Pros:
The place itself is fantastic. It’s spacious, clean, comfortable, updated and nearly every bedroom has its own bathroom which is super helpful and made getting ready easy since we didn’t have to fight over mirrors/space. Location is perfect and is in walking distance to everything you could want in Newport including bars, shopping and restaurants. There is parking behind the building which was very convenient and while the listing says there are two spots available, we were actually allowed to use a few more spaces than that which we appreciated very much. There is an elevator up as well which is helpful for heavy bags or anyone who might struggle with stairs. We were there for a bachelorette party and the space was ideal for that type of weekend, plenty of common space to gather and a comfortable, well decorated house overall.
Cons:
The host was not very easy to communicate with. I had a couple general questions in the few days leading up to check in, but never got a response until we had already arrived. I was glad the check in process was easy and instructions were clear cause I was not sure I’d be able to reach him if I needed help. Also, depends on your group, we were there for a bachelorette so it didn’t bother us too much as we were out at night anyway, but it’s good to know the house is above a bar/lounge and it can get very loud at night. There are noise machines in the bedroom which was nice, but if you are hoping to go to bed early/ relax and are a light sleeper, you might be bothered by the noise, just something to consider. I’d also recommend the host provide some basic cleaning supplies, there wasn’t a broom in the house which made it hard to clean up throughout the weekend and before we left. We had to go out and buy paper towels as well, so just something that would have been nice to have on hand. Last, we didn’t have hot water when we arrived and while I was able to reach the host and he said he’d send a plumber by, nobody was able to come during our stay so we were left without hot water the whole weekend. That meant cold showers and not being able to properly run the dishwasher which was tough as some of the girls in the group are breastfeeding and would have liked to sanitize their pump parts. Unfortunately for us it was in the 40’s and rainy the weekend we were there so was especially tough to tolerate the ice cold shower for those who braved it. One of the showers in the bedrooms was also missing a handle to turn it on so it couldn’t be used. Due to the water troubles specifically, I requested a partial refund as I felt like it was a standard need in a place you’re saying for multiple days and while the host did eventually agree to refund some of what we paid, I felt was a more difficult process than necessary to get to that point as I had a very hard time getting in touch with him to discuss. I was not getting a response and it was not until Airbnb was involved that I got to speak with him about the request. Even after that it’s been 2 weeks of trying to resolve this and while I am very grateful they are willing to give a partial refund, I am still waiting to receive the refund we agreed upon. I understand there can be issues and it is not necessarily the hosts fault the water wasn’t working, but I do wish that communication was easier and it wasn’t so time consuming to try and resolve the issue. Having been an Airbnb host myself, I appreciate the need to be responsive and while not ideal, to also take responsibility if your guests don’t have the stay they expected and ensure they feel supported.
All in all I feel like the property itself is lovely, the location is perfect and if you’re a group that won’t be bothered by noise this place is great. Just be mindful of the host communication piece because if that’s important to you, I can’t guarantee you’ll feel supported throughout your stay should you need something which is too bad because it is a nice space overall.