I regret having to write a negative review for an Airbnb, and honestly this is my first.
The house ended up looking similar to pictures, however it is on a block that is not safe. There were people on the corner every night dealing drugs, visibly. Several houses appeared to be boarded up on the block, and in the darkness of trees in the middle of block, groups of people hung out throughout the night.
When my wife and mother walked the streets in the neighborhood, they were met were stares and unkind remarks. We thought when booking that it’s proximity to Frenchmen St and the French quarter were great, however there’s a big difference between the block it’s on and even the block across the street of St Claude Ave.
We no longer felt safe walking to the various areas, and when Lyft drivers dropped us off, recognizing the unsafe conditions of the block, each unpromptedly stayed until we got inside the gate to make sure we got in okay. That often took several attempts at the gate, as there code often proved faulty. Once inside, and not feeling at liberty to hang outside, there was not much for views, we realized. So, given the short stay that we would be in New Orleans, we chose to leave. And what a relief once we ultimately did.
We found another Airbnb a few blocks north of Frenchman St, and moved. I reached out to
Jose about the problems, asking for the potential of a refund for the remaining two nights we wouldn’t be there, and he threatened a bad review if I wrote a bad review. He said, look I’ll give you one night refund if you don’t write a bad review, while boasting of only have good reviews. It made me wonder how many others may have not written honest reviews in the grand scheme. I obviously don’t know, however, I felt it more appropriate to write a honest review at the risk of a revenge review.
When we arrived at the new rental we felt like our vacation truly began. We walked everywhere. No Lyfts waited for us to walk in. No one stalked us. No drugs being sold on the corners. We had large windows, daylight streaming in, and a wonderful finish to the New Orleans stay. The new host, Michael, was cheerful and the doors had no issues opening.
Perhaps, we were the wrong target audience for this particular place, but I’ve lived in New York City for 12 years, DC for more, and near downtown LA more than a half decade, so I recognize a safe block from an unsafe one, a drug deal from people simply getting air.
We left the place just as we found it.