Unfortunately, this stay has not been the most positive experience for me. I'm an ardent fan of Airbnb experiences, which makes me choose an Airbnb over a hotel stay but that means I value an experience more than just a service.
Here are positives about Alex's place:
1. Nice king size bed; very comfortable and there is a TV if you want to watch TV and unwind in both the bedroom and in the living room.
2. A writing desk and good wifi, which helped me work because part of my trip was a work trip and I had a hectic 12-hour schedule.
3. Kitchen with utensils and a pantry with coffee supplies. There is a dishwasher too if you need it.
4. The location is close to good restaurants. If you have a car, no problem.
Here are things that didn't work for me:
1. The bathroom needed some maintenance before check-in; the toilet was clogged and wasn't flushing and the shower was creating a puddle. Not okay. Alex was prompt about sending a plumber when I complained and toilet was taken care of but I had not yet noticed the issue with the shower so I adjusted.
2. The patio furniture had a left over cigarette bud and cobwebs. Not okay.
3. The second bedroom beds are not the most comfortable and there were limited warm blankets. Austin was surprisingly colder. I needed a second bedroom, which was the reason I booked this Airbnb. We managed but again, not okay.
4. House rule: One of the rule states that the cleaning fees of $98 is for cleaning the place before check-in and therefore, the guest should take out the trash. This is the first time I'm coming across such a house rule. I'm always mindful of being a good guest so of course I obliged but I wasn't thrilled. Besides, you will be greeted with several garbage bins in the Barton Village circle kept outside all houses. It made me wonder if there a problem with garbage collection in the area?
Two more things not bothersome but certainly takes away from the experience:
1. The living room furniture and the dinning chairs are overdue deep cleaning. You can tell they not been cleaned in a while.
2. The Schlage (automatic) lock doesn't light up so makes it hard in the dark to see the digits on the lock.
The place is about 15 minutes from the downtown so if you don't have a car, you will be spending on Ubers so you may need to estimate the overall value for money as the place wasn't cheap when everything considered. If I wasn't caught up with my office work, I would have probably checked out sooner than my stay and requested for a refund.