We chose this property because of the location and the glowing reviews. We will NEVER EVER stay here again, nor will we use Airbnb again.
The apartment is attractively decorated, and appealing looking, but this was just the first impression upon entering the apartment.
After paying a $95 “cleaning fee” and seeing reviews stating the apt was “sparkling clean”, I expected it would actually be clean. It was NOT. Pillows and bedding were old and dirty - very disgusting. (There were cleaner-looking pillows in the dumpster outside the neighboring hotel.) The extra comforter was not clean. We did not want to use the comforter that was on the bed because it had some odd-looking stains on it. The floor in the apartment was dirty, particularly in the bathroom; it had NOT been mopped. The shower was also dirty, and the floor around the toilet was dirty. It appeared as if the toilet-seat was attached to the toilet with dirty double-stick tape, and it was no longer attached after a couple of uses. The toothbrush holder was really dirty inside (we didn’t use it). We had to wash the towels before using them as they did not appear to be clean, and we also had to wash all the dishes and flatware before using them because many items had been put away dirty.
The floor of the shower stall is dangerously slippery. We had to place two hand towels on the shower floor to keep from slipping. There is no shelf in the shower to hold shampoo, conditioner, etc for guests who want to use their own. I certainly did NOT want to place these items on the floor, so I had to try to balance them on top of the soap dispenser. The flow of water out of the shower head was so weak, it took a long time to rinse off.
There was something in the apartment and possibly the building that made me ill. I had respiratory issues similar to a severe case of bronchitis / pneumonia / asthma the entire time. I had NOT been ill before my stay, and I was not ill after returning home. I speculate it was dust and/or mildew in the vents and possibly the walls. Having the hot-water heater in a closet in the bedroom next to the bed also made me uneasy.
Early on during our stay, I stepped on a small shard of glass in the kitchen area and needed to remove it with tweezers. Besides being painful, this was further evidence that the apartment had NOT been cleaned prior to our visit.
The code to unlock the door to the apt is NOT changed for each guest, since it is the apt number in reverse. Anyone with this knowledge can enter at any time, former guests, building employees, or anyone guessing if the code is the reverse of the apt# for “convenience”. And considering how easy it was for anyone to get into the building without even using the outside door code or key fob, we did NOT feel safe.
We will NEVER stay at this property again, nor will we ever use Airbnb again.
Inconveniences:
1. The electrical outlets do not work when trying to charge two cell phones in the same outlet. However, plugging in only one device or appliance in an outlet at a time does work.
2. Wifi in the building is spotty at best. It was an inconvenience when we needed to request an Uber driver, make restaurant reservations, or book a tour.
3. Tidepods provided for the washer were not unscented, so we had to purchase unscented detergent to wash the towels.
4. No Kleenex - another purchase we had to make.
5. No ice trays for the freezer