DEBORAH FORD
Google
The apartment had clearly not been cleaned in weeks, if not months. The floors were sticky enough to pull at our socks, and thick black dirt wiped up easily with just a damp cloth. The shower was unusable due to extensive grime, mold, and mildew—we were unable to bathe during our stay.
The bed pillows were visibly stained with crust and grime. A smoke alarm directly above the bed blinked continuously, making sleep nearly impossible. We shared photos of these issues with the host.
We also found empty drug baggies in the elevator and observed prostitution on the corner. By any reasonable standard, this is not a safe neighborhood.
The host’s response was flippant and dismissive—no apology, only excuses, and a refusal to offer even a partial refund. Their full response:
"We did not recived any emergency call regarding the cleaning, however, we have forwarded the bathroom pictures to our external company to further take action. The elevator is used by all the guests in our building. We are not responsible for what our guests are carrying in their belongings and pockets. The alarm has to be blinking green because it is connected to the fire department, and, by law, the indicator has to be on at all times, therefore, we have placed a sticker indicating that the fire detector cannot be disconnected. The bathmat is sent by a professional cleaning company, it is not washed internally, and all the linen and towels are inspected by our supervisor confirms that it was never delivered like this."
It’s important to clarify:
No general service number was provided—only an “emergency” line. Had we known these concerns qualified, we would have called.
Hen/stag parties are prohibited, but based on the host's response, drug use appears to be tolerated.
Multiple guests have clearly complained about the blinking smoke alarm. A simple solution: choose a better-designed unit or relocate it away from directly over the bed.
The issue with the bathmat was misunderstood. The dirt came from the unclean floor—there was no problem with the mat itself.