A bit of an unusual experience.
A bit of an unusual experience. The occasion was my best friend's stag do for nine guests. Originally, I had booked different accommodation through Airbnb. A week before we were due to arrive, the host (Justin) contacted me to explain that the boiler had broken and we could no longer stay there. He said he had a friend, Jo, who owned Air Host and Clean, and that she had accommodation available just up the road. He explained that it would normally have been more expensive, but he had arranged for us to pay the same price. On the face of it, that seemed fair enough, although it did leave me with the headache of arranging a refund and the pressure of having to book immediately because "someone else might take it." It's not ideal to be dealing with that just six days before a trip that had been booked over a month in advance. Things then became a little strange. I received multiple messages from the previous host in the early hours of the morning asking how everything was going and telling me that Jo "doesn't f*** around when it comes to business." While this isn't really a reflection of Air Host and Clean itself, it certainly wasn't a great introduction. We were effectively put in a position where we felt pressured into using a company recommended by the same host who had cancelled our original booking only a week before. Check-in was 4:00pm and check-out was 10:00am, which is an hour later to check in and an hour earlier to check out than I'm used to. They also charge an additional £10 per hour if you want an earlier check-in or later check-out. In my opinion, that feels like an unnecessary cash grab rather than good customer service. There was also a £300 security deposit required, which, to be fair, was returned promptly. The property itself (244 Stanley Road) was okay, but there were several disappointments. The area was noticeably less pleasant than where I had originally booked and was much further away than had been suggested. Parking was very poor, with everyone having to find spaces on surrounding streets and the single parking permit wasn't in the property as expected. Inside, the bath had visible marks and stains, as did the black-painted lounge walls. However, the biggest issue by far was the beds. I have genuinely never slept on a more uncomfortable mattress. It honestly felt like a bedsheet had been thrown over a set of exposed springs. For paid accommodation, I don't think that's acceptable. Finally, the check-out process requires guests to wash all pots and pans and take all rubbish outside. Normally I wouldn't have an issue with leaving a property tidy, and we did exactly that. However, for a stay costing close to £1,000 for two nights, I think it's reasonable to expect the cleaning company to deal with tasks such as washing up and emptying the bins. That's part of the convenience people pay for when booking serviced accommodation. To be fair, the lady I spoke to on the phone was helpful whenever I dealt with her, so not everything about the experience was negative. However, overall it fell well below the standard I've experienced and become used to when booking Airbnb properties. Realistically, I wanted to give this 2.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 3. There is plenty of room for improvement. And one final point: I really don't think it's appropriate for an associate of the company to be messaging guests at 2:30am in the days leading up to their stay. I found it unprofessional, and I think many guests—particularly groups of young women who might feel more vulnerable—would find that genuinely unsettling.
By Jake H.