Have you ever seen the movie Taken? “Good Luck”. I read the reviews before booking this Airbnb and thought “Wow the host seems to be quick to respond.” However, after staying there, I know why. David responds really fast because he has a lot of guests contacting him for issues with the apartment and they are confused from his lack of communication from the beginning. David sends out no welcome message like most hosts I have communicated with. His first message to us was unwelcoming and condescending. After this, we only communicated to him based on continuous problems with the Airbnb.
To help out fellow travelers from our pitfalls: There are no correct instructions on how to get in to the Airbnb and when you finally walk in, it smells. Walk up the stairs and there are stains on the floor from water damage and the smell is worse. The door is hard to use and there are no prior instructions given to open it. When you finally get into the apartment, it smells. The photos are pretty accurate but you really can not judge cheapness over the internet. All of the furniture, art, “decor” is cheap and tasteless. The apartments decor is unwelcoming like the host and you will be disappointed if you wanted an Airbnb that respected the culture of Chicago. The temperature is impossible to regulate. You will either freeze or burn alive regardless of the room. The bathroom is ill designed and there was dried urine on the shower curtain. There was trash left over on the deck, the deck has furniture but nothing to sit on, the carpets are not vacuumed from guest to guest, and did I mention that everything smells? The free parking that David promotes is a lie. If you are looking for a place that is over priced, has an unfriendly host, and smells so bad you will feel a head cold coming on, it is perfect for you!
On a more serious note, if you have any chronic illnesses, take any immunosuppressant medication, or breathing problems do not stay here. I am not sure what we were breathing in at this Airbnb but it was not healthy and hard to escape. Good luck on your travels and enter this dump at your own risk! 😊