30 Jan Airbnb in New York
I am a quiet man. It is true that when I start talking I can go on for hours but most of the time I just sit and listen. Or pretend to listen. To be honest not much interest me so I don’t even try to pretend that I’m interested.
That being said I never used Airbnb before. Whenever I visited a new place I stood with friends or checked into hotels. I found it more convenient this way.
In New York things were different. To be honest I did not feel like paying a fortune for a small room in a normal hotel in a decent area.
What you have to realize is the fact that when it comes to accommodation New York can get brutally expensive.
Even in Paris or London, cities full with tourists, booking a room at a similar hotel can be 20-40 percent cheaper.
Plus I had a problem with the shared toilet. For one reason only. I don’t know how many people will use that toilet so I’d hate it in the morning to want to take a shower and leave fast only to find myself in line for 20-40 minutes.
So that’s how I started looking on Airbnb for accommodation. I knew nothing about the site and just started asking people if they have a free room available for the times I wanted.
I did not know I needed to upload a picture or say things about me so I must apologize to anyone who received an email from me asking for a place to sleep in without updating my profile before.
I remember emailing 6 persons, 2 of them rejecting me due to lack of info, one of them advising me on how to update my profile so that people would be ok in hosting me and three persons who accepted me.
To my luck Quentin answered first. I am pretty sure the others were good too but I consider myself in luck with him answering my question first.
We exchanged a few messages then I had time to book the room and the next day I decided to contact him again and say that it is ok.
To this day I still believe that being accommodated in his place added a plus to my trip to New York.
Unlike all my other accommodation reviews this one will not provide an address or specific details and this is normal in protecting Quentin’s home. Because after all the place is his and not a hotel.
- Location: Somewhere in Hell’s Kitchen. A lovely area full of restaurants and little shops. You can easily reach Times Square or even Rockefeller Plaza by foot. I reached Central Park also by foot but as you might know by now I walk a lot.
Metro and buses are close and trust me you will need it because planning to see New York only on foot is a bit unrealistic.
All in all I loved the location of his place and consider it excellent to start visiting New York.
- Room and cleanliness: Travelling alone I got the small room but from what I know Quentin rents his whole apartment if you are interesting. I saw no point in paying extra just to be alone so I settled for the room.
While the room may seem small it is more than enough. I had plenty of space inside it and even had the closet to let my bigger things in (jackets for example).
When I first got into the house I had a nice surprise and saw that on the bed there was a little pack containing some hygiene items and a couple of fruits in the basket on the table.
This meant a lot for me because it shows that the owner is very attentive to little details and goes out of his way with little things that help the guest feel great.
As far as the room is concerned I can definitely say that not only the room but also the entire house is spotless clean.
The bed is large and comfortable. I stand at 6.3 and 220 pounds and I can honestly tell that 2 people can fit in that bed without a problem.
- Extra: First of all the building has a doorman and that is great because in a way it feels more secure. The elevator is a great addition and while at home I always climb the stairs after walking for more than 20 km/day in New York I felt happy I didn’t have to climb those stairs also.
There is a gym in the building if you feel in the mood for some sport. I couldn’t use it due to the fact that I’m not allowed to engage in sports for at least 6 more months but it is an extra for the people who miss training while away.
When I first got up in the house I received a laundry card so if you need it it is good to know there is a laundry place in the building where you can clean your clothes.
The bathroom is very clean also and good in size. I had no problem in taking a shower there unlike some places I was accommodated before in my travels.
- Price: you need to understand that New York is an expensive city. And that is shown too in the price for accommodation. But you have to keep something in mind. You can’t beat the price from this place on a hotel room.
The cheapest hotel I found (that was in a decent area and had the toilet inside) was almost double in price.
On my quest to find a good place to stay I met many shady places, mixed reviews, very small rooms, negative reviews about the cleanliness of the rooms, many shared bathrooms and other inconvenients.
In the end even if I was skeptical because I never rented on Airbnb it turned out a great experience with a great host and a great place to be in.
- Quentin: I saved this part for the end. When you travel to another country, to another culture and meeting new people you don’t know what to expect.
Luckily for me Quentin is a great host and a great person.
Very easy to talk to and always there if you need something (phone, email or live talks) he makes sure you are getting the most out of your trip.
As an evidence when you first arrive to his place there is a small printed booklet with the house rules, WI fi password, his recommendations for eating in the area or Broadway shows he enjoys.
As a final note I can say that I was more than satisfied with this booking and when I will return to New York one day(because I plan to do this) I will look for Quentin’s place again.
Ps: I have not included a picture of Quentin’s house due to obvious reasons but you can easily find him on Airbnb.