There are no half-stars, otherwise, I would have rated my stay at Martin’s to be a 4.5 stars.
My stay had a bumpy start, but turned out great. Prior to arriving, I informed Martin that I would arrive very late because of my flight. And he told me that this would be fine and that I would have no problem getting checked in. Unfortunately, the building superintendent did not respond to my calls and was not available to provide the electronic key to get inside the building as he was supposed to be. However, Martin was quick to help me to get in and out of the building until the following morning when I was finally able to connect with the super.
Sadly, I was surprised to find that the kitchen and bathroom were not as clean as I expected (obvious remnants of previous guests like stains in the toilet and coffee stains on the machine), especially given that Martin charges a $50 cleaning fee. I had to clean both of these rooms thoroughly before use. These were all issues that Martin could not resolve immediately, so I didn't bother to tell him. I think it's important to mention, however, because of the $50 cleaning fee. His cleaning person is not doing a great job.
Overall, I really had a wonderful stay. The issues I mentioned here were mostly out of Martin’s immediate control, but I feel like future guests should know about them. Also, if you’re staying in the cool months, Martin has these portable air conditioning units, which have tubes sticking out of the windows, and while I was there they created a serious draft, so much so that the curtains were blowing open, especially in the bedroom. I’ve brought this to Martin’s attention and suggested that he have these removed from the windows during the winter months. Future guests should also know that "free parking on premises" really means that guests have to park on the street. On Mondays you can't park on the right side of the street between 12-4:00pm and on Tuesday you can’t park on the left side between 12-4:00pm.
I feel the need to address reviews which describe the neighborhood as unsafe and all the rest. This section of Newark is filled with police and corrections officers, as well as hard-working, home-owning folks. I had a rental car which I parked on the street for a week and had no problems. No one stole it. The street upon which this building is on is a thoroughfare and is in a home-owning residential area. No one harassed or bothered me.
When folks describe places like this as “sketchy” or “unsafe” they need to know that these are racist code words which really mean “black” or “Latinx.” They should not be used on Airbnb.