All in all this was a great place to stay in a quite neighborhood that was close to several great amenities. The room was clean and tidy and both the bedroom and bathroom were private and secluded from the rest of the house. Her dog Duncan was an absolute joy to be around and made the stay feel more like home.
I have deducted one star for the check in experience, as after driving 1700 miles across the country, and 7 hours of driving just in that day, I arrived to find there was no key in the lockbox and the host was unavailable for around 2 hours. She was very communicative through the issue and thanks to the location, there were plenty of things to do while waiting. I was so excited to be in Denver I just went to walk around Sloan Lake Park. Still, it did make a long day feel that much longer.
I have also deducted one star for the failure to live up to the flexible cancelation policy. I had talked with the host about a refund once I had signed a leased on an apartment half way through my stay. I was told by the host that there was no way to cancel the second week and that her calendar was blocked out for the duration of my reservation. In hearing that, I decided not to take the cash refund she had offered me. When I got on the app to book a new room for a visit to the mountains the day I left, I realized there was in fact a way to cancel through the app, opening up her calendar and granting me a refund for nights cancelled. Upon canceling I immediately received a text message from the host:
“Hello Greg, did you go to site Airbnb and cancel the time. I am receiving a cancellation and the money is affected as well. Can you tell me what is going on with that?”
After being told I couldn’t cancel through the app, it seemed as though she had known this was an option, but not one she wanted me to use. I explained my situation and after being told “I’m trying to run a business” I felt pressured to return the money, which I did in full. While I understand she is “running a business” I was also moving 1700 miles from home with limited savings and could have used the $180 refund to help support my move.
To be fair, if you have no intention of exercising the flexible cancelation policy, the value is great for the area and the house is very comfortable. Just know that the cancelation policy is not accurate to what the host’s expectation are. I was very happy with my stay until this interaction which left me feeling that I had been misled and taken advantage of. This would be enough reason for me not to book this place again.