Casa Rural El Solanar

I’m an American woman who’s been travelling continuously in the U.S., UK, and EU for a year. I’ve stayed under nearly four dozen roofs, and Casa Rural El Solanar was the worst. I book often and carefully, but the problems started as soon as I arrived. There was no “car park,” despite what the listing said. I knocked repeatedly at the provided address at the requested arrival time, but nobody answered. A passerby finally told me to use the intercom at a door about 10 feet away, which wasn’t marked. The woman who eventually answered gave me a tour en espanol. I understood enough, but was confused when she later returned with a family in tow in the middle of my dinner. I’d believed from the booking details that I’d have a private space, but it was shared. There was also no wi-fi in my bedroom, which is a serious problem if you’re a digital nomad or simply need your devices. Some holidaymakers may want to unplug, but I don’t. Check-in with the owner, Daniel, was frazzling too. He arrived after his mother’s tour and demanded a bank draft or cash. I’d booked through my usual platform and had been told to pay on arrival, but I’d never encountered this arrangement before. I checked with two U.S. banks on my laptop; they said a transfer might take one or two days, but Daniel said, “NO, Today.” I asked about PayPal, and he said, “NO PayPal, No.” We were using my translation app because he speaks no English. Then I asked about a nearby bank, and he drove me there in his MERCEDES. I’m very uncomfortable paying in cash. To me, businesses that insist on cash are up to no good with income reporting or dodging taxes. A couple of hours later, I was streaming a movie on my laptop at the dining table when the family arrived with huge crates of food. The man muttered that “a lot more people” were coming. After discovering the wi-fi issue, I messaged Daniel through the platform, hoping he would do something. The next morning he replied that wi-fi was available only in the shared common area, not the bedrooms, and offered a refund. I then had to search on my laptop in the living room for somewhere else to stay, while waiting in the area for a delayed U.S. delivery. When we met later, I used my translation app to ask why he wouldn’t fully refund me. I brought up the example of a restaurateur reimbursing someone whose meal made them ill, and said a businessman should act in good faith too, given my bad night, the upheaval of finding replacement accommodation, an apparently large party that would keep me from working in the common area, and the fact that the replacement was costing me 30% more. Daniel rolled his eyes and said no. We then had an uncomfortable wait while he held the cash and didn’t hand it over. I had his house keys, though, and was finally able to complete the swap. Agoda.com was wonderful when I contacted them afterward, but despite their repeated attempts to reach Daniel, he chose not to respond. It’s now been three weeks since I started pushing back about losing the money for that miserable night. I wanted to warn others about the “Today” cash policy, shared space where partygoers are welcome, no wi-fi in the bedrooms, no car park, and the need to knock at the OTHER door rather than the address listed. UGH.