a detailed review, so future guests can make an informed decision about their booking. I’ll start with the positives — the location was great. Close to Sprouts, close to the beach, easy access to many places. The decor was aesthetic, and the bed was very comfortable and spacious. The photos on the website were accurate, and overall, I liked the space itself. The host was responsive and easy to reach through messaging.
Unfortunately, we had a lot of issues. When we first arrived, the toilet was out of order— it wouldn’t flush at all. I contacted the host who responded quickly. But, he asked me to remove the toilet cover, take a photo, and try a few things to fix it. After a long day of driving, fixing a toilet that doesn’t belong to me was the last thing I wanted to do. He did eventually send Mariana who came and got it working again, so I appreciated that.
My family and I were really excited to grill and cook. We booked this place specifically because it had a grill included. But, when we took out the utensils from the drawer, they were dirty and stained with prior remnants of food. I can overlook 1 or 2 things, but I took out THREE different knives, and every single one was stained (I took pictures but I don’t think airbnb lets me upload the photos) along with stained utensils and cups. For me, cleanliness is top priority, especially during COVID with multiple people checking in and out. The dirty kitchen items indicate a lack of attention to detail and sanitation. It made me wonder if professional cleaners properly cleaned the space before we came. The grill was terrible quality and wouldn’t cook properly (we’ve grilled many times before, and we know how to grill), so we decided to just bake our chicken instead. I put the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes, and when I checked on it at the 50 min mark, it was still RAW inside and barely cooked. We just threw the entire batch away. So, I don’t know what’s going on with the oven either, but if a “fully equipped kitchen” is advertised, then I would expect that all the appliances are appropriately functioning.
The kitchen is also advertised as “fully stocked,” and while there were a ton of spices on the spice rack, there was no pepper. There was a coffee maker, but… there was no coffee. If my expectations are too high, I’ll fully take the blame, but every other airbnb that I’ve stayed at has had coffee provided, and at $500 per night, I really just wanted the basics of pepper and coffee. Finally, the trash can in the master bedroom was broken (when I pushed on the handle to lift the lid, the lid didn’t budge). These last things aren’t necessarily a big deal, but compounded with everything prior, it does show a lack of going above and beyond, paying attention to small details, and caring about a guest’s overall experience.
Anyway— the good news is that all of these things can be fixed, and they might be already! If you’re not planning to cook and just want to use the space to hang out/ sleep, I’d say go for it. But, if you do want to cook and expect a higher quality space for what you’re paying, I would recommend booking somewhere else. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but take this review with a grain of salt because every one else has given top ratings, so maybe it was just a fluke for me this one time.