I am very perplexed and dissapointed by my experience this time with the host/hosts. I booked this room coz I ve booked it before, had no major issues and felt it was a safe choice. I was mistaken since the way I was treated was horrendous.
Read full review, although lengthy, for a trip into the Twilight Zone:
Place is super close to the subway, supermarkets and shops. Nice vibe as a neighborhood but one of the dirtiest streets I ve seen in NYC and.I ve stayed around.
The room has no windows so it can get stuffy but the air conditioning helps
Carpet is two different shades *the original, lighter one and patches of a darker colour looking like all the dirt over the years has accumulated there. Btw, it s the same as 5 yrs when I booked this room again. Host said carpet is cleaned but they won t be throwing it our for MINOR stains. I took pics just to show my friends so that I m sure I m not insane. Everyone laughed at the use of the word minor.
Bathroom is clean, common areas could be cleaner, esp since people come in to clean them during your stay.
There s leftover food from previous guests in the apt. in the fridge that noone really seemed to bother take out. So it s just accumulating in the fridge over time *if your guests won t do it, it ultimately is up to you to take care of it*
There is no ONE garbage bin, everyone is made to keep their trash in their own room which I find a bit unsanitary since you basically create small hotbeds for bugs etc to be attracted inside where people sleep and spend most of the time. The host said that they had to get rid of the bin because noone out of the guests would the trash out. I suggest that whoever comes to clean should do this too.
And now for the horrendous treatment:
At some point during my stay I noticed old, frail spider webs under the cabinet in my room (I can tell fresh from old spider webs as an avid free camper since the age of 4) and mentioned it to the host. Some days later I noticed that they extended all the way to the base of the mirror approximately 10-15cms away, a fact I hadn t noticed before. I started wondering if the room had been swept/cleaned before I got in. Tied with the dirty carpet *which I was telling myself, it s prob old stains that can to go away but I m sure they sweep/clean* I started feeling uncomfortable. I communicated this and let the hosts know that maybe we could discuss some reimbursement since also I thought I was being charged with a cleaning fee.
Next thing I know I get a change in my itinerary which was requested at 1 am to leave by 11 am the same day. Also a message telling me that since we can t really decide how old/new the webs and stains are, the best thing for me would be tonfind something else and I would be refunded the additional nights that I wouldn t spend there. The message also mentioned that a cleaning fee was not charged. I have to note that I had made no mention of possibly wanting to go. This is when the 'minor stains' on the carpet were mentioned.
I saw at 3am, panicked coz I didnt have time to pack or anywhere to go *I m from Greece btw*. I responded mentioning how this change was uncalled for, how I have no time to pack and that I m sure we can figure out some other way, esp since I didn t know I was not charged a cleaning fee
At around 4.30 am I received the most patronizing answer, insinuating that it s too late to have such an issue and want reimbursement *i had been there for three weeks and the first time I saw the webs was 10 days into the stay because i touched them. Sorry I trusted that you have cleaned and didn t come equiped with my magnifying glass*. It also said that for sure I can find a place in NYC which offers what I m asking for *6.5 hours before checkout time, at 4.30 am and in NYC. Yes. Sure* and that, and I quote, I should 'move on'. (It might be helpful to note that previous answers from the hosts on different subjects have been a bit patronizing, rude, and perhaps a tad sarcastic *can t really make out tone from msgs but this interaction confirmed it for me*). Finally it was mentioned that I was the one who had initiated this as an answer to me trying to understand why they are kicking me out. *thank you for this attempt to gaslight me*
By this point, I had no idea what was happening. I tried to explain again that I am UNABLE to leave in 6 hrs time while texting everyone I know in NYC at 5am to see if they could help. As I kept saying the same things again and again, I saw the reservation changed back to the original dates. Then I got a message confirming this, a statement about how the rooms are cleaned between guests and how someone helps with cleaning common areas. It ended with 'Have a great day'
Honestly, after this encounter and this uncalled for behaviour and back and forth , I felt I was dealing with someone who I couldn t trust. I found a place to stay and left the next day. My message letting them know that I wnated to leave started with me writing 'so hey again'. Their reply started with 'so hey'. Sarcasm or just plain creepy? Nah prob passive agressiveness
Hurriyet, when pepple find out of tasks that should have been perofmed by