I’m not one to complain about much, and I know that this is a business for Rejvi’s family so I will be as graceful as possible. However, I also have a duty to be honest so others can have answers to questions that I might have had myself before booking.
Rejvi’s place is public transportation heaven. It is also literally up the block from a CVS, IHOP, a dollar store and more. It’s location was great. Also, it was a pretty large for a basement apartment. It is a basement apartment not street level.
Rejvi added details and touches that were appreciated such as toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, a hair dryer and basic seasonings in the kitchen. It was also decorated thoughtfully. The beds were pretty comfortable and I had put the maximum amount of guests in order to be respectful to Rejvi’s place but only four people stood in the Airbnb. Rejvi said if a fifth person would have stayed that she’d provide an air mattress or we could use the sleeper couch. However, it was not necessary for us.
We were able to make a light breakfast with the things in the kitchen with a working stove and oven. She also offered to bring down another portable oven for our use. The water pressure and the hot water in the shower was phenomenal! I loved that the handle could be used at different levels and the pressure could be changed. In some places it takes a while for the water to heat up, this wasn’t the issue here. So, be careful with how hot you turn the knob because it does get hot! I loved it.
Additionally, Rejvi was accommodating and let us check out later than we were suppose too. I appreciated her kindness and for that, I tried to make sure my group and I left the unit cleaner than when we came in. We placed the used towels piled up on the chair and the dishes washed and put away.
With that being said, honestly the cleanliness could have been much better. When I brought the issue up with Rejvi, she mentioned that she would be changing her cleaning company and because of the issues that were brought to her attention, she returned $50 to me (was half of the $100 cleaning fee). I did bring my own sanitizing wipes because none were provided so if you’re like me I’d suggest bringing your own. Additionally, the TV was working but it wasn’t connected so we weren’t able to watch anything or connect it to anything. Also, the remote was missing. Rejvi said she ordered a new one through Amazon and would bring it down when it came in. I’m assuming it wasn’t delivered in time because she never came down or sent a message about it. So, we decided to leave the issue alone and just did without it.
It was a bit loud with the fire trucks frequently passing by. Earlier reviews mentioned a firehouse nearby but I didn’t see one. However, it is New York so I didn’t count it against anyone but I thought I should just mention it for anyone who might be sensitive to that. Honestly, the noise didn’t personally bother me much but I did hear the firetruck 2-3 times throughout the Saturday I stood between 12-6. I got home really late that night (around 3-4am) and don’t recall hearing any fire trucks so I slept comfortably.
There were also some other issues that came up and came out during our stay. Rejvi offered us a refund and exit of our stay if we felt uncomfortable. However, we were already halfway through our stay and to find another Airbnb at that time wouldn’t have been possible for us.
Parking would have been a bit challenging if we brought our car but Rejvi offers parking for $10 per day. However, you might want to ask about it ahead of time before booking because her other Airbnb unit upstairs booked the parking before we could. That was my fault really because I should have inquired about it earlier and she does mention that in her listing as well. There is tons of public transportation nearby such as the A train and several buses nearby. We left the car at home and used Uber. Ubers and Lyft are easily accessible around that area and came quickly.
All in all, our experience could have been better and the place was mediocre for our short stay. Rejvi tried to be accommodating despite the issues that came up and came out but personally, I would not stay again but hey, that’s just me.
I think this place would work well for those who don’t mind the things that come up and come out with staying in a NYC basement. Furthermore, for those who are looking to be close to transportation to the city and other parts of Queens. The access to public transportation in the area is really convenient. Additionally, for those looking for the convenience of being situated next to a lot of stores and restaurants.