Room 7
If you only care about location and literally nothing else then you will be fine here. If you value basic amenities, courtesy and comfort then absolutely do not waste your time with this listing.
I’d like to preface this review by saying I’m a seasoned traveler and have stayed in a wide variety of accommodations from five star hotels to tiny huts and this was hands down the worst experience I have ever encountered.
Firstly, the host said he would send the self check in details 24hrs before our arrival and we still hadn’t received the details once our flight had landed. I messaged the host and called but we were only able to get hold of him after we had already been standing on the street in 48 degree cold at 9.30pm with our parents who are both in their late 70’s. When I finally got to speak with him he seemed confused; he didn’t know which apartment we were staying in and left me on hold without explanation for a long time. There was no apology for his oversight or his subsequent handling of our check in, and when I expressed my frustration he was EXCEPTIONALLY rude; speaking over me in an aggressive manner and defending his tone by saying “I’m only responding to your tone.”
When we eventually made it up to our room it was a complete disaster. Honestly it felt like they weren’t expecting us! There was a dirty towel slung over the shower curtain, half the bulbs were out, four mismatched towels - even though there were five people in our party - ONE glass, ONE robe, NO coffee pot and ZERO bedding for the pull out couch. When we tried to call the host back as we said we would, he just didn’t pick up the phone so we left a message through the Airbnb App. When we arrived back after dinner there was a new coffee machine and one old pillow stuffed into a used trash bag just left on the floor of the kitchen. NO OTHER BEDDING FOR THE COUCH OR TOWELS OR ROBES OR GLASSES.
Next and the best thing yet… We had no hot water for the first half of our stay, over 24hrs. None of my party were able to shower or clean themselves properly since we left our homes two days earlier. It was freezing cold in New Orleans so taking a freezing cold shower was not an option. We even thought about boiling water and filling the sink or the bath but of course, there was no plug for the sink or the bath! I should also add that the window is broken in the bathroom so it’s extra cold in there. I’ve read earlier reviews mentioning this but clearly it hasn’t been addressed… I messaged the host but he didn’t get back to us until the next morning saying it was unusually cold out and the heater needed to ‘catch up’. He literally couldn’t have cared less and again, having read the other reviews, no hot water has clearly been an issue in every season so I find his explanation unacceptable.
When we finally got water on Day 2 the power then went out so we weren’t able to use the kitchen, the lights, the heaters or charge our phones. I messaged the host at 9am and he finally got back to me at 12.30pm saying he would send someone round to take a look. At 9.30pm, yes that’s right, TWELVE HOURS later (as we were sitting in the cold and the dark) the maintenance man finally came round. When I asked him why it took so long to be fixed he told me he had only been notified by the host ten minutes prior to his arrival. Unbelievable.
O.k, what else could possibly go wrong with only a few hours before we leave? We only have to get up, shower and make it to the airport. Well brilliantly, we wake up on the last day and the plumbing is backed up! Only one person in our group was able to shower before the bath (which didn’t have a plug) was filled up with dirty water. I messaged the host but I just got a generic check out message in return saying “Thank you so much for your trust and giving us the chance to welcome you.” Amazing.
I should mention that as we checked out after three nights at the property we still hadn’t received enough towels so we had to share for our entire trip, the bulbs hadn’t been replaced, the lamp was broken, we couldn’t use the bathroom (again) and there was still only one glass and one robe for five people. Also worth mentioning but the least of my problems, the mattress I slept on sinks in the middle so if you’re sharing the bed with someone both of you roll into an uncomfortable hole. Everything looks shabby and not in a chic way; dirty cushions, torn sofa, holes in the wall. I’ve honestly stayed in hostels that were more inviting. This place relies solely on it’s great location and the management is lazy and complacent as a result. Add a huge ego on top of that and it’s a recipe for disaster…
Anyway, I am incredibly frustrated and angry with the whole experience partly because of the incompetence but mainly because of the terrible attitude of the host. I hadn’t seen my family for two and half years due to covid and this was meant to be a special trip. Not only were we uncomfortable and inconvenienced, my entire trip was spent calling or emailing about fixing the plethora of problems.
Lastly I would also like to mention that through the entire process Airbnb support were extremely unhelpful. In the two days and three nights we were there I went through Five representatives and each one asked me to explain my issue (again) and send photos (again) before