I stayed at Fiona’s place for 4 weeks from mid-April to mid-May. Overall, I enjoyed my time there and appreciated Fiona’s efforts to make my stay comfortable. I would recommend this listing for short-term stays.
Pros:
1. Location – Not only is the unit walking distance to the beach but there are lots of great options for top-notch food and nightlife nearby (as close as 1-2 blocks away). Plus, because there are Biki bike posts next to the apt, it was very easy to get to any location that was further than walking distance away.
2. Amenities – the building has a pool, hot tub and sauna and if you have a long stay you can get access to the gym. There is 24/7 access to the laundry facilities and a well-stocked convenience store on-site.
3. Host - Fiona was a great host, very communicative and accomodating.
Cons:
1. Dated building – Perhaps more relevant for longer stays but if you’re looking for luxury this is not the place for you. Low ceilings, dated fittings and appliances. Additionally, walls are thin for cigarette smoke. At first, I thought the smoke was coming from the lanai but it was also coming through the walls. Not something the host can control but if you’re sensitive to smoke it’s good to know that this COULD BE a thing for your stay depending on who is staying next to you.
2. Bugs: It seems like this building has an ongoing issue with roaches based on old Google reviews. I wished Fiona would have mentioned this possibility in advance. I would have still chosen to stay there but would have been less surprised when the roaches started to appear from my first night. It seemed like the host hadn’t kept up with the treatments in a while so things were pretty bad at the start of my stay. However, Fiona was proactive about my complaint and the exterminator came twice (2 weeks apart) to make sure the issue was taken care of. Do I think this a reason not to stay here? No. It’s a tropical island and you’re likely to encounter roaches and bugs wherever you stay. The main thing is the host staying on top of the issue and I think she’s willing to do that and will be more diligent going forward.
3. Noise - The apt faces the pool and the street so if you have to lanai door open to catch the breeze, you’re also likely to hear noise in general and also late at night. For short vacation stays you’ll probably be enjoying yourself and creating the noise as you should, but if you’re a light sleeper or need to go to bed before 11 pm then plan to keep the lanai door shut and use AC for air. Pool closes at 9 or 10pm local time so the pool/hot tub noise stops by then.
4. Cleaner is not thorough.