When writing a review I believe it’s key to state my lived experience upfront so anyone with a disposition in opposition to my lived experience can just skip this if they don’t find any of this relatable or relevant to what they’re trying to do or what they can comprehend. I’m a black man born and raised on the south side of Chicago I’m well acquainted with city living. I’m a working professional writer, artist, businessman, free lance investor. My siblings and I were headed to new york to shoot a poetry video for my sister who is a renowned poet who’s written two poetry books and working on a third. All that being said. This was a sibling trip AND a WORKING trip. We were staying here for a week and planned to WORK AND PLAY and expected infrastructure that would support both of these things and provide us with sufficient hospitality to comfort us during the length of our stay. Unfortunately, I ultimately found “The Spot” Inadequate to suit my needs.
TL DR; All in all I felt like I should have got my money back and moved into a hotel. At this price point, at this value, “The Spot” seems like a place where you can rest your head for a day or two but it is not worth an extended stay for the modern day professional. I found Dwains service to be adequate. There were some things I found downright unacceptable but we discussed these things and have settled them. I don’t like knowing the owner of my BnB has surveilled me and I don’t like being contacted during my period of rest to discover that you’re outside and you want me to take out the trash. It soured the taste of my whole stay.
On Air BnB I’m a customer first and foremost. And in return, I’m agreeing to be a good steward and cherish the opportunity to dwell in someones home for an extended stay. I agree to maintain the place. And follow the house rules. But ultimately? I’m a paying customer. With the preamble out of the way, let me tell everyone coming after me what EXACTLY they can look forward to seeing at “The Spot” Because every review prior to mine is either an exaggeration, or simply a bold faced lie- not in a bad way, it’s just obviously fluff for the sake of writing review on Air Bnb.
Please read on for what The Spot is actually like…
The inside of the apartment is beautiful. You stay above others who dwell below you. There are air conditioners in every room. One of the rooms mattresses is drastically inferior to the other two. And the master bedroom has it’s own bathroom. The master bedrooms mattress is insanely comfortable. The pillows are way too firm, I ironically felt more comfortable sleeping on the mattress without them.
The water pressure is amazing and the temperature of said hot water is phenomenal. The dish washer wasn’t working when we arrived which Is funny because we were raised without a dishwasher anyway. The one time we thought we were going to have one… we didn’t.
Dwain stocked the refrigerator with half a case of bottled water but we decided to buy our own case lest we drink all of his. Dwain left one bath towel and one face towel for each of us who were staying. I may be considred boujee for saying this, but you gotta leave your guests a face towel, AND a body towel, AND a dry-off towel. Just saying. You expect me to wash my face with the same towel I wash my ass with?
In the master bedrooms bathroom there’s this bathtub shelf contraption that kept falling over. I get it’s purpose but as soon as the condensation from the shower got too ubiquitous this contraption decided to descend and narrowly hit me on the head.
As an artist I like to think I stretch my dollar well, and there’s nothing more than I appreciate than a good value. On top of that there’s nothing more than I appreciate than good service. For the price I paid? Which was over a thousand dollars for a week… this was not a good value.
I could have stayed at 3 star motel 8 or druy inn and had a better time than this. And I would have gotten a pool and free continental breakfast. This BnB as it stands is quite honestly a scam.
I never got a ‘welcome to my home’ or something. And Dwain if you’re gonna pull up on someone after YOU said lights out was at 10 perhaps let us know you’re coming by? Perhaps ask “how are you enjoying your stay?”
I’ve been nothing but kind, cordial, forthcoming, and gracious to Dwain. I can prove it with screenshots of our correspondences. And Dwain (for the most part) reciprocated that. He’s done what’s required of a host so far. He’s responsive. Available. And sounds like a nice person over the phone. He even “complained to the cable company for us” Yea?
On Air Bnb Dwain says that we would ‘love having him as a host’. What kind of host pulls up on you IN PERSON at 11:30 pm reminding you to take out the trash? Then says ‘sorry about it being late. I only contacted you because i saw the lights were on’ WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE OWNER of their BnB is surveilling them??! I reminded Dwain again that I’m literally working. I’m creating something from nothing. I’m resting at 11:30 pm. Maybe its a symptom of New York ‘hospitality’ where people just expect you to move when they say move, but in the midwest we like to ask people if they have the emotional capacity before we ask something of them.
“Hey Khameron good evening. I’m in the area, just wondering if you’ve taken out the trash. If not no worries just please be sure the trash