My friend and I stayed here for several days after a cruise, to finish off our vacation. We did like the property, but soon realized that not everything was to hotel standards, and management would benefit if they treated this like a hotel. Considering the rental services do not hold any owner to universal standards, we need to either lower our expectations, or be more diligent about ensuring the home is properly kept up BEFORE we arrive.
Pros:
1. Location is good - NE corner of the downtown area, so it is great point to start hikes and exploring Anchorage
2. Property is young and modern - One of the better properties in the area for condition, amenities, and BR:Bathroom ratio
3. Technology - Digital locks made access simple, streaming services on the TVs were pretty expansive, and decent WiFi function
4. Host communications - She supplied her cell number and communications with her were met with fairly prompt responses
Cons:
1. Communications were not consistent/accurate - I had reached out to the host about the check-in process and was told it was already sent in the registration confirmation, but it was not; she then sent me instructions and it referred to an app with no name (there was literally a blank space where the name should have been) to check in, but I was given the lock code anyway and to refer to the 'binder'; even the VRBO app did not have any check in function
2. Loss of time - The host asked when we were checking in, so I thought she was going to let us in early, but it was to ask if we could check in later, by an hour, because the cleaner needed more time; there was no offer of compensation for us losing that check-in time
3. Cleaning - We had given them the extra time the cleaner needed (we checked in 1.5 hours after check-in time), it still was not fully cleaned; the trash had not been taken out, there were significant crumbs in the couch cushions that I cleaned up, and the fridge was pretty filthy (crumbs, spilled substances in the fridge and freezer sections); this could have been avoided with an inspection
4. The owners still had access to the property - There were signs throughout the house with specific instructions which were helpful, but there was also one that stated that the owners may come into the garage to access it and pick up pacakges; I found that odd and not confortable that I may hear things in the garage at any time
5. Location - The train yard is next to the property, so there is constant noise
