I've never been so torn about writing a review on airbnb... I hate to have to leave a negative review, but considering all the amazing places I've stayed on airbnb in the past, it's difficult to leave things unsaid (Note: I'm not a seeker of luxury 5-star hotels. I've camped for days on end in very rustic situations, but for more than $200 for 4 days, I would have happily paid a little more or even less to stay somewhere else) In all honesty, this is why...
The room: It smelled of musty mold or that similar to a vintage store smell. Obviously, it's in the basement of the house with no window, but the host's roommate was gracious enough to bring down a fan so that I could get some air-circulation in there. There were unsightly, unknown stains all over the carpet- which isn't THAT big a deal unless it's from a lack of cleanliness (not sure) But I did spy a rodent catcher or roach motel or whatever under the table in the corner the morning after I felt creepy crawly on my arm in the dark while I was sleeping. Also, the floor board just above the room that leads to the bathroom CREEKS LOUDLY anytime anyone walks by, so if you're a med to light sleeper, good luck. NOT ideal. You could never tell from the photos. Luckily I was mostly out of the house for work and exploring. If all you care about is leaving your stuff somewhere and having a bed to sleep indoors, I guess it's suffice. But I kick myself for not choosing some of the other options I was leaning towards in this area because i thought this room was portland-kitschy. The rest of the house was totally fine. Nice even.
The vibe: I admit there was some complications due to the fact that my dog-sitter canceled less than 24 hours of me driving to portland from SF. Not my fault, although I take full responsibility... I had to bring her along with me. We got there in the evening, so I was planning on letting her sleep in my car (just a few hours) until I dropped her off the next morning. (We've been roadtripping just a few weeks before, so I know my pup would've been ok sleeping in the car) but the host INSISTED she sleep inside for the night. But after that, I really did not feel welcome at all, except the OBVIOUSLY forced and bare minimum courtesies. Overall pretty passive aggressive (which is a first time EVER from a host on airbnb for me) Not a HUGE deal, because I like to do my own thing, but as a host on airbnb totally NOT ok. I even heard the host and her boyfriend arguing one night (you can hear every noise down in the basement even if you dont want to) Awkward. Again, NOT ideal. Her roomie Sarah was very pleasant tho.
