Hayden’s place is in a phenomenal location and looks identical to the pictures. Hayden was easy to communicate with and fast to reply.
That being said, this was one of the worst experiences I’ve had in an Airbnb. I hate writing bad reviews, but I figured it would be helpful to give other travelers a heads up when selecting an Airbnb because I was disappointed and surprised.
Security: The door to this apartment is not secure. It has a large window that looks into the entire apartment and it doesn’t have a window covering. The glass appears to be shatter proof, but it is still disconcerting. The door itself is thin and the lock is one deadbolt that doesn’t feel very secure. There also is only one window covering in the entire apartment - including the bathroom.
The bathroom: While the bathroom itself is charming, it does not have a mirror and the hot water knob on the sink faucet does not work. This made it difficult to do my makeup or get ready in general. The shower is small and it honestly felt like a barracks shower. The biggest issue by far with the bathroom is the window without a covering, particularly because there was a window to another apartment about 5 feet away looking into it. It appears this apartment is empty, but I wasn’t sure. This made using the bathroom in general uncomfortable and awkward, particularly showering. At night it was honestly a little creepy, so my boyfriend stood in front of the window and blocked it while I went to the bathroom. There also was not a lot of towels provided, which Hayden did mention. There was only one hand towel and two body towels. Guests were encouraged to bring additional towels, but this is often difficult to do when traveling.
Cleanliness: The apartment had a weird smell when we walked in that smelled like there was a dead rat or other animal in the walls. It wasn’t particularly strong, but it was noticeable. There also was hair that did not belong to me or my boyfriend on the quilt of the bed, as well as on the shower wall. This was particularly shocking as the Airbnb does charge a cleaning fee.
Other issues: There is considerable street noise. It’s not a huge deal for us coming from Seattle, but if you need quiet to sleep, that is something to consider. We also heard a rat or other animal in the walls at night. There was thumping and scratching. It was pretty alarming. Hayden did alert me to this, but when I checked in there was construction being done on the fire sprinkler system. There were chunks of drywall that hadn’t been painted and the smoke detectors had still been disconnected.
The bottom line: The only reason I continued my stay here and didn’t get a hotel was because my boyfriend was with me. I overall didn’t feel super safe in the apartment and there were too many disconcerting factors. It is a pretty pricy Airbnb and with cleaning and other fees it was almost $300 for that one night. If cleaning fees are charged, the apartment should be clean and there shouldn’t be hair on the bed or in the shower. Guests are expected to clean their dishes and follow other check out procedures regarding cleanliness. It made me wonder what my cleaning fee was actually going towards. There can be small changes made to improve guest experience, such as adding window coverings, a mirror to the bathroom, hot water in the bathroom faucet, and providing additional towels. With the host messaging me several times about house rules and check out procedures, it felt like I was being allowed to stay here rather than paying close to $300 for a single night. It was a disappointment.