I had an amazing stay at Sena’s place in Old Town/Gold Coast Chicago! Sena and her mom Idil run the place. Sena was actually away during the majority of my stay so my interaction was solely with her mom, Mrs. Idil while I was there. I stayed from May 31st to July 1st and their place is dog friendly so I brought my dog Simba (who is my BFF) and it was very enjoyable! I highly recommend staying here, you will not be disappointed!
Here are my positives:
1. First, location!!!!! It was perfect! It was right across the street from an Aldi grocery store which is ideal for longer stays when you may want to cook sometimes. It was also walking distance to everything you could ever need: restaurants, bars, diners, several other grocery stores, locally owned pet store, dog parks, vet clinics, pharmacy, and even car washes and car service stations in case you need it. I could walk to every place I needed to go and close enough to walk home from bars after a night out without needing to Uber or drive depending upon where you go.
2. Communication/Responsiveness! When I met Mrs. Idil in person, she was VERY polite and pleasant. She was responsive and continuously assured me that I could contact her at any time of the day or night for anything I needed. I felt very reassured that she was available to me for whatever needs I had during my stay. In fact, I had two issues, one major and one minor. There was an issue with weak internet signal in the condo and when I brought it to Mrs. Idil’s attention she was there the next day (late at night) and she had purchased an expensive device to solve the problem. This would have been a major issue for me because I was working remotely during my stay and if it were not for her swift response, I would have been at risk of not being able to work per the terms of my contract or being forced to do so in an extremely inconvenient manner (going to coffee shops or renting work spaces daily). Additionally, my minor issue was that the key I had for the parking garage door entry into the building was not working. She immediately dropped off another key that gave me access and worked perfectly. She was fantastic and it’s SO nice to be hosted by someone who is committed to high level of customer service! Check in was smooth and easy and when I needed help learning the layout (finding the trash room, etc) she walked me through the place and showed me everything.
3. The actual Condo! The home was decorated beautifully!!!. I loved the furnishings, there was a cute little fire place. The home was also stocked and prepared very well for me. It was just like a hotel stay but better!! Sena & Idil’s place provided all the necessities in the bathroom. Toilet paper, paper towels, bath towels, bottles of shower gel and lotion, qtips, etc. were all stocked and provided. It was even displayed in a cute manner :) The kitchen contained pots, pans, dishes, paper plates and cups, utensils, drying racks, dish soap, etc. Everything I needed to feel like I lived there long term, I had available to me. Even cleaning supplies were provided which was really nice. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I brought everything of my own but just so you know, you can just bring yourself and know that everything you need you are guaranteed to have!
A few notes / areas to improve:
1. While my interaction with Mrs. Idil was 99% pleasant, I had to make a major change to my reservation prior to the start of my visit. Due to a major life changing circumstance I had booked for 3 months but I could only stay for 1 month. I notified Air BnB and coordinated with Idil about a week and a half before my arrival. I paid what was required for the duration of my visit based on AirBnB’s charges but she communicated that they had lost money due to my changing the reservation and asked me to pay part of the difference in cash, which I did not. I believe this misunderstanding happened due to an issue with interpretation of Air BnB’s cancellation policy so we were able to sort it out in the end. Important to note: this was during the end of the pandemic when Chicago was just re-opening so I’m sensitive to the fact that the loss in funds was difficult after a tough financial time for everyone. Initially, this exchange left me extremely apprehensive and rubbed me the wrong way but I went ahead with the trip as planned and I am grateful that I did. As I mentioned above, my stay was wonderful and enjoyable and I highly recommend it but travelers and hosts should be aware of this issue with Air BnB’s cancellation policy. I hope Air BnB considers amending this policy in a more fair manner to the hosts in the future. The traveler should never be asked or made to feel responsible for providing additional payment outside of AirBnB’s amendment and cancellation policy.
2. Cleanliness - I’d give this a B-. While the place was mostly clean, (dishes and countertops cleaned, bathroom cleaned, fresh linens, etc.) the floors could use a good mop and the bedroom carpet desperately needed a vacuum. It is a pet friendly stay but I noticed that there was hair from another dog/pet of some kind all over the floor and under the couch. As I mentioned I have a dog who plays with balls and his toys rolled under the couch and on the floor at times so I had to retrieve them, which is why I noticed the issue. The cleaning crew could do a more thorough job and not just clean the spaces you can