I have been hesitant to write an honest review for this BnB, because it’s clear that the people operating it were trying their best just to stay afloat a create a business.
This listing is a shared space with room capacity for 8-10 people (there are 5 bedrooms.) Masks were available but there was no way to “encourage” other guests to be responsible in the space. I was not aware that there would be so many rooms in this BnB prior to booking it, and honestly, it was really scary staying around so many people who clearly did not take the initiative to be COVID safe. Where were they going? What were they doing all day? Were they smart enough to stay safe outside of the home? All I wanted to do was hide in the room, and eventually, I became complacent with my mask-wearing as well. They eventually installed soap dispensers in the bathrooms, but I feel that this was more for the appearance of being safe than actually operating the BnB in a conscientious manner.
I feel strongly that they were irresponsible for creating the BnB space that they did, clearly out of an effort to maximize profit as much as possible, with disregard for the risks involved in housing so many guests.
Yes, it was within our price range and we took the bite because we needed to conserve resources, but this space was quite simply a highly dysfunctional and uncomfortable environment to stay in.
As far as communication goes, the host was extremely passive-aggressive. He sent mass messages as, “To all guests” regarding cleanliness in the shared kitchen space, as there were not enough dishes for other guests to use because they were all dirty. The host supplied four plates for a space that had the capacity for 8-10 people. He later threatened to install cameras in the kitchen to “catch” whoever wasn’t washing their dishes.
We were adults who were paying to stay here and we had to worry about “the watchful eye of big brother” making sure that we were being responsible for how we conducted ourselves in a shared living space. This is absolutely ridiculous. I understand that he was trying to accommodate other guests by enforcing cleanliness standards within the space, but there is no way that I can regard this as clear, effective communication.
I cannot recommend this to anyone, other than somebody who is willing to settle for something that they feel they can afford while compromising the ability to operate on the basis of mutual understanding and respect with the host and other guests.