There are no major issues with this place, only minor issues, but enough of them that deducting 2 stars (out of 5) seemed appropriate, which is unfortunate because most of them are so easily correctable with the slightest attention to detail.
To keep it simple, I like to stick to a simple "Pros and Cons" list. As a baseline, I expect certain things for an Airbnb. For example, I typically expect there to be some sort of bed in my Airbnb. If it's an inordinately uncomfortable bed below what one would expect based on the price/class of the AirBnB, it will be listed as a con. If it's above and beyond what you could reasonably expect (i.e. more comfortable than usual), it will be listed as a pro. Otherwise, if it's average, it won't be listed as either.
So, while one might typically list many things as PROS such as "reasonable wifi speeds", "reasonable shower pressure", "room has a heater", these are all things I expect from virtually any airbnb that I stay at, so I won't even bother listing those. Remember, PROS are what is above and beyond what one could expect.
*** Note that this review is not for this particular room, but Cristina's other listing for the larger room. She had asked if it would be okay for us to stay in that one because of a last minute switch with another guest, which was fine with us.
PROS
- Close to the Bay Parkway N train station (2 min walk)
- Shower is nice tile and more spacious than usual
- Large walk in closet
CONS
- Room is in the basement with low ceilings and door frame. I'm 6'2" I hit my head on the frame if I don't duck
- Uncomfortable, very firm mattress. My back was sore after a few days.
- Pillows that smell like medicine and are really flat. Extra pillows or just fluffier, more supportive ones would have helped.
- No flat sheets on the bed or fitted sheets. The bed was simply a comforter on top of a mattress with a mattress protector.
- Towels that are extremely stiff and scratchy. Were they hung dry?
- Thin walls -- heard doors slamming and people snoring in the next room over from our room.
- Door handles are loose/wobbly and are really strange -- you could only open the door by turning the doorknob the opposite way of the key turning.
- Only light is the ceiling light controlled by the switch on the wall by the door, so if you want to go to bed, you have to turn that light off and tiptoe across the room to bed in pitch black, or use your phone
- Lights are too bright and need a diffuser; indeed someone already used a post-it note on the one directly above the bed to do just that
- No recycling bin
This place could have gotten 5 stars from me if the owner paid just a little more attention to the details and was willing to spend a tiny amount for small comforts. There was an extra TV sitting in the hallway that could have been just fine for the room -- just make sure it is already connected to the wifi and as a bonus has a spare HDMI cable for people to use if they want to connect their own devices. Get a set of comfortable pillows and an inexpensive mattress from Amazon or Ikea that would be more comfortable than the thin hard mattress we slept on. Beds should have at a minimum a flat sheet and a fitted sheet on top of the mattress protector which are washed between guest stays. Cut some printer paper in circles and cover the ceiling lights to diffuse them a bit. Add a lamp to the nightstand next to the bed so guests can use a light in bed without having to get up. Add a bin for recycling in the hallway for guests to use. Buy some new doorknobs that are easier to use and don't feel like they'll fall off the door. Use the dryer to dry the towels rather than hang them so they come out soft.
Call me over-critical, but I think these are small things that could be done once and would ensure a much better stay for people.
Nathan