Last year, during my first visit to California, I stayed at my first bed and breakfast. I was apprehensive about staying at a bed and breakfast, me who works at a hotel and is used to staying at hotels. A bed and breakfast? Isn't that someone's home? Well yes, but from my experience last year at the Hollywood Bed and Breakfast, I found the experience to be totally satisfactory. In fact, I loved it so much I returned this year.
Our accommodations at night - first night back we couldn't find the place! Kept ending up on the Santa Monica Freeway after missing our turn. This was the one time we were glad to get back "home".
However, this year my Travel Buddy (Pat from Toronto) suggested we also stay at an Airbnb. He saw this modern home nestled in the Hollywood Hills that looked intriguing. I too thought it would be interesting to stay at one of those homes tucked into the Hollywood Hills. Plus, I had never stayed at an Airbnb so this would also be a new experience for me. Well folks, with all due respect to Pat and his good intentions, this move didn't work out too well. In fact I was very disappointed. I had a couple problems with our new accommodations. My biggest problem was that the place just wasn't clean. Here are few of the cleanliness failures:
Grout needs cleaned in the shower - also black hair on tiles - neither Pat or I have black hair - someone didn't clean the shower before we checked in
More hairs on the floor of the bathroom - not good
Hair on the floor and tile in the shower
Dirty grout in the shower
Dust on the floor
Black sheets that didn't feel clean
Rough towels
The "couch" - very uncomfortable
The "kitchen" - pots and pans but no stove - room above the garage heated by space heater
The bathroom - rough towels - no soft and plushy here
The bathroom sink and shower - I liked the above head shower - bathroom not a total disappointment
Our room was above the garage and plenty big but the furniture worn and very uncomfortable. To say the furniture was "rough" would be generous. And with all the furniture, one of the basic requirements of accommodating guests was there was no luggage rack. Hey Airbnb proprietors, provide something for your guests to place their suitcases other than the floor or a chair.
View from the black sheeted bed - my suitcase is on the chair behind the TV
Actually, I felt like the proprietors lost an opportunity to provide a really nice space for their Airbnb guests because they have the space to do it. But I felt like they just threw in some old furniture and a space heater and figured out that was enough. It was a shame because this could really be a cute and desirable space.
A nice, big open space - could be made to really be comfortable
Another problem with this location (and not the fault of the proprietors) was the location. We thought it would be cool to stay in the Hollywood Hills but be careful what you wish for. During our stay at our previous accommodations (the Hollywood Bed and Breakfast on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard), we could walk to any location including Hollywood and Vine. Not so this location. Oh no. Oh for sure we were tucked into the Hollywood Hills. We weren't going to be walking anywhere. In fact, I had a very hard time even maneuvering around and walking up those steep steps to our Airbnb. Again, not the fault of the aforementioned Airbnb proprietors but not a place that is conducive to my aging, arthritic riddled body. And one day, Pat was on the receiving end from a blast from one of our Airbnb proprietor's neighbors. Pat had dropped me off and before he left to visit one of his modern furniture stores, waited to make sure I made it up the steps. The neighbor came out and started to yell at Pat "You can't park here! You are so rude!"
Not the actual neighbor, the real one was much nicer looking but still very angry
Pat tried to explain to the irate woman that he wasn't parked in front of her house but she wasn't hearing any of it. Obviously she has had problems before with her Airbnb neighbors' tenants parking in front of her house. While Pat was trying to explain to her that he was moving on she continued to yell at him "We have the biggest area in the Hollywood Hills to turn around and you park in front of my house! I can' believe you!" I paraphrased her words but that she was very angry and not willing to listen to any reason for a car in front of her house, even if it was to monitor an arthritic old man climbing steep stairs, was very apparent. Welcome to the neighborhood Ron and Pat. Hey lady, don't worry, we won't be back.
Pat at the "desk" behind the refrigerator
Oh, I almost forgot. During our first morning this is what I saw out on the back patio. Obviously we didn't partake of the patio. One of my really big fears is being "skunked" on vacation.
However, all was not a loss. We always wondered what it would be like to actually stay at one of those houses in the Hollywood Hills. Now I (we) know. Curiosity satisfied.
