VISIONAPARTMENTS Zurich Rotachstrasse

The area was quiet and had easy access to Zurich's excellent public transport. We had two apartments for our family of six adults and a baby, one on the first floor and another on the fifth. The biggest problem came during our last two days, when the lift broke down. Carrying all our suitcases down five floors on a dangerous staircase was a nightmare, and management only offered a polite apology, no help. The apartment looked nice but had minor faults, including broken lamps and heavily corroded windows. There wasn't a proper dining table for four adults, and with no room service there were no clear instructions for disposing of rubbish, including our baby's diapers.

My parents stayed two nights, and it was absolutely terrible. The apartment was really just one room with a kitchen, and there was nowhere to eat.

The two-bedroom apartment was reasonably priced compared with hotels, and it had plenty of room, a lovely large balcony with outdoor tables and chairs, and a view over the city. The lift was easy to use, and it came with an iron and a coffee machine, though no pods. Transport links were great, with restaurants nearby, and getting the check-in instructions by email that day made arrival easy. The main letdown was the pillows: only two per bed, and not very good quality. A small starter pack with basics like milk, coffee, and tea would also have been a nice touch. I'd recommend it.

The check-in was very frustrating. They asked for a passport photo, which felt unreasonable, and even though I emailed it twice, they said they couldn't find it. I gave them my booking number but still wasn't told how to check in, and ended up waiting outside for a long time because of the delay. The bathroom hadn't been cleaned at all and smelled bad throughout my stay. There were also ants in the kitchen, including on the table.