Waldesruh Apartment

We felt right at home in the roomy, spotless apartment. The wooden furnishings gave the place a relaxing feel, and our hosts were warm and ready to help whenever needed. Set in the lovely village of Niederthai, Waldesruh Apartment is a peaceful spot for a comfortable break. We'd happily recommend staying here.

My booking was confirmed and paid for in February, six months ahead, but the host cancelled it just three weeks before my stay. He also falsely said that I had cancelled. I believe this was to avoid penalties from the VRBO platform. The host may only cancel for extraordinary events, such as a fire, a sale of the house, or a pandemic. Instead, he had apparently kept multiple bookings for the same dates active for months, knowing someone would be left without a place. That turned out to be me. In reply to my message, he even confirmed, “Unfortunately, everything is already full.” After six months with my payment and confirmation, he suddenly realized the place was full. My money had been held for all that time without my consent, and I was left trying to find a house for 18 people only three weeks before our event. I later found many similar reviews about this host on Google and Booking. They describe him shortening stays or cancelling them altogether, and say these practices happen often. VRBO doesn't let guests leave a review unless they've actually stayed, so people caught out at the last minute like me can't warn future customers there. I strongly suggest checking reviews on several sites before choosing this accommodation. I only checked one platform, where everything looked perfect. Be aware you might be among the 50% of unlucky guests who, in my view, get misled by this person's multiple bookings and lack of reliability.

The house was badly equipped. There wasn't even any toilet paper. The host went into an occupied room without asking and took a charger. We tried contacting the host several times and got no reply. We suspect the charger was taken while we were staying there. A really awful experience.

The balcony view of Hemerkogel is gorgeous, and the owner is friendly, helpful, and easy to deal with. I've known this place since I was a child, and now, nearly 30, I still think the older cottage has plenty of charm.