The overall stay at this location was okay at best. It was our first time in San Diego, so we made up for any shortcomings with our visits to different places and sceneries.
All around, California is already very expensive as is, but this level of quality housing at such rate doesn't justify in my opinion. Then again I suppose is expected considering the real estate market in California. I just couldn't fathom coming from Texas.
I did communicate consistently with the Host. Overall he was responsive and welcoming. Apparently at the time of our visit he was not in town, so he didn't know and/or was able to address a few surprises we ran into when we arrived.
The pros:
1. The kitchen is supplied with pots, pans, utensils, and extras like a coffee maker, toaster, cups, and plates to make long stays accommodating.
2. There were plenty of shower towels in the bathroom under the sink, which was great. Plus they seemed quite thick and new (probably brand new?)
3. The host also provided some basic shower items like shampoo and toiletries.
4. There were two small refrigerated air units and one fan.
5. There were 4 courtesy water bottles in the fridge.
6. Courtesy laundry change and laundry detergent/supplies.
The cons:
1. The welcoming letter which includes instructions and house rules is strict and restrictive. At first before arriving we thought "okay, we get it, it's a vintage estate, it makes sense they want to take care of it" - however, the reality didn't quite match the expectations. Read below.
2. Once we entered the unit, the dimensions of the areas are much smaller than the photos on the ad portrayed. Perhaps not necessarily a con per se, but quite misleading to read on the ad "you will have whole apartment to yourselves" then find out the space is restrictive when you're finally inside. It was advertised to house 5 guests at a time, which is the size of my family. Turned out quite small for that number of people.
It seems as though the original Victorian House (100+ years old) has been reconfigured and partitioned into 5 to 7 units to maximize profitability. When you walk in, the halls that separate the units are quite narrow as well.
To me, quite an ambitious-on-the-edge-of-greedy real estate leasing business at the cost of quality and guest comfort.
3. The instructions said there was a mat provided to leave shoes outside the house to avoid soiling carpets inside in order to retain cleanliness and hygiene for all guests present and future. There were no mats for that purpose anywhere, and none of the other neighbors had shoes outside their doors either.
Our kids did have expensive shoes, so I informed the host we would keep our shoes inside with us in our bags, but remain barefoot while inside the unit as he instructed.
4. As soon as we walked inside the unit, the carpets were already soiled/dirty. I also took pictures and sent them to the host right away.
5. There is an ongoing cockroach infestation outside. At night time, dozens of large cockroaches come out and roam the front porch area of the house and sidewalk area. The critters are also not shy to humans at all. The ladies in my family were instantly creeped out and disgusted.
6. There is no assigned parking for guests. It was a free-for-all right by the curb if we could find a spot.
Per the instructions letter, the parking is also restrictive on a regular basis 2 days of the week due to street cleaning by the City. So for about 2 hours in the morning on 2 days of the week, your car cannot be parked on either side of the street risking being towed at your expense.
To make the matter more interesting, when we arrived there were posted signs by the City that said we couldn't park anywhere during the day either way on the reminder days due to construction. It turns out the City came in to strip down the roads and re-do them during the day time most of the week. So as early as 6:30 or 7 a.m. we would wake up to the noise of heavy machinery and the smell of road tar.
Most of the time I parked 1 to 2 blocks away and walk to and from the apartment when we needed the car, which was every day. If we could find a parking immediately outside the house at night, we were just lucky.
7. There are many, many homeless people in that neighborhood. I should have read older reviews that already talk about this issue before booking. I admit I mostly fell for the Old Victorian House appeal and photo appearances.
Every day we saw at least one homeless person pass by up or down the street and make weird noises or talk to themselves mostly at night time.
The cherry on top with this observation, was on the morning we woke up to check out. My kids looked out the window and saw a woman wearing raggedy and soiled clothes, who seemed dead right over the neighbors drive way. It turned out she wasn't dead, just passed out drunk or drugged because the tenants at that building woke her up to kick her kut. The woman could barely stand.
8. The lighting in the restroom is dim, and after 5 to 10 minutes of turning it on, it suddenly flashes like it's going to go out. Electrical short or something?
9. The shower curtains are cloth/fabric. That means that with every shower, water is absorbed by the curtains and transferred outside the tub, which just creates a puddle. The area is already somewhat moist since it's by the sea. So the shower rug drenches in water, and it never dries unless the guest ofcourse does some housekeeping every time someone takes a shower. Not quite possible when there are 5