Villa Coolac

It’s a beautiful spot, but the place wasn’t very clean. We didn’t want to use the pool or jacuzzi.

The pool and jacuzzi were okay, and the view is really lovely. The house itself feels very outdated, though. The Wi-Fi barely works and there's no phone signal inside. A few sun loungers are broken, there are no fly screens or air conditioning, and the cleaning wasn't worth what we paid.

The setting was a real highlight. Deer, rabbits and birds of prey came right up near the house, with lots of walks and activities nearby. Plopsa Coo and Coo Adventure are very close, and Spa is within reach. We still had a lovely time together as a family, but we also had to clean part of the house ourselves, and the stay left us with a lot of frustration. We booked guit ‘Coocoon’ at Villa Coolac for a summer get-together, with some of our family coming from Belgium and others from the Netherlands. It's a beautiful, spacious home with plenty of rooms, many with en-suite bathrooms, two kitchens, private areas, lots of amenities, parking for several cars and a stunning view over the Stavelot/Coo valley. The indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi make it suitable for a large group. For a place at this price, and with its high rating, we expected much better. The house was very dirty when we arrived, despite the required €250 cleaning charge. The coffee pot was dirty, nearly all the showers had grime and hair in the drains, and most were clogged. There were crushed flies on the windows and what looked like grease running down dirty lampshades. It didn't seem as if a cleaning crew had been through. Maintenance was overdue too. The children rushed into the pool and jacuzzi right away. The adults avoided the jacuzzi because, under the eucalyptus scent, there was another unpleasant smell. The water in both the jacuzzi and pool looked cloudy and unclean. We raised these problems with the owner several times. She replied politely, but kept brushing off what we reported, so we didn't feel she was really listening. After we got home, the children developed pale, skinless spots that seemed to begin with a small wound, no bigger than a mosquito bite. They saw different doctors in different countries, and each time it was the same infection. The only thing they had in common was staying at the guit. We think the jacuzzi water may have caused it, though we can't be certain. We sent the owner photos and asked her to get the bath checked, since we had also found mold under its lid. Her reply was friendly but evasive and didn't acknowledge the issue. We wanted an apology and assurance that the jacuzzi would be inspected so other guests wouldn't have the same problem. We paid a deposit on top of the rental cost, with gas and electricity use and the mandatory cleaning charge to be deducted before it was returned. In the end, the owner took €50 off the cleaning fee and we got about half the deposit back. We're sorry it turned out this way and would have liked a different outcome. It was once and never again for us.

The house was beautiful and spacious, with a luxurious feel, and the surroundings were lovely too.