The Pelican by Hosteeva

The place and area were amazing, and the apartment was spacious, but getting stuck there after the snow storm in Boston made a stressful situation worse. We got a text saying the water couldn’t be used, so we had to go out and buy water. Then we had to leave from 11 to about 4pm while they sprayed for insects. When I realized I needed to extend my stay, I called to ask if we could keep the same place through Friday. They said someone would call back, but nobody did. When I called again, they said I was there until Friday and even sent a text confirming it. Then around 11:30 Wednesday night, I got another text telling me I had to leave at 10am the next morning. I called and got the biggest runaround. First they said they couldn’t help and we’d have to book another night for 290 dollars, then the price became 250, and the final offer was 190 for one night. The customer service person said they were sorry their AI had made a mistake and they’d made a mistake too, but all they could offer was 15% off my next stay.

The room itself was good, but having to rely on codes and an AI bot instead of a person made for a pretty awful stay. I booked through hotels.com and didn’t know there was no front desk or staff on site. Arriving at midnight in freezing weather, I found I needed a pin code to enter the building. Their support line had an AI robot, which eventually figured out I needed the access instructions. The building is on a corner where some sketchy people hang around late at night. You need an 8-digit code to get into the room. If you don’t memorize it, you have to keep your phone with you or risk being locked out. I asked the bot about housekeeping and learned it costs extra each day. When I asked how much, it sent me to my reservation email, which only said “a daily fee.” I asked again and finally found out it was $100/day. I’ll book a regular hotel next time.

The Pelican by Hosteeva felt brand new and was the opposite of some run-down places we’ve rented from other brands in NoLa. Everything was spotless, updated, and well cared for, from the rooms and beds to the bathrooms. The oven still had its sticker on it! We had a great stay and would absolutely come back.

The price didn’t match the quality, so I wouldn’t recommend 611 Commerce or choose HOSTEEVA Airbnb’s again. We were disappointed during our recent stay. The location was okay, but there were a lot of strange people around. Cameras inside and just outside the building made me feel a little safer. We were told the units connect two rooms like a hotel to make four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two balconies. The elevator was broken for all three days we were there, and the washer in one unit didn’t work. There were no room-darkening curtains. The one-ply tissue and paper towels in the bathrooms and kitchen felt downright disrespectful, so generic and bogus. Very upsetting.