Villa Zelda - Plusholidays

Great facilities and just right for our group of 20. We’d read earlier reviews and were careful about what we left behind when going out, but we were still broken into. Thankfully, the climbing equipment and laptops were untouched, though all our cash was taken. Since we’d heard about similar incidents, I’d hoped they might have added a safe in each apartment and cameras covering the outside of the property. We were all pretty shaken and I don’t think I’d stay again without better security. Aside from that awful experience, the place would be perfect for big groups.

We stayed with a big family of 23. The villa was spacious and clean inside, with plenty of beds and bedding. The outside was a letdown, though. The BBQ area had no electricity, so the promised cooking facilities couldn’t be used. The apartments’ ovens also had problems, with missing shelves, trays, and pans. That was a real issue since we hadn’t planned to eat out every night, and the restaurants couldn’t fit us all. There was broken glass around the pool, which wasn’t good with little ones. Plenty of sunbeds and chairs, but only one broken umbrella for everyone. The villa was nice overall, but needs updating and restocking. A few little touches would make all the difference.

We found the villa comfortable for a big group, and there was nothing broken or needing maintenance. The sunbeds were comfy, the pool was clean and not too cold, and each apartment had two keys and two toilets. The bedrooms and living rooms all had their own air conditioning, even in the separate outdoor space. That area, with its kitchen and big table, was especially nice in the evenings. There were large fridges and freezers for groceries, plus thick extra blankets for cooler nights. Everything was spotless when we arrived, and the beds were very comfortable. The villa sits in a neighborhood among lots of other villas, which didn't bother me. The restaurants were about a 20-minute walk away. Booking a taxi was easy, and it cost us around 12 euros in April to reach the boulevard, where there was everything we needed. My one disappointment was that the two gates at the front couldn't be locked. We'd definitely recommend it for a fun holiday with a large group.

We were robbed just two hours after arriving, while we were having dinner. The Civil Guard told us robberies were typical in that part of Calpe. That night, we kept trying the 24-hour "emergency" number, but no one answered. The next day the real estate agency washed its hands of what had happened and offered no solution. Someone from the agency could at least have come to look at the damage in the apartments and shared areas. Not recommended. There were serious security problems around the place. The entrance's metal barrier wouldn't lock, and there was an abandoned construction site at the back where you could get in and out easily without using your hands. Some doors and windows had clearly been forced, there was no safe or security system, and it was easy to move between the neighboring apartment buildings. We also found dead cockroaches in the living room. The washing machine was old, rusty, and very noisy, and there were no extra blankets if anyone got cold. When our roommates went to pick up the keys, they were hit with a "surprise" deposit of 1,000 euros. And the 24-hour emergency phone wasn't working. Experience? Not one to repeat.