Smartflats Design - Esplanade

Location

Apartment is in need of some upgrading and a deep clean, toilet smelled of urine, walls and floor were stained. Shower did not work.

very spacious and open plan. lots of room for 4 people. very clean

another toilet would be great in a 2 bedroom apartment

Location

It’s so fused to self check in , their instructions not clearly

No physical keys, so everyone could come and go as they pleased (though we were a bit confused on arrival as the communication from the owner referred to a keybox - in fact, the code to the apartment door is entered via buttons on the door handle itself. I guess this had recently been installed and the welcome email not yet updated). The location is very convenient, with Metro, Tram and Bus stops right outside and supermarkets, restaurants and shops a short walk away. Despite being on a major intersection with a fair amount of traffic noise, with windows closed we didn't have any trouble sleeping. The local area seemed pretty well-heeled, with several major designer brands close by, and we were quite happy to walk out at night without any worries.

As is often the way, the kitchen equipment is a little sparse for people who might want to cook for themselves: there's a frying pan but no spatula, for example, or an oven and grill but no tongs or oven gloves. Not a major problem for us, but might be for those more reliant on cooking on-site, for example parents with small children. The lift (elevator) in the building is small and old-fashioned, one of those classic European designs with a manually-opened wrought-iron gate on each floor and a wooden cabin with a manually-operated lattice door inside. All perfectly safe, and a lovely piece of architectural history - BUT it's not big enough for more than 2 people without lugage at a time. Also, for safety reasons the lift won't move if any doors are left open for obvious reasons, but that can mean that guests unaware of that leave the doors open - we were on the 5th floor and I walk with a stick, so finding the guests on the fourth floor had left their door open and I couldn't call the lift down to the ground wasn't fun on a sweltering day! It's not a problem with the lift itself, but for guests who aren't familiar with this type of lift it would probably be a good idea for the owners to communicate more clearly how to use it.

It had a certain old wordly charm which we liked. Parts did not meet the standard that the description and photographs tried to convey. Some decoration was in need of attention. The bath had no plug and was in need of replacement. The tap in the sink in the wc could not be turned off.

Please see above.