I’ve never written a critical review for an Airbnb before. It pains me to write anything negative about such a nice place.
Just for context, I’m a conscientious, tidy person who leaves any place I stay in great condition whether it’s a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO or a friend’s guest room. I put energy into making sure I am respectful of other people’s property and leave things in the condition I found them (or better). My uniformly positive reviews on Airbnb attest to that.
Starting with the good things: This Airbnb was a quality build with nice finishes and a private entrance. I appreciated the little touches and artistic décor. The kitchen was high end and well-stocked. The bed was comfortable and the high window in the shower to see the trees was very cool. The location was also great, in a walkable neighborhood. There were lots of restaurants and a grocery store nearby and it’s a super easy drive to and from PDX.
My major issue was the lack of hospitality and feeling welcome. I was told I wouldn’t get the check in information until day I arrived. Kim did comply to my request to get it a few days ahead, but why do I have to ask? I was flying across the country and it’s strange to not know until you land how to even get in the place you're staying! I also never received an address through Airbnb so I had to get that from Kim as well. I was already feeling the stress before I even arrived.
The house rules and instructions for checkout were incredibly complex – I’ve never had so many directions presented to me at an Airbnb! I kept re-reading them to make sure I covered everything, keeping in mind Kim’s statements in her rules that “I don’t want to have to raise my rate” or the threat of losing my security deposit. This loomed over the whole stay.
For that reason, I found it hard to relax here. I couldn’t stop thinking about the rules and whether I would get the checkout process done before my morning flight back home. It left me with an anxious feeling, almost like I was studying for an exam all week.
I followed the instructions as closely as possible (except for one confusing rule: Do I leave the kitchen window open when I leave? But I’m also told to shut it if it’s raining…). Other rules were: don’t wear shoes in the house, only do ONE load of laundry or pay up, no one is allowed to drop by to visit unless Kim is notified, strip the sheets and put in the washing machine but don’t start the machine, sort the recycling, take out the trash, don't make noise when walking past the front house windows, turn off the HVAC, wipe down the entire kitchen including the sinks, don't use one of the doors, don't walk on the parking strip... Aackk!
I would probably do all these things anyway but having them as an expectation was stressful.
Finally, my interactions with Kim were not particularly welcoming. We only spoke twice, once when I arrived about her lost keys and then when I was taking out the recycling she pointed out the bin location. When I left, I rolled past her with my suitcase as she sat a few feet away on her porch. There was no “goodbye,” “have a nice trip” or “hope you enjoyed your stay.” Just silence.