We had planned a 3-night trip to the Seattle area, selecting this property based on its convenient location. Arriving in Seattle at 8:30pm on a Friday evening, we were stunned to find that we could not gain access to the home based on the owner’s instruction; a key was missing from its assigned lock box. Unable to enter the home, our 9 person group (one an 18-month child) was forced to wait outside for 2 hours as Air B & B was contacted, and tried to reach the owner.

Air B & B was sincere and apologetic, but unfortunately could not reach the owner and we were instructed to find lodging elsewhere. We were able to put the 9 of us up in a local motel, hoping that the property owner would respond overnight.

The property owner did reach out on Saturday morning, stating that he was “sorry we arrived so late and he was asleep.” The owner gave us the combination to another lockbox at the home, containing a key to a different door. We packed up our motel room, returned to the property, and were again shocked to find that the additional key would not unlock the second door.

Frustration at its peak, we reached out to Air B & B once again. They gave us the owner’s phone number and we were able to reach him via text. He responded, but was more concerned with who didn’t replace the keys than being apologetic; must have been the previous guests. Meanwhile we were questioning… why would the house be considered for rent without first ensuring that guests can gain access? The owner arranged for his house-keeper to walk over and give us access to the home. The house-keeper arrived 35 minutes later, and we finally entered the home. In all, we spent four hours trying to enter the home, on top of being displaced overnight.

Upon entering the home, we did find a few additional points of frustration. One of the futons was broken and unable to open fully, which left one of our friends without a bed. We also found a fridge containing a substantial amount of spoiled food. Lastly, the floors and furnishings seemed dusty, and un-kempt. Normally we wouldn’t be concerned with these minor problems, but we were asked to adhere to strict cleanliness guidelines upon agreeing to rent the home. We did absolutely leave the place cleaner than when we arrived!

Given all of the above, once we gained access to the home we were pleased to find spacious rooms, a large and functional kitchen, and a great common area. The house is well-maintained, updated, and tastefully decorated. Best of all was the location; a charming neighborhood walking distance to great bars and City Center. Take away the frustrations of not being able to enter the home initially, and some otherwise admissible cleanliness issues, this was a satisfactory trip.