I enjoyed my stay at Stephen’s apartment. Main attraction is its location; right next to Bergen subway station, at the Bergen/Smith streets crossing. Smith street alone has loads of good bars and places to eat, and I loved it there.
The apartment is nice as well. Not overly big, but a decent bed, a desk, a couch and a small kitchen. Nice art reproductions on the walls, and a working A/C. The bathroom is tiny and a bit outdated but everything worked. A small foldaway table served me as a place to put my clothes on for the week. All in all,it is better value for money than staying in a midrange hotel.
Checkin was easy, with clear instructions being provided before arrival, and communication before checkin was smooth.
Checkout was a bit more complicated as the place where one can store luggage was not open according to its website (I had to leave a bit before 11:00am which was checkout time) and the owner of that place did not pick up the phone. I sent a text to the owner (after trying to ring him first), suggesting I’d leave my luggage in the apertment (which I left spotless, even making the bed and sorting the little waste I had generated). Not receiving a reply and needing to leave, I sent a further text stating that I would leave my luggage in the apartment and pick it up within two hours. Somehow, my messages were not received - he was abroad - and I ended up in a back and forth with the owner’s partner (my main point of contact) through the Airbnb app. Him claiming I checked out too late (technically correct), me arguing the place to store luggage was closed (and sending screenshots to prove that I had at least tried to send messages/call). Too bad. When I casually mentioned that I had been bitten a few times by an unknown insect of sorts (yet not mosquitos), the conversation - on the owner’s partner’s end - became a bit unpleasant, unfortunatey. I did at no point claim that there were bedbugs, and I still don’t know what bit me. A bit of an unpleasant end of my stay.
All in all, my review is going to be neutral, despite the apertment itself being a good place to stay.
The owner (or rather his partner) has now threatened to negatively review me as a guest.