Imagine if you bought a pair of very expensive jeans and they didn’t fit, and then the store refused to refund you… but then you had to wear the jeans for a week. That is what this stay was like for me.
This wasn’t my first pick and I wasn’t the easiest tenant. The pics were a little misleading and I booked while I was managing my kids. When I re-read the description, once the booking had been accepted, I realized my mistake- this was within hours of booking. The host refused to refund my stay or let me out. I was stuck staying somewhere that wasn’t a good fit for my family for a week. My other alternative was to go home early. This was my first bad experience with Airbnb in years. I’ve always had 5 star experiences and reviews.
This place might be an excellent place for you. It wasn’t for me.
Positives-
-very clean upon arrival
-host very responsive, including getting an exterminator out for cockroaches (which totally happen in the tropics, it’s why I don’t usually book ground floor places).
-master bed comfortable
-sheets clean
-towels white and fluffy
-centrally located
Cons
-neighborhood didn’t feel safe. There were children sleeping on the street corner (we went back to check on them and they were gone) and men followed my baby and me home one night.
-sliding door didn’t lock
-holes in walls
-furniture mismatched and not comfortable
-exposed wires in walls in kitchen
-fan and light in kitchen only worked sporadically
-pics made it look like a second floor with ocean views. It’s a ground floor and expect a lot of dirt and sand falling from the deck above.
Basically it felt like a pretty basic hostel, but we paid hotel prices. I’m happy to be home. This tainted my view of booking with Airbnb. Also they do not have a short term rental permit because this is a hosted rental. This means they haven’t gone through the permitting process and inspection as far as I can tell.
I really hate to complain. I can tell that this is a rental they are working on and trying to build up. If it had been just my husband and me then it would have been fine.