City Studio Apartment

We were two adults and a 7-year-old, and this was our first holiday in about four years. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very relaxing, and I can’t recommend this place. The apartment is on the 3rd floor, with no elevator, and we had to carry our suitcases upstairs. We only found out shortly before arrival, via WhatsApp, that we’d have to get the key from a lockbox using a code. In the stairwell, overflowing, smelly garbage bins greeted us, and the smell reached all the way up to our floor. The bedrooms are right beside a four-lane main road, so getting a wink of sleep at night was very difficult. Morning sun came in because there weren’t enough curtains. There’s no shared living space, sofa, or similar, just a kitchen to sit in. The kitchen walls have bare plaster showing where paint is peeling. The oven light and greasy range hood didn’t work, and the refrigerator had a rusty bottle rack. There’s a table with four hard chairs, even though the apartment has seven beds and is meant for up to seven people, so three people would have to stand at the table. There were no instructions for the appliances, and some broken light switches in the hallway had been covered with duct tape. There is a balcony, but it’s tiny, about 2 square meters, and seemed quite dangerous. It has wire mesh fencing with rotten wooden slats, and the view is uninspiring, mostly concrete walls or other fenced-off balconies. The bathroom is also very small. The shower head can’t be adjusted, so only very short people could shower comfortably. Some tiles are chipped, and the glass sink has cracks. There are no smoke detectors anywhere in the apartment, and the recessed spotlights look as if they might fall out. I was very, very disappointed.

The second week was a big improvement: I was moved to a new apartment that was so modern and stylish I’d move back into it in a heartbeat. Thanks again for arranging that. My two-week stay was mixed, though. The first apartment was clean but somewhat dated, and the first week was less than enjoyable because of a few unpleasant incidents.

There’s a lot of furniture, but every piece is completely empty, which feels a bit eerie. The apartment is directly on a main road, so in summer we couldn’t leave the windows open because of the noise. The furnishings are functional, though outdated.

The bathroom was the one real disaster. It was clean, but the shower was far from ideal. The rooms are large, the beds comfortable, and the apartment is right in the city center. The kitchen has a stove, cooktop, microwave, and refrigerator, so basically everything you need is there.