6/10 Okay
Sepideh K., Houston
8 Oct 2024
Liked: Cleanliness
Unexpected Fees and Unfriendly Check-In Process – Not Worth It
We recently stayed in the 2-bedroom Penthouse, which had a lot of potential but fell short in a few areas. While the room was generally nice, it could benefit from some updates, especially in the bathrooms. The toilet in the guest bedroom had a foul smell that detracted from the overall experience.
The check-in process was disappointing. We requested early access, especially since the room had been vacant the night before, but instead of accommodating us, we received a link asking for extra payment depending on how early we wanted to check in (for example, $200 for just one hour early). While I understand that check-in is typically at 4 PM, it felt unreasonable given that the room was ready. We weren’t even allowed to check in until exactly 4 PM.
Gabriel, the host, was on-site from the morning of our arrival, yet he never came by to greet us, which was unexpected. I’ve previously had great experiences with 5-star luxury stays and have always had Danny as my host, who was much more welcoming.
In addition, the fees were ridiculous. Not only was there already a $350 cleaning fee, but we were also charged an extra $150 for a “mid-stay cleaning,” which I’ve never encountered before in all my stays with VRBO, including 6 times just this past year. On top of that, there were additional charges for a host fee and service fee, which felt excessive.
Going forward, I’ll be booking the old-fashioned way again
Sepideh K.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024