First, the pros – LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! This place had it in spades. A comfortable walk to Frenchman Street or anywhere in the French Quarter. The unit itself was located in a cute section of Marigny with a friendly breakfast/brunch restaurant directly across the street. The queen size bed was quite comfortable and although we didn’t use it, there was a twin bed in a separate back room. The kitchen was nicely stocked with utensils and condiments.
Cons – on the surface the unit appeared relatively clean however there were a number of maintenance issues. The big one was the musty, moldy smell that hit us when we walked in the front door. The smell permeated the unit so we immediately turned on the ceiling fans and AC and at the same time tried to open a window to help get some fresh air (regretfully, all of the sashes and sills were rotted so there was not a working window in the place). We propped open the screenless doors, unpacked our suitcases and left thinking that a couple of hours of circulation might solve the problem. We returned to a little improved situation and went to bed with hopes that the problem would somehow disappear overnight.
Day 2 the odor was still there, so we decided it time to reach out to the owner. When I texted her about the problem, she responded by telling me that I was the first person who had ever complained about smell and that I should contact Airbnb for a refund! In shock, I texted back saying that we were not trying to terminate our stay but that we were looking for some help with a very real problem (seeing the cans of disinfectant and air freshener out in the open in both the kitchen and bathroom made me think we weren’t the first people who had ever experienced a smell issue).
A little nicer message followed, with the owner telling us that she would stop over the next day to see what she could do. Day 3 she arrived with a small portable fan and claimed that there had been a plumbing issue just before our stay and that we should run the delivered fan….but that was as much resolution or concern as was offered. We ran the fan, along with the unit’s ceiling fans and AC fan for the balance of our stay but unfortunately you can’t eliminate the smell of rotted and mildew by simply running fans.
If above mentioned was the only problem, we might have been a little less put off however there were several other issues including mold in the bedroom closet, multiple burnt-out lights, non-functioning status of the bathroom’s only electrical outlet, a temperamental thermostat that kept shutting down the system, a non-locking exterior door, an overgrown to the point of unusable outdoor sitting area and wires hanging from the ceiling where smoke detectors used to be. No single one of these things would have been a deal breaker - and we still had a great time because after all, it is New Orleans - but the multiple mentioned problems made the lodging portion of our trip a less than pleasant experience.
Over the years I have enjoyed a number of wonderful stays at various Airbnb properties. A cool, funky vibe is always appreciated but it is disappointing when a host banks on that and doesn’t pay attention beyond superficial housekeeping. The owner of this property seemed like a nice enough person but she needs to reinvest into more serious maintenance to ensure a safe and healthy stay for her guests. My money is spent and I’ll never book this one again could have been the end of this tale but after much consideration I have decided to post this honest review with hopes that others will find it useful.