We booked Souls in the Sand through Going Coastal (host & cohost share the same name, something I didn’t even realize until the next day, which felt shady, like it was hidden). We paid just over $965 with taxes, fees, and travel insurance for a 3-night stay that became the dirtiest, most insulting rental experience we’ve ever had.
Before we even left for dinner around 6:30 the first night (checked in around 5:00), we had already found hairs and fuzz balls on the master bedroom floor (clear proof it hadn’t been swept or vacuumed), food/trash beside the trash can under the sink, dirty dishes in the cabinets, a grimy coffee pot, no hand towels, no bath mats, and not enough washcloths. That night we also discovered sugar or salt all over the counters, hair on a pillow, showers coated in layers of soap scum, hair on the shower floor, no trash bags in bathroom trash cans and one bin with filthy on the bottom.
The second night I found hair on the shower wall and what looked like a pube in the soap caddy, which rinsed down the drain before I could photograph it. But the crown jewel of this disgusting stay? That morning, on our way out to brunch, I opened the master closet and found DIRTY UNDERWEAR from a previous guest. As soon as I saw them, I knew I’d be contacting the host and Airbnb, but I waited until the end of the day so our plans weren’t ruined. From check in at 5pm on the first night til the end of the third (last) night, I spent 6–8 hours documenting issues and fighting for a response. Add in another hour or so of documenting and communicating (with zero response from the host) on the morning of checkout.
On our final morning (the 14th), while stripping the bed, I found a pillow we never used covered in short blonde/red hair, a fan caked with thick dust, paint splatter on the floors around the perimeter of the master bath and bedroom, and a suspected blood stain on the wall that the host completely ignored. Even if it wasn’t blood, it still shouldn't have been there if the condo had been cleaned properly. The fridge, dishwasher, and stainless appliances were smeared with grime and fingerprints. The second bedroom TV wasn’t a smart TV, had no cable or DVD player—completely useless. The master outlets were so loose our chargers kept falling out.
The host’s dismissive response? Calling all this “normal wear and tear.” With an immune-compromised child in our family and my mother being the caretaker of a stage 4 cancer patient, sanitation wasn’t optional. Moving us to a new unit wouldn’t have erased the filth we’d already been exposed to. I let also let them know immediately when the suspected stain was discovered the morning of check out. The message was read but I didn’t get a response, essentially ignoring me. The lack of care, accountability, and basic cleanliness from Going Coastal was shameful. I even gave a courtesy message letting them know the condo was locked up, parking passes were returned, and we were leaving the property and I still got no response at all.
Airbnb Support was no better. The irony? They refused to refund the cleaning fee, after everything I documented (over 35 pictures and videos), and would only offer $156 back, which was just 30% of the nightly rate and didn’t even touch the cleaning charge. When I pushed back, Support abruptly closed the case, essentially slamming the door in my face. I went to Airbnb Help on X/Twitter, hoping for some accountability, but they just slammed the coffin lid shut, repeating the same canned “case is closed” response.
Not only would I never recommend Going Coastal to anyone, this entire experience has me seriously questioning whether I’ll ever use Airbnb again. At this point, I’m leaning toward taking my business to Vrbo, Booking, or any other platform that actually values cleanliness, accountability, and their guests.
