Everything was great! The space was just as described. My family of four - Myself, spouse, 16 y/o son and 5 y/o daughter - were very comfortable and enjoyed our stay. There were plenty of pots and pans to cook with, plenty of pillows for the beds, and we enjoyed the games in the front living area. Our son slept on one of the futons in the front room and said it was very comfortable. Our daughter slept in the middle room and said her bed was "nice and cozy" and she slept like a rock. Her bed was cozy but definitely very soft. We slept in the back bedroom and thankfully we like a firm mattress, as this one fit that bill. Sheets and blankets were all soft and clean and plentiful. As with 90% of old buildings in urban areas, there is no central AC, only window units. They however were efficient and kept us comfortable. Though we did not utilize it, there did seem to be central heat with a nest thermostat. bathroom was very clean and had a window to open to let in fresh air and let out the steam. Shower was nice and hot and water pressure was sufficient. We enjoyed playing games at the beautiful and large dining table too! We were in town for a work event and I had to get ready to set up a display so we brought our air compressor to blow up a few hundred balloons - luckily it only took 30 minutes or so but all of the outlets worked just fine. There is not a hairdryer in the space - at least that I noticed. There is beautiful art on every wall and great books to flip through as well. If you are a collector, most art pieces are for sale as well! The outside garden space was a huge bonus. We sat out there in the early morning hours and had our coffee - there is a French-press available to use along with a tea kettle, and some coffee and tea were provided - and our little played and ran around. In the evenings, we sat outside and enjoyed a glass of wine and cigar. We felt very safe the entire time. Chicago is known for its crime but we never felt that was an issue during our stay. Do however, use common sense and not leave valuables in your vehicle as you would do any place you travel to. There is a wooden and wrought iron gate directly out front that latches closed. Then there is a chain link fence/gate that also latched closed and has a beware of dog sign on it - There is a dog on site but we were reminded of Dante from the movie Coco. Not 100% sure but he appeared to be a Xoloitzcuintli pup and never bothered us at all - after you come to through the chain link gate there is a very heavy wrought iron door that latches closed and in that doorway there is a keypad to enter your code which unlocked the front door. Then you proceed up the stairs and the airbnb is at the top of the first flight of stairs - not a giant flight, maybe 8-10 steps - and there is another key pad to enter your code to unlock that door. so 2 regular fence gates and a decorative iron door that latch closed and 2 locked doors in the space. One for entry into the building and one for entry into the airbnb. We had a few short chats with the neighbors and everyone was nice and cordial. I want to reiterate that we felt safe and comfortable the entire time.
We would 100% come back for a stay at Casa Xolo! We loved the coziness and eclectic style while keeping the old charm of the building. Mercedes was an amazing communicator and checked on us during our stay to make sure we were good and didnt need anything. She was great too!