This stay was ultimately not good because the apartment was horribly overpriced for the experience. The apartment is on a very busy thoroughfare and traffic noise is constant, so much so I couldn’t enjoy the balcony and kept windows and doors shut for all but some quieter weekend hours. The number of stairs was not disclosed in advance despite my asking - for the record it’s over 50 stairs to the front door. I paid hotel rates to stay in this 2 BR apartment (more than AUD $200 a night). I don’t mind paying good money for a good experience but this included: old, broken fridge repaired on the cheap that still doesn’t seal well; old oven with a broken hot plate and unreadable dials meaning you couldn’t cook properly (never repaired); wardrobe that came off the rails (never repaired); unacceptably filthy windows (the owners are so loathe to spend money they turned up to clean them themselves without disclosing their identity and with their two children in tow!).
Angela is nice and professional and did her best to address issues (including not being properly cleaned before I arrived). She included the clean as part of the price which (given the price) was appreciated. The flat has a nice light feel, tasteful furnishings, good beds and linens, and some good local amenities (convenience store, laundromat, playground, cafe, bottle shop all nearby, beach a 15 minute flat walk), but the rest really made the experience a bummer and unacceptable.
When I requested a very fair partial refund (20% of the total cost which would STILL see them making well above market rate for a flat of this type) I was told I could have half of what I asked for if I left 8 days early - basically the same amount they could get for renting it out!
Read my other Air b n B reviews - you’ll see I am not the type to complain. In this case I felt the necessity to warn others as an Air b n b host and regular guest myself.
These owners need to charge consummate with the reality of the traffic and stairs. They also need to repair these old, broken appliances. As it is it was highway robbery.