We went to New Haven to visit Yale University the day before their commencement day. It was absolutely a bad timing because all the hotels within 40 miles of the campus were fully booked. So I decided that this was the best time for us to try out Airbnb.
We didn't use Airbnb when we visited other cities even though we could get cheaper accommodation through the website because T is not fond of staying at strangers' houses. Besides that, I prefer to enjoy some space and silent after an exciting day of sight-seeing so I wouldn't want to pay to sleep on a stranger's couch while he is still chatting with his roommate over a mug of beer in the same room. (A lot of complains like this arise in the reviews.)
Anyway, I found a good deal on Airbnb for our 1 night stay in New Haven. A lady was renting out a room with a queen bed and her apartment is just 15 minutes walk from Yale. We could get a whole room for ourselves for $67. The only request she had was we have to be able to live with her cat.
I sent in my request and she replied quickly with a yes. We exchanged a few texts and a deal was made.
The day before we went to NH, Keri contacted me again and initially we agreed to meet at her house at 8 am. However, due to the bus delay, we reached NH at 2 pm! I texted her along the way to keep her updated on our delayed bus schedule. When we finally reached her place, I apologized. She was very understanding and she didn't show black face even after the long wait.
She showed us the keys, our room, and the shared bathroom which is in her room. She chatted with us a little and introduced her energetic cat, Amer, to us, then she quickly excused herself to go to take a nap. I felt extra bad for keeping her away from her nap to wait for us.
Keri respected our privacy by not disturbing us when we were minding our own business in the guest room. She also gave us a lot of trust. She went out for a few hours in the evening when we were at her house but she didn't lock her room so that we could still use the bathroom if we need to.
We talked to Keri at night when she was playing with Amer in the living room. She mentioned that she has stopped using Airbnb because a lot of her guests complained about Amer and it stressed her out.
I love Keri as a host and I don't mind Amer's furry presence but I understand why some guests would had a hard time with him. He loves to lay in the guest room; he can't stand being left out so he will open every close door. Since all the doors in the apartment couldn't be locked, Amer went in to pay me a visit when I was showering. Amer didn't do anything naughty, he just laid by the window side of the bathroom to enjoy the steam while I use the hot water. T and I blocked the room door using a small cupboard in the room when we slept at night as suggested by a previous guest in the review.
Overall, our stay at Keri's place was short but pleasant.
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