AirBnB Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 2

AirBnB: Split, Croatia; “Apartment Fonte Split”

Our apartment wish list in Split presented some challenges: We needed parking, but we wanted to be near the pedestrian old town. As always, I wanted value for our money (plus wi-fi, a washing machine, charm, a quiet place to sleep, a good host…). We really lucked out on all fronts in Split and ended up with one of our favorite AirBnB apartments to date…with a tiny caveat I’ll get to below.

Our host Vlatko was very responsive from the moment we booked. As promised, he was waiting in the street for us with his little boy when we arrived from Dubrovnik to “hold a parking place for us.” This was the first inkling that the billed guaranteed parking might not be so guaranteed; that caveat I mentioned. The parking turns out to be sort of a first-come–first-served affair at the end of the dead-end street on which the apartment sits. David did his usual awesome job of maneuvering our bigger-than-expected rent car into the snug parking. Vlatko explained that there was “usually” parking and, if we happened to come back and there wasn’t any parking, we could just park in the paid lot next door and then look down from the apartment window until a free space opened up and move the car. Hmm. Not how I wanted to spend my time in Split. Despite this potential hitch, we actually didn’t have a problem getting free parking on our return from our one daytrip to Krka, Trogir and Solin.

The apartment itself is brand, spanking new and charmingly decorated. The building is old and has been in Vlatko’s family for generations, but it has been entirely remodeled with high-end appliances and fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom and good linens on the bed. A full-size washing machine was only a week old, still sported a sticker and required a quick turn of a spigot to get the water flowing for the first time. There’s a small restaurant across the street, but otherwise this is primarily a short, residential street and all was quiet at night save for one persistent bird.

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A pretty little park lies across the street that intersects the opening to the apartment street. The walls of the old city abut the park. The walk into the old city is no more than a few minutes.

On the last day during breakfast, I looked out to see a vehicle wedging itself into the deadend parking area of our street. Two couples had been inside, but now one man drove and the other directed him into an ever-more-stuck position. Their wives circled the vehicle, the wife of the driver finally wrapping her scarf around a short pole so that her husband could literally bump it as he reversed then move an inch or so forward as he tried to maneuver his way out. From my vantage point, it was clear that the man giving directions was directing the exact opposite of what should be done. I called David over to the window to witness the show and after watching a few minutes, he couldn’t resist calling down. It turned out the people below were from Canada so “hooray!” English would work. David took over directions and soon got them out of their dilemma, being proclaimed a hero by the ladies below. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo, so here’s a clear shot of, not only their predicament, but also the free parking situation (ours is the black car to the far left) and the paid parking just up the steps:

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At $86/night, all taxes and fees included, the apartment fit my definition of value, taking into account typical rates for Split.

You can check out this apartment at: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7261473?sug=50

If you’re new to AirBnB and want to give it a try on this or any other apartment, you can use my referral link which should get both of us $30 in AirBnB travel credit: http://www.airbnb.com/c/tcuthrell Let me know if you have any questions.

AirBnB: Dubrovnik

20160413_121733 — David entering our Dubrovnik apartment building

For our relatively short stay in Dubrovnik, location was my prime concern when it came to lodging. I wanted to be in the old city. From past experience, I knew we wanted as few stairs as possible. I wanted to be close to things, but away from the noise of late-night clubs or crowds beneath our windows. This was a short stay, so we didn’t need as many amenities as we sometimes prefer, being able to skip, for example a washing machine. Lastly, I wanted a deal! Dubrovnik has become a relatively expensive city in recent years (see my first Dubrovnik post if you’re interested in hearing me whine about crowds and high prices), but we felt our AirBnB apartment was a bargain at $66.50/night, all fees and taxes included.

First off, location was fabulous. We had to walk the length of the Stradun and a bit beyond the cathedral, but with spinner wheels and that smooth Dubrovnik paving, that was no problem for us. Dubrovnik is a city of stairs, and lugging suitcases can be a real hassle. So, I’d been thrilled to read that there were only 24 stairs to reach this apartment (some outside and a flight of stairs inside). In Dubrovnik, this is about as close to handicap accessible as it gets! (Obviously, I’m joking and this isn’t truly handicap accessible. Anyone with mobility issues should take note.) The apartment is on a quiet side street just a few yards from the wall of the old harbour.

The apartment was only 35m sq., but that was fine for our stay. Our hostesses had decorated it nicely, and we had a plate of packaged cookies waiting for us on arrival. We enjoyed meeting their parents. The father had been in the merchant marine and spoke good English. They lived just next door and that was one of our minor concerns: that we might bother them since only a set of double doors separated our bedroom from their apartment. It may be that the apartment had once been one large apartment before being divided and remodeled. In the end, it wasn’t a problem; we didn’t hear them and at least they never complained about hearing us.

AirBnBDubrovnikBedroom — A comfortable bedroom (with the locked double doors to the left leading to our hostesses’ parents’ apartment)

AirBnBDubrovnikKitchen — A small eat-in kitchen, well-stocked with herbs and spices, cooking utensils, etc.

The bathroom was basic and of an older style in a blue tile with both a toilet and bidet. The shower/tub combo worked fine, but was very short in length.

Our only minor hitch came the first morning. When we tried to leave the apartment, we found that we were locked in. Our key would do nothing. This was a new problem! Fortunately, our apartment “mother” heard us rattling the door and freed us with her key. She spoke only a little English, but urged us to get on with our day, indicating her husband would fix the lock. True to her word, he replaced the lock that day with many apologies saying the lock had been new but was, obviously, defective. We weren’t at all inconvenienced and it was a funny, non-event for us.

You can check out this apartment at: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6417304

AirBnB: Belgrade, Serbia; “Danube & Kalemegdan 1BD Apartment”

Our apartment in Belgrade was an amazing $43/night, net of all fees. Wow. I confess to being not only tempted by the price, but really curious to see just what we would get at that rate. The reviews were good; David, who’s become more and more willing to give the fruits of my bargain-hunting a try was game. I felt pretty optimistic about this booking…which isn’t to say I didn’t have a few niggling doubts on the taxi ride from the airport. But, our hostess, Vesna, had provided lots of comforting information, been super-responsive to my emails, correct about free wi-fi at the airport, and quick to respond to my WhatsApp text when we landed in Belgrade. So far, so good.

As promised, Vesna’s husband, Zoran, was waiting for us. The 1-bedroom apartment was on the 6th floor of a modern-style building some decades old. We had a security door to the lobby and an elevator. Although the area outside was not immaculately groomed (and tended to have a group of teenaged boys who hung out on the “stoop,” it was nice, in an Eastern bloc sort of way, and we never felt insecure in the neighborhood.

The apartment itself was spacious and homey (being our hosts’ former home) with a stylish living room. If anything, our hosts had left a tad too much in the way of supplies, particularly baby things, of which we had no need. I was not surprised, though, as the AirBnB description had been accurate. On the plus side, we had a lovely big living room with a large flat screen t.v., 2 balconies, and air conditioning (although the latter turned out to be only in the living room, less than ideal for nighttime coolness in the bedroom which was around the corner). I’m not sure how much of an issue this normally would be, but we arrived during an unseasonably warm spell. Still, even without a/c, it wouldn’t have been too bad with all the balcony doors open, including the one in our bedroom.

AirBnB2 — Belgrade kitchen (washer and dryer in pantry beyond)

AirBnB3 — The bed was comfy, but the room feels a bit crowded with all the baby things

AirBnB4 — More like a family bathroom than a hotel, but clean and well-equipped

In the previous post, you’ll find a photo of the big balcony we used frequently for meals and just to relax. It’s a huge plus. The apartment was quiet, too, save for the near-constant sound during the day of children laughing and playing in the nearby schools. (We had the doors open, remember.) It wasn’t a sound we minded at all.

Vesna and Zoran live nearby and they were quick with any problems we had (like when I stupidly unprogrammed the t.v.). They also kindly agreed to print for us at their office bus tickets we’d need in Montenegro and even delivered the tickets to the apartment so we wouldn’t have to interrupt our activities. Very nice people!

You can check out the apartment at: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5499461

AirBnB: Ljubljana, Slovenia

20160330_183510 — Ljubljana AirBnB living room/bedroom combo with painted ceiling

Secured courtyard parking in old town Ljubljana was the perk that sealed this AirBnB apartment for me. But, even without the need to safely park the rent car, I would have been tempted by the rave reviews and lovely photos. From the time I booked, our host Aljosa (pronounced “ah lee OH sah”) was quick to respond to my emails in excellent English. On our arrival, he was waiting to let us into the apartment as promised.

The apartment–in an old building, as I usually prefer when in Europe, was spotlessly clean and stylishly renovated. We particularly admired the ceiling mural and one wall on which he had left the partially-exposed old wallpaper.

20160330_183700 — Feature wall with original wall covering partially exposed

The apartment was arranged with a large combination bedroom/living room and a separate kitchen. Large floor-to-high-ceiling windows on the wall opposite the bed let in lots of light. Ample wardrobe space, a big work desk, a L-shaped sectional sofa and a flat-screen tv with lots of channels (some in English), and good wi-fi made for a very comfortable stay. From the kitchen window, we could see our rent car parked in the electronically-gated courtyard; very nice for peace of mind. Ljubljana felt very safe and our concerns were more along the lines of dents and scratches that are always a risk of city parking. If we had any complaints at all it was that the sheer curtains did leave the apartment rather bright at night, which might be an issue for some. I mentioned it to Aljosa and he may have remedied that by now; it would be worth asking. In any event, at $411 for 5 nights, I was very happy with the value.

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We loved the apartment’s location. There was a café just downstairs and another restaurant at the intersection in the other direction, on our way to the river and the heart of old town. Lots to do, but quiet at night; the perfect combination, IMHO. It was an easy walk to the myriad little riverside cafés and shops, the market and the funicular to the castle.

Aljosa helpfully offered suggestions for local restaurants and local foods to try. When I stupidly left a pair of glasses and a few small items on the bedside table, he mailed them ahead to our Zagreb AirBnB apartment and refused to let me pay. What an excellent host! You can check out the apartment at: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5817102

AirBnB: Venice, Italy; “Calle Gritti Apartment”

20160327_154255 — Gondolas beneath the windows of our AirBnB apartment in Venice

Venice is an expensive city so we were willing to pay more for the right AirBnB apartment than we might elsewhere. Still, $429 for 3 nights (inclusive of all fees) seemed like a good deal for the lovely 1-bedroom apartment we rented from Maurizio and Francesca. The location was perfect: very near the famous Gritti Palace Hotel and an easy walk to San Marco square, but far enough to be away from the crowds and the noise.

Maurizio was very responsive prior to our arrival and provided detailed information for guests arriving in Venice by any means imaginable. After taking the People Mover from the cruise ship we took a vaporetto (public transportation boat that is essentially a water-bound bus) to the Santa Maria del Giglio stop where we were met, as promised, by Francesca and escorted the short distance to the apartment, down a smoothly paved (easy on the rolling luggage) path.

Behind heavy wooden double doors with brass name plates, we found a pretty little courtyard that gives onto the stairs leading to the apartment (one flight up).

20160327_152240 — David in our Calle Gritti apartment courtyard

Although the building itself is old, the apartment is beautifully renovated and full of thoughtful conveniences, including one of my personal favorites: a portable hotspot I could drop in my purse so that both David and I had internet access anywhere we roamed in Venice, Burano and Murano. A bottled of sparking strawberry wine and biscotti awaited us in the apartment, along with coffee and tea for our breakfast.

AirBnBpic3 — Bedroom of our Venice apartment with gondola path just below windows to left (More windows in living room beyond)

Francesca was an energetic and enthusiastic guide to both the apartment and the neighborhood. She spent a full hour with us, making sure we knew how everything in the apartment worked and then taking us around the neighborhood, pointing out landmarks to help us find our way around (always a challenge in Venice). We laughed as she strode down the narrow streets pointing left and right and restaurants and bars saying “No. No. Absolutely not. Yes. No. Yes, Maurizio and I eat there all the time.” and so on. We took her advice to heart and were never disappointed.

Capture — Lovely bathroom with large shower tiled in green Murano glass (behind photographer)

Our one moment of minor crisis came when the washing machine door jammed shut with my clothes inside–(a new one for me!). Maurizio apologized, acknowledged they’d had a problem and promised he’d get it fixed. Right away, he made the trip in from the island where they lived while we were out exploring, and we came back to find my rescued clothes nicely hung to dry.

Francesca came through again when we got ready to leave: I panicked a little when we arrived with our suitcases to catch the vaporetto to leave and saw signs saying you couldn’t buy vaporetto tickets on board. We had no idea where to buy them as our stop didn’t have the usual machines. Fortunately, I ran into Francesca who hurried to a nearby vendor (She seemed to know everyone in the area.) and confirmed that the signs were wrong and we could buy the tickets on board. [In fact, although the ticket taker said he would get back to us when we boarded, the boat soon got crowded and he never did charge us.]

All in all, we loved this apartment and would stay there again in a heartbeat. You can check it out yourself at: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1054462