This Airbnb was #4 of 4 we stayed at over the course of a four week road trip. We had primarily stayed in other east side neighborhoods in the past and looked forward to checking out a new area however were very disappointed in this property.
- Communication: 2 days prior to check-in, I had a nervous feeling never having receiving any communication at any point in time. Airbnb indicated they should have sent me the check-in code 3 days prior. I reached out and the reply was that 'it is in the prior email I sent through Airbnb'...which I thought was an odd response rather just resending the code. After I sent screen shots of my Airbnb message center showing no emails from the host, she sent the code.
- Check-in: we arrived shortly after 3PM, the stated check-in time but the code did not work. We have stayed at many Airbnb's which use the same keypad and the three we had just stayed in used the same keypad, so we knew it was not user error. We texted and called with no answer. After an hour sitting on the porch trying the code with no success and contemplating going to a hotel, the code suddenly began working. Once inside in the hard copy house manual, we found that the primary host must be EU-based as it indicated she would not be available between 1-10PM PT and that there was a local contact. The local contact really has to be provided upfront if the primary host is not going to be available during check-in.
- Quality: our immediate sense upon walking in was disappointment. The select parts of the house photographed do not represent reality. This is a decent old craftsman but it is very much showing its age and can only be painted over so many times. The downstairs bathroom was very nice. The upstairs bathroom was a clogged sink, no toilet lid and the frame holding up the curtain around the tub/shower was falling out of the ceiling. The shower was also so low that it was useless for me at 6'3". You can see in the kitchen especially where the floor is cracking/sliding/leaning. The fenced in outdoor area was a disappointment...it was filthy, at best. Trash on the ground, broken hose, those odd slatted closets filled with dirty, empty or partially used cleaning items. We had a small 8# dog with us and hopes of a nice yard for it were dashed. We do not expect designer furniture at an Airbnb however the furniture had a very used/beaten look and feel of something that came from a second hand store.
- Neighborhood: I would not say the neighborhood is bad....but the immediate area where is house is is not great. There were some great spots within walking distance. However, as a 6'3", 180# male, I still did not walk around alone at night.
Overall, I would definitely not recommend. The cost per night is nowhere worth the value provided. Unless you have a pet (like we did) or a pressing need to stay in this specific area of Hawthorne, there are plenty of other lower cost and higher quality options. This place just feels like what happens when the owner/primary host is out of state/country and you do not have that local care and attention. 5 reviews since 2017 was a red flag we noticed when booking but ignored.