First, I want to say Boris was really responsive and available to answer any questions we had. We would email him and he would respond very quickly. He was a pleasure to work with.
The entry into the building needed a good cleaning and a coat of paint. Potential renters should also be aware that the sofa pictured in this ad is not the one in the unit. There is large, orange, overstuffed leather furniture in there now and it was worn and torn in spots, and the leather felt sticky. Not a huge deal I guess, but not sure what happened to the sleeker, more modern arrangement pictured above in the VRBO ad.
When we first arrived at the condo the smell of air fresheners was somewhat overpowering. We unplugged three of them in the living room/kitchen area and put them on a ledge out in the entryway. After half a day we could smell stale smoke very strongly, either from the HVAC system, carpets, or from smokers in the building. We weren't sure of the exact source. Maybe my sniffer is super sensitive, but it seemed we had a choice between the overpowering scent of air fresheners or smoke. We had to wash everything once we got home because they smelled strongly of air freshener and smoke.
The master bedroom was great. The room was nicely decorated and the bed was very comfortable and the closet and cabinet provided lots of storage. The futon in the 2nd bedroom/office was perfect for our 3 and 4 year old to sleep on together. The queen air mattress went flat the first night for our other guests. Boris very quickly brought a replacement over the next day and that one worked great.
The TV and the entertainment system was outstanding, though actual HD on a TV that size (60 inch?) would be a nice addition. We watched NCAA basketball and the kids watched movies on it. Also, there is no wifi in the unit and no neighbors with unsecure networks to tap into.
When the other review said there was an issue with hot water they weren't exaggerating. About halfway through the first shower of the day the water would be luke warm at best, and those who followed (4 adults total) would have room temperature showers.
I was not able to get the balcony sliding door to lock, though there was also a storm door that did lock. I moved one of the big chairs in front of the door to keep the kids away from it.
We had a lot of fun in St. Louis and the unit is very well placed to get fun attractions like the Zoo, the Magic House, and Busch Stadium.