NEVER AGAIN!
When we…read morefirst arrived at our Airbnb, hosted by Carolina Mornings, the first thing we noticed was how dirty the hot tub cover and outdoor tables were. Granted, this was a cabin surrounded by many trees, so a light layer of dust would be expected and acceptable. However, these were well beyond that. As we approached the front door, we noticed that the outdoor couch had several holes. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious a rodent had been living in it, making it completely unusable.
We walked inside the cabin, unloaded our vehicle, and settled in. Immediately, we messaged Carolina Mornings to express our disappointment, stating that it looked like weeks or months had passed since these items were last maintained. They responded that "the furniture and hot tub space are exposed to the elements, and sometimes dust, pollen, and even critters can build up quickly between cleanings. That said, it should have been better prepared for your arrival, and I apologize that it wasn't."
Later, Vince called and said they would have the couch cushions cleaned and sanitized. We explained that the items were likely beyond repair, having already sent photos. A few hours later, they called back stating they couldn't repair or replace the item during our 8-night stay. They advised us to throw away the cushions and pillows, then suggested we use indoor couch cushions outside. They offered tickets to nearby attractions, but we declined, explaining that we specifically booked this cabin to enjoy its outdoor space, not local attractions.
The following night, we decided to relax and tried turning on the TV for the first time, only to find it unplugged with no working remotes. The soundbar remote didn't work, and the Dish Network remote wouldn't sync. We sent photos and explained we had to hook up our laptop to watch anything, which was absurd. They said a technician would come in the morning.
The next evening, after being out all day, we returned to find nobody had come and we hadn't received a call. Carolina Mornings then claimed, "From your message yesterday, we understood you had sorted out the TV issue, so we didn't send a technician." I reiterated our frustration and asked for escalation to a manager. They replied, "I apologize that the technician did not follow through this morning as expected." I asked which statement was true since both couldn't be. They avoided answering, then said they'd send a tech. The technician later confirmed it was a syncing issue requiring Dish Network support.
Again, there was no follow-up. After 24 more hours with no contact, I messaged Carolina Mornings. They apologized and said a new remote had "already" been ordered. I responded, "Are you not going to escalate this? Is there no manager? Are you refusing? 'Already'? We checked in Thursday. Tomorrow is Monday--halfway through our stay. This should've worked before we arrived. Communication would have gone a long way." They said their admin team would reach out Monday, but this was wrong because Monday was a holiday. Someone finally contacted me on Tuesday.
Jodi, a team lead, called. When she learned we had to move the indoor cushions outside and back in daily, she claimed they'd told us to flip the original cushions and put a throw on top. That was false, and I reiterated what had actually been said. I explained there were too many different people involved with no resolution and again asked if she was a manager. She was only a team lead.
After several back-and-forth messages with Jodi--and declining free tickets again--she offered to remove 1 of 8 nights (not including fees) as their "best offer." I told her my only recourse would be to contact Airbnb directly, which I did.
Airbnb reviewed everything and responded with a fair resolution, stating they would contact Carolina Mornings and that situations like this could result in a suspension of the host's account.
Interestingly, while reading prior reviews, we discovered that another guest also reported problems with rodents. This confirmed our concerns weren't isolated.
To make matters worse, Carolina Mornings' rental agreement is over 7,800 words long--unbelievable for an Airbnb stay. Throughout this entire experience, they consistently pointed fingers, avoided accountability, failed to escalate issues despite multiple requests, and even contradicted themselves to cover mistakes.
We booked this cabin to enjoy the outdoor space and relax. Instead, we spent our vacation dealing with filth, unusable furniture, rodents, a broken TV, poor communication, and outright lies.
Avoid Carolina Mornings at all costs.