I really wanted to like this place but the plumbing smell made it unpleasant. Here is the good and the not so good:
WHAT WORKED
- Location: The location is ideal. I chose this unit because of its proximity to iconic Frenchmen Street and our friend's home (5 mins away). We walked a lot and walking to the French Quarter and street car/public transportation was a breeze from this location. Felt safe and was quiet.
- Eats + People: There are plenty of yummy cafes, bars, and restaurants near the location. Folks were really friendly and we had lots of random conversations with locals and visitors.
- The unit: The beds were comfy, plenty of closet and dresser space, there was nice lighting, TVs in living room and bedroom, the temp in the unit was always nice, there are ACs in the living room and bedroom in the loft section. The kitchen was stocked with pots, pans, utensils, cups and all that. The fridge ran well. Although the unit is old, it is clean.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK
- The smell: There was a plumbing issue that we first thought was a dead animal (thought it was coming from the patio which is why we never went out there) then realized it was coming from the drains in the bathroom (note: the bathroom is very small, the door doesn't close fully, the bathroom drain is not flush to the floor which makes it awkward to navigate while showering, and the water pressure is weak). May as well note: the unit itself is old (part of that NOLA architectural charm) so this is gonna have all the funky little things that old places have: doors that aren't flush with the frames, tall ceilings to mitigate heat, old windows painted shut--none of this bothered me but I imagine in the summer, with bugs, it can be a concern.
Back to the smell: The smell permeated the entire unit. It was awful at times. We noticed that it smelled less when we would run the shower but when we would come back in the afternoon/evening, it reeked as it dried out. We would try to air out the unit and burn incense (note: there is no mesh screen in the security door. It's literally just the frame of the security of the door which kinda doesn't make sense because someone can just reach their hand through and unlock the screen door). Airing out was nearly impossible because we didn't want to leave the front door open and the windows don't open save the small bathroom window.
- Repair work: we were not notified of roofing work on the unit. Our first full day there, we heard sawing, drilling, heavy footsteps on the roof at 8:30am and realized that roofing work was being done on the unit. Ideally there should be no repair work on a unit when guests are staying but if there is, at the very least, inform the guests. Let us know when, what, who, where so we can prepare.
The host was responsive and apologetic but nothing was resolved as the source of the smell was investigated--we just figured out how to mitigate it.
THE HOST
He was nice--it was just an unfortunate circumstance for all involved that soured this stay. He partially refunded (equivalent cost of 1.5 ish days) due to the above issues.
OVERALL
What made this not work for us is resolvable. NOLA is a magical and erratic city that I have visited on a few occasions. The location saved our visit. It was always pleasant to hit the broken pavement (those NOLA streets be cracked and loose and potholed) and meet folks and encounter all the wonderful art and music ever present. I am confident given the above feedback that the host will better communicate with guests by thoughtfully scheduling repair work and now have a better understanding of potential plumbing issues should the stench arise again.
Would I stay here again? Maybe. Would I suggest someone stay here? For the chill and adventurous, given the aforementioned, yes.