Sometimes the main appeal of Airbnb is being able to stay somewhere as cheaply as possible above all else. In that sense, this is one of the best possible options I could have hoped to find in the San Jose area. But with that price come a few things to keep in mind:
One, the neighborhood at night time can make some people feel rather uneasy. You may see some strange looking people walking about, the lighting around this home is non existent, and parking is very uncertain. There are some lights that automatically trigger when you walk into the alley of the house, but the darkness that shrouds the place upon your arrival can make some people feel very uneasy.
Two, Parking on the street seems impossible near the house as I saw only red zones. The hope is that the driveway is open, which it was in my case.
Three, the building inside is not glamorous. When walking in the hallway to your room, there’s little to no lighting. The feeling it gives is claustrophobia and the aged look of the walls and doors doesn’t give a warm home feeling. The notes for guests taped to the different doors are aged, torn, ripping away, which gives you the feeling like the owners never come in here much. When using the bathroom, you’ll find dirty wall outlets, dirty looking light switches, pieces of the roof over the shower hanging off…..to make a long story short, come here if you’re just looking for a roof to be over your head and to get off the street. If you want a sweet, memorable, exquisite Airbnb that makes you feel lovely, this isn’t that place.
That’s not to say the owner hasn’t done anything to make my stay comfortable. The mattress is thin and slightly hard. That works to my benefit since my back requires that. The sheets and pillows were clean and comfortable. There was a box with a very warm and fantastically comforting thick quilt that was heaven to sleep in. I had towels provided that were neatly folded. The room did have a lamp and fan by my bed which I need to have a good night’s sleep. There was at least a shower that worked, although you’ll have to provide your own shampoo. You do have a very small but functioning kitchen room that has a fridge to use, as well as a microwave. And your room does at least have a lock on the door so you can feel like your stuff is secure.
The lockbox to keep your key in worked ok, but was a little fiddly.
Disturbingly, the main door to the building doesn’t seem to be able to close and lock, and one of the lock boxes is broken open. Even in the locked position, when I close the main door, it doesn’t lock in place. I can just keep pulling it open to come in. The owner might want to get that fixed.
All in all, I stress again, this is a place you should take if you’re simply trying to save money, and want only the bare essentials to get some sleep through the night. It’s not a comforting looking place, but it got the job done.