Franklin Street Station B&B

We got a message saying the booking was double-booked, followed by a very unpleasant exchange with the hosts. My boyfriend and I finalized our travel plans after booking. A cohost kept asking us to cancel from our end, saying there was a glitch across listing sites. They wanted us to upgrade to the only other room apparently available, which cost more, without covering the difference. Airbnb advised us several times not to cancel because the host should do that. One cohost was very short and rude. After we explained Airbnb would cancel and refund us, another cohost offered the upgrade for free. Even if we’d managed to sort out the booking, I wouldn’t stay at this location.

We found the instructions clear and easily made our way into the room, even though there’s no staff on site to greet guests. The room had a kitchenette, which was a lovely feature, and we enjoyed picking DVDs from the library for an old-school movie night. There isn’t a bed-and-breakfast breakfast included, so bring your own. Or head down the street to the Labor Temple Bar, where breakfast is delicious and a bargain. The bed was comfortable, and the location was amazing for walking to shops and restaurants. There was also a bit of a water view from the deck off the kitchenette, which I’m sure is amazing in summer. We’ll have to come back and see!

We chose to book again for next year’s festival of dark arts because the price was decent. Then, after we booked, we were told our room wasn’t available and we’d need to cancel, though they had other rooms we could rebook. It looked like they’d forgotten to raise prices for next year’s festival and wanted us to cancel so they could charge more. I understand charging more on busy weekends, but this was their mistake and they wouldn’t honor the original price. It’s frustrating to think you have a reservation and then have it canceled. We won’t return. The lack of integrity and the property’s condition aren’t worth the discount. It’s a house built in 1900, so it’s drafty and creaky. The floors make it hard to sleep if the person above you is walking around.

The house had so much character, with lovely woodwork and fun details, and it was bigger than the photos suggested. It was clean, the towels were fine, and we were grateful for the air conditioning during a big heat wave. My whole family had a great time, watching a movie, playing with the radio, and using the claw foot tub. The strong air freshener smell was the only real downside and may keep us from returning. We stayed in the top attic room. Check-in was at 4pm and checkout at 11am, but we didn’t get check-in information until a couple of hours before the reservation, despite asking several times. The replies were very polite. I’d suggest the host add more extra bedding: the closet labeled 'extra bedding' had only one loose knit blanket, while the futon had almost no bedding. It was a warm night, so luckily it wasn’t a problem.