Caleb's place was in a pretty good location, and check in was a breeze. However, communication with the host was poor, and there were issues with cleanliness.
Communication: My first question to Caleb was about the distance to the train stop which is nearby, and if it was walkable from this location. I ended up asking three times and after the third time he said "I gave you the address". This never answered the question and I thought it was rude.
Clenliness: The room was very decent and a fair price, but there were cleanliness issues. There were multiple stains on the comforter, and the bathtub was grimy with black mildew. I sent him pictures of both of these issues and his response was:
"Thanks so much for staying with us. We review all our guests (5 stars 99.99% of the time) and I hope you feel we have also earned your 5 star review. If so, you taking the time to leave it is greatly appreciated.
If you have any suggestions on how we could improve the guest experience please say so in the "private feedback" section of the review.
Your feedback is very important to us as we are constantly working to improve the experience for everyone.
Thanks,
Caleb"
Well, this goes back to communication. He never read my messages and didn't even look at the pictures and this was obviously a form letter. I even gave him 8 hours to reply before writing this review, and nothing but that formulaic response. I accepted the risks of staying with up to 4 other airbnb guests that you know nothing about, but the overall experience was a thumbs down for me as the host just doesn't seem to care. Airbnb does not allow me to post pictures of the bathroom or comforter or I would.