We were very disappointed with this holiday home. The beds are comfortable, which was one good point, but the stay left us frustrated and our hopes for a relaxing break were ruined. We rented the semi-detached house for three people, including a child. It really isn’t child-friendly: there are no socket covers or stair gates, and the marble stairs are so steep they feel dangerous even for adults. The house is right by the water. The online description says, “The property is fenced, so you can enjoy your vacation with your four-legged friend,” but it’s only separated from the water by two hedges that don’t meet and have no gate. Children and dogs can easily get through to the water. Dogs are allowed, for an extra fee, but we found dog hair stuck to the sofa cushions. We knew dogs were permitted, but the place should be cleaned more thoroughly for that reason. The general cleanliness was a bigger problem. On hot, humid summer days we opened the windows, and the window frames were disgusting. It didn’t look like a couple of months’ dirt, but as if the windows hadn’t had a thorough clean in a long time. When we asked, we were told they were cleaned regularly. Every upstairs window has an insect screen. Downstairs in the kitchen and living area, there’s a side-by-side window; only the smaller side has a screen. The large window and balcony door have none. Even a curtain screen would have helped, but flies, wasps, and even dragonflies quickly got in. There were dead wasps on the sills, which you could almost understand. What we couldn’t accept was the filthy cutlery drawers, clearly not cleaned in a long time, with spiders crawling around in places and food stuck to the cutlery. The oven looked unappetizing too. We contacted the landlord, who said the woman responsible for guest arrivals and cleaning was meant to come back. We were told to gather up our personal belongings, though apparently what counted as personal belongings was open to interpretation, and then she would deal with the dirty oven, dog-haired cushions, and cutlery drawers. Apart from a new baking tray left by the front door, nothing was cleaned. The woman didn’t answer our several WhatsApp messages. The landlord then said cleaning was practically impossible because our belongings were spread through the house. He suggested moving the cushions aside and pointed out there was a dishwasher. We’ve stayed in several holiday rentals and have never had to clean the cutlery and other items ourselves. We only knew the landlord casually, but even when we said we were thinking about leaving, he more or less asked us to go. Ten days later, after several follow-ups, we got a refund for the difference, due to personal circumstances beyond our control. That didn’t make up for the ruined anticipation of a relaxing holiday.
