Host asked us to pretend to be his friends to the doorman upon arrival (and to not mention airbnb to anyone in the building) but unfortunately the doorman had never heard of him, wasnt expecting us, and refused to let us up to apartment for nearly an hour. Couldnt get through to hosts phone and had to beg doorman.
When we eventually got into unit, the first thing we saw was a letter on the counter from the building management regarding a recent visit from an exterminator to the unit. Unsure why it was left out for us, or what the issue was (we didnt see any mice or rats in the unit while we were there) but it wasnt exactly the welcome we were expecting.
Unit wasnt particularly clean - dirty carpet and countertops, the towels had just been left in the washing machine, there was no toilet paper so we had to go straight out and buy some, the bath has mould growing around the tiles, and there is large amounts of dust in the nook and crannys of every room. Since the photos were taken for airbnb the apartment has become worn - in the living room something has been ripped out the wall leaving exposed wires sticking out above the TV. The hairdryer was broken, so i couldn't dry my hair for the entire week.
HOWEVER: the building and the surrounding area was absolutely fantastic. Really convenient location to sightsee, the building is in a little community where children are playing, dogs everywhere, it felt safe to walk around at night. The views from the apartment at night are absolutely stunning.
This could be an amazing apartment due to the location of the unit. Unfortunately it just needs to be thoroughly cleaned by a professional, things need to be fixed, and the host needs to sort the check-in process.