The Good:
Molly is quick to respond via phone (voice or text), and is very considerate of what time it is as she didn't contact us too late at night or too early morning. She took note of a special occasion we were celebrating and made a nice gesture to help us celebrate it. The place was very clean and had some essentials in place, like salt, pepper, olive oil and a few items in the refrigerator. There were also helpful utensils handy and accommodations for both coffee and tea drinkers. The access is digital, which was easy to use and the location was VERY convenient to beach access. The very short stroll to the beach was easy. She also included a binder of suggestions for places to dine, and all about what is around the area to do. All relevant info pertaining to the rental was included as well in the binder. That was convenient for those unaccustomed to this sort of vacation environment.
The Worth Noting:
The space is a converted one-car garage. The entire unit is micro size, with the bedroom area (remember - it's a studio) being no exception. It is very small to accommodate a queen bed, and you're squeezing by the bed to get to the tiny but sufficiently equipped bathroom. The living room has you sitting on a futon about a foot away from the television screen. The bed rests up next to the wall, which makes getting in and out of, and making the bed, or simply adjusting the bedding complicated and VERY inconvenient. The bathroom drain in the shower was so slow that you are showering in standing water, which she reportedly tended to upon our departure.
According to a note taped to the oven, it does not work for baking, though we did not need it. Stove worked fine. During our stay, we hit an incorrect button on the television remote, leaving every function of the television narrated through the programs to the point that you could not understand the script of the show. We did not watch much television but had to phone about that, which she suggested we “Google” it. After a bit of messing with the controls it worked properly by mere luck without online investigation.
We also had a light bulb burn out leaving an area that we were using dim. She said she would replace that before the next occupant instead of arranging a fix while we were there. Sound proofing? This unit carries sound quite well – as in, our neighbors decided to loudly chat with laughter seemingly right outside our door at 3am. They were not drunk but kept us awake for most of the night. Similarly, there is a bar about ½ block away and at night, that gets pretty loud, too – no matter the day of the week.
It's important to say, our history of Airbnb's is limited, as we've only stayed in probably 10 of them over 2 years time. With every other stay, we've met the host. This being the exception. In most of them, breakfast was provided. This one was limited to a packet or two of instant mix oatmeal with no milk, so when you arrive, you should be prepared to go shopping directly, unless you plan on eating out for every meal. Lastly, you pay a large cleaning fee, but are asked to wash all towels and not to mix colored towels with whites. I've never had to wash linens at a hotel or other Airbnb. We did so but felt that was unnecessary as a guest.
On balance, it was a good stay, and we would certainly recommend this spot and the hostess. it's centrally located mid-peninsula near coffee shops, bars, restaurants, T-shirt shops, etc. We found the best food and cocktails in Old Town, which is a 10-minute Uber or Lyft ride from this unit. Picnicking on the beach was great and walking the entire Mission Beach area was fantastic. We went in February, and while locals said it was cold, it was beautiful beach sunning weather for those of us from the mountainous parts of Colorado. Enjoy!