Katy at the Rainey District Upscale Austin Condo

The check-in process was smooth and efficient, and the location of the building is excellent.

Although the check-in process itself was quick and easy when we arrived, in the days leading up to our stay I was flooded with long automated messages from the property management company containing numerous requirements. These included sending a copy of my ID, a selfie, and, somewhat oddly, sending my full name exactly as it appeared on the ID they had already received. We only stayed for two nights. The day before checkout, we received another lengthy list of tasks that had to be completed to avoid additional charges, although no amount was specified. These tasks included loading the dishwasher and running a specific cycle, hand-washing anything that could not go in the dishwasher, leaving the towels on the bathroom floor, leaving the bed unmade, removing all food from the refrigerator, taking the trash to the building dumpster, and even setting the thermostat to a specific temperature. I found both the check-in requirements and, especially, the checkout instructions excessive, unnecessarily complicated, and somewhat intimidating in the way they were presented. The pillows were extremely high and there were no alternatives available. The boiler in the bedroom was very noisy and disrupted our sleep. There were no blackout curtains, so the bedroom became quite bright in the morning. I also found a small cockroach on the bathroom vanity during the night. Be aware that checkout is very early (10:00 a.m.). I requested both by phone and in writing to check out just two hours later, but never received a response beyond an automated message. Finally, after I checked out, I received a message asking me to leave a review only if I intended to give the company a perfect rating. The message stated that they planned to rate me highly as a guest and that lower ratings were harmful to their business. They suggested that any criticism should be shared privately instead. But the purpose of reviews is precisely to inform future guests about their experience.