Booking airbnbs is an interesting experiment in human psychology. What I mean is, you’re presented with images and written descriptions, and your imagination combines the photos and words with your hopes and dreams for your vacation. The resulting expectation is usually quite different from the reality of the rental.
In the case of the mushroom dome cabin, the photographs were completely accurate and the cabin exactly as pictured, down to the placement of kitchen items, pattern of the bedspread, and suncatcher in the window. Milo the cat and Eliot the dog both greeted us, showed us around, and were simply delightful. However, what photographs don’t capture are the olfactory details. And unfortunately, had we known how the cabin would smell, we most certainly would not have booked it. The odor inside the cabin was completely overwhelming and indescribable.
We’ve both stayed in many old, musty, and mildewy cabins and are no strangers to less-than-pleasant odors. However, the odor in the mushroom cabin was on an entirely different level. It was impossible to escape or ignore, despite opening windows, running the fan, wearing essential oils, and hoping we’d grow accustomed to it. There was no discernible source to the odor. Believe it or not, it was not the composting toilet. The bathroom was the cleanest and freshest smelling of the entire cabin.
Because the odor was clearly nothing anybody could change, we chose to not bother the host about it and instead spent little time in the cabin. We had many outdoor activities planned and simply used the cabin as a place to sleep at night.
We’re not big on complaining or cutting down (there’s too much of that polluting the world), but we didn’t think it would be fair to write another 5-star review. It was partly because of all of the 5-star reviews and the title of “#1 on airbnb in the world” that we booked the cabin. It was impossible not to have great hopes and expectations about what a lovely little vacation retreat this would be. And it was impossible not be be disappointed when the odor cast such an unpleasant shadow on everything else that might have been charming about the cabin.
There are thousands upon thousands of people who had amazing vacations staying here. But it simply wasn’t for us.