iTrip Oak Island in Oak Island, North Carolina

“Starting with the positives, the home is in a great location, close to the beach, and the neighborhood felt peaceful and safe. From the street, the house was cute, and initially I felt optimistic. That changed once I stepped inside. I have never had a negative Airbnb experience before now because I’m usually very selective, but I dropped the ball on this one. The property was unclean and there was a strong, unpleasant odor throughout the home. I was traveling with my adult child and my dog while working remotely, so I did my best to make it work, cleaning the space myself to make it livable. I took Benadryl daily because something in the home or the furniture made me itchy. As we were opening the front window we observed a culmination of hair from past pets trapped behind the couch. We had to buy our own spatulas because the property provided items were rusty. Did I enjoy my trip? I enjoyed my time on the beach but this home was a huge disappointment and a lesson learned.”

“Trash was not taken out on the outside which cause bugs and flies to surround it and golf cart had some trouble working.”

“An attractive and fairly comfortable house near enough to the beach for it to not be inconvenient to go. Our experience, however, was soured by the exceptionally meager amenities and general sense that the rental cared, almost exclusively, about squeezing every penny of profit from the rental. One small towel per guest, no dish soap or hand soap, 2 trash bags for a week long stay, and etc etc etc. A complete lack of hospitality, especially when combined with generic, boiler plate messaging that makes sure to tell you all of the things you can’t do, will be charged extra for, etc. The entire experience had us feeling on the back foot for the entire trip. Added insult is a 4PM check-in and a 10AM checkout…. Taking an hour from both sides of the norm illustrates, perfectly, the greed on the margins this place trades in. Again, a nice enough house but one which is near-impossible to feel welcome or valued in because of the hosts.”

“Great, beachfront location just seconds from the boardwalk to cross the dunes. Ocean views from your back deck. Kitchen is stocked with cookware, dishes, toaster, microwave, coffee machine, kettle, dishwasher. Showers are spacious with good water pressure and abundant hot water. A couple downsides warrant correction: 1. The master bedroom bed is quite uncomfortable. The mattress is cheap and/or old. Our kids slept in the other beds and they didn't complain (but I sat on one mattress and it felt of similar quality to the master bedroom's mattress). 2. There's a draft. This didn't affect the temperature of the apartment in June but it does create an unpleasant howling noise particularly at night. We think it has something to do with the front door seal. If that were repaired, it might improve. The draft also means that if you open the back door and the front door, either the front door or the bedroom door(s) will violently slam.”

“The location was great! Oak Island is my favorite beach! The cleanliness and maintenance of this house were extremely disappointing. I reported numerous issues to iTrip at check-in and throughout our stay. While they offered to send someone each time, I expect a rental to be clean and functional upon arrival and declined any interruption. The sunroom floor was covered in dog hair, smelled strongly of urine from a dirty mat, and had dirty windows obstructing the beach view. A window was open and off track. The vacuum was filthy, making it difficult to clean ourselves. The kitchen floor had a cracked piece sticking up, creating a tripping hazard. The oven was dirty and had a chemical smell when used. Silverware had to be washed before use. Other issues included a broken toilet paper holder, gum stuck on bunk bed slats, a stained bed skirt, and bedroom couch with holes. Checkout instructions were inconsistent between texts, Airbnb messages, and notebooks, causing unnecessary confusion.”