Pros: Location (walkable, lots of tourist spots)
Cons: Poor cleanliness, lack of hospitality, safety concerns (also due to location), spotty wifi, lack of parking
The Space:
The apartment itself has great city views, a comfortable bed and living space, and most of the kitchen appliances you would need. It also has a laundry and dishwasher in the unit which is great for longer term stays. The wifi is extremely spotty and I was disconnected multiple times a day.
When we arrived, we noticed that the hand and dish soap (and some other basic necessities) were nearly empty, however the host did resolve this. As we were unpacking, we saw sheets that appeared to be tossed in the cabinet and a storage area that was full of clutter. It wasn’t a great first impression as it appeared the bare minimum was done to make the apartment livable.
As time progressed, we noticed how unclean the apartment truly was. The bath had various stains and would not drain due to being filled with hair (from a previous guest). We also found a previous guest's underwear under our bed which is simply disgusting. We found dirty chopsticks and food crumbs in the cutlery drawer as well as dishes that had chunks of dried food on them. This listing claims to follow the multiple step cleaning process, which should be the standard especially with a pandemic, but what we witnessed showed unacceptable and unsanitary conditions.
The Location:
The location is great in terms of walkability (lots of nice bars, restaurants, etc are nearby) as well as tourist attractions. The building has a rooftop view which is nice, however the location definitely has its cons. As it is close to downtown, it is not the safest place and there are definitely areas nearby that I would especially avoid at night.
These fears were validated when we saw a car directly in front of the building that had a smashed window and appeared to have been robbed. Unfortunately, our vehicle was part of this spree along with several others near the building. We also noticed several smashed storefront windows within walking distance. Other than risky street parking (which most days are only a two hour limit), you would need to be responsible for finding your own parking lot and factoring in that cost and inconvenience as well. While vandalism isn’t a controllable factor by the owner, and isn’t surprising in downtown areas, it is important to mention as it ultimately it is a safety issue and will have a negative impact to those staying in this area.
The Host:
As listed, we had to meet with a greeter to receive the keys which required a scheduled time. This can be inconvenient if you don’t have an exact schedule for that day but every situation is unique. The greeter was friendly and directed us to Sarah for any concerns or questions.
Any interaction we had with Sarah came across as dry and she was not hospitable, which is unlike any other host we’ve had through Airbnb. We contacted Sarah about the missing kitchen items and in addition to being unapologetic, she didn’t seem to know who we even were and simply asked what unit we were staying in. That said, she did resolve the issue and gave us a few extra items.
Overall, we really wanted to like this Airbnb. At first glance, it looks promising, however, in the week or so that we spent staying here, there were too many cons to justify a recommendation. Moving forward, we would definitely stay in a different location that honors their cleanliness and hospitality practices.