Tacoma Homestay

On September 30, I arrived for a room I'd rented through booking.com, but the place was full. The woman I called apologized and said they'd overbooked somehow, and promised to return the money. At 11 pm, I had to find somewhere else to stay. My credit card showed a $95 charge. When I called to sort it out, they spoke rudely to me. Then a man took the phone, swore at me, and hung up. From what I understand, this isn't the first time they've overbooked and failed to refund people. I recommend staying away from these scammers.

At 9 pm, we had to change our plans and search for somewhere to stay in a city we didn't know. When we arrived, I called the location's phone number several times before a woman answered and said they had no room because they were overbooked. She acted like it was normal and not her problem. No one had called, texted, or emailed us beforehand, even though we could have changed our plans or booked somewhere else earlier. The customer service and hospitality were awful.

Amy, the hostess, took great care of my needs and concerns. My sister traveled with me to visit a friend and doesn't eat gluten, so Amy made sure the house had some gluten-free options for her. She also made sure we had clean towels and sheets. Her welcome and help were a very nice change of pace. The rooms were clean, maintained, and big enough for me. I was impressed and would love to come back. I had a business meeting in Seattle, just a short drive from Tacoma, so the location worked well. We even had extra time to see friends and former colleagues nearby. And I especially remember the beautiful smile Amy gave me after my meetings.

It was a strange, disorganized place with a horrible smell, and I found crumbs in the sheets and on the remote. The house reeked of cigarette smoke. I wasn't directly exposed to it, but my bags and clothes still smell like smoke. The “Bed & Breakfast” label felt half true: there was a bed, but no breakfast. I never saw any bacon cooked or pancakes made. Maybe I should've eaten the crumbs I found instead. I nearly had several breakdowns during my stay. The booking information also doesn't mention that people live there. It felt like someone's home where guests are staying for the week. They were nice when I saw them, but it's hard to share a space when someone sleeps in the living room at all hours. This was unprofessional. Don't book until they get it together.