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December 27, 2025
Please do not book this apartment.
I booked this apartment for four days but checked out after the very first night due to the appalling conditions.
The house was extremely dirty. There were clumps of dust visibly hanging off the walls, and the floor was clearly not cleaned. Within just ten minutes of walking around the apartment in the disposable slippers provided, the soles had turned completely black. We found numerous spider webs, an actual spider, and even a cockroach—which I had to kill myself using the electric zapper provided. Absolutely disgusting.
The most alarming issue, however, was the black mould. It was everywhere: in the bathroom, around the kitchen sink, and most disturbingly, spreading across the walls outside the bathroom. It’s clearly a water seepage issue that cannot be resolved given a few days. This is a serious health hazard and completely unacceptable for any accommodation, let alone one advertised for guests.
There were also multiple maintenance issues. The kitchen light near the washing machine was faulty and constantly blinking. The entire kitchen area table was sticky, and although the fridge was working and empty, it emitted a strong, nauseating fishy smell.
After contacting Ms Qin, who was responsible for the booking, I was met with an extremely poor attitude. Upon check-in, I informed her that the room was dirty and dusty, but she became immediately defensive. As reflected in our conversation (screenshots available), she insisted it was “impossible” for the apartment to be dirty and claimed she had proof from the cleaning lady. Frankly, that was laughable given the state of the place.
I had booked four nights but moved out after the first night and relocated to the Shanghai Marriott Marquis Hotel instead (which was wonderful—please book that instead). I informed Ms Qin at 5pm that I had vacated due to the black mould. Rather than addressing the issue, she scolded me for not informing her earlier. According to her, if I had done so, she could have rented the apartment out to someone else and refunded me.
That statement alone is deeply concerning. It suggests a blatant disregard for guests’ health and safety, treating the property purely as a money-making opportunity. Black mould is extremely harmful and cannot be resolved with a few hours of superficial cleaning. I told her she should focus on fixing the apartment rather than rushing to rent it out again.
After I said I had moved out, Ms Qin offered to “upgrade” me to a completely different room, but why would I trust someone who has been so defensive, and she didn’t offer to move me on the first night when I complained. Nah, I moved to Shanghai Marriot Marquis Hotel instead (it’s great!!! And yes Ms Qin, it’s 5 star.)
Later on, Ms Qin merely offered a refund for one night instead of my full rate. She was also sarcastic, remarking that she had checked my booking price and implied I should not be complaining because I had booked at a “cheap” rate. Let me be very clear: money is not the issue, and I am not concerned about the refund. I chose this property because I wanted the experience of staying in Shanghai’s old quarters and trusted the photos provided. None of the listing photos showed black mould, excessive dust, dirt, faulty lighting, cockroaches, spiders, or terrible customer service.
One particularly astonishing remark from Ms Qin was that she manages around 50 rooms and cannot possibly check every single one. That is not the guest’s problem. If you are unable to maintain your properties properly, you should reduce the number of units or hire sufficient staff—rather than passing the consequences of your incompetence onto paying guests.
As a final note, the upstairs neighbour behaved very strangely. She stared at us the entire time we were unlocking the door. After we entered, my five-year-old son became visibly uncomfortable because the door was left ajar. He said she had come down the stairs and was peering into the room at hi
