We enjoyed our time at this house. It was cozy and pleasant. The host, Alex, was welcoming and responsive when we had a concern at the house. The decor is lovely and the amenities are nice - pool included. Alex added a gracious touch by welcoming us with a complementary bottle of wine. The house is located in a pretty ordinary neighborhood, convenient to the beach (about 15 mins drive), stores (like Walgreens), and a sweet little butterfly garden (10 mins walk).
Notable downsides:
The space: As a relative newcomer to Airbnb I learned that photos can be deceiving. The house is smaller than expected. It sleeps 10 people but the rooms are small and the space overall is not as expansive as the photos appear - so travel with ppl you really like. :). Fortunately, we did and we filled the space with joy and laughter! The white decor is lovely and gives the house a sleek, modern appearance. However, white must be kept spotless. The white walls and doors need some spot cleaning and paint. Some areas look dingy, which can easily be remedied with a coat of paint or a good scrub. I was especially put off by a large brown (water?) stain on the ceiling just inside the front door. The host needs to address this right away as it detracts from the house upon entry.
Household items: bed sheets were not available for the sofa bed when we arrived even though the host knew we needed the sofa bed to sleep 10. By the time we realized it after 11 pm on our first night, the host wasn’t available and so we had to use blankets as sheets on the bed. The housekeeper brought sheets the following evening. The bathrooms didn’t have wash cloths, which also were delivered the next evening, upon request. Last, several of the white towels showed stains and so we didn’t use them. The host should inspect and replace white towels when they begin to show wear and tear.
Furniture and kitchenware: Some minor maintenance is needed. The living room couch/sofa bed has a stain that probably could be addressed with spot cleaning. The kitchen is well equipped but some of the pots are getting old and the handles are loose and falling off. And the kitchen cabinets were dusty/with crumbs inside. All easy fixes.
This “dream house” was not cheap to rent and Alex is rated as a super host. My expectations were therefore high and were not fully met. I think this could be a great house and offer a superior experience with some additional TLC from the host.