Livemalaga Pedregalejo

Clean, comfortable accommodation at a good price. The Wi-Fi wasn't always reliable, and the leaking shower needs attention. Our airport taxi worked efficiently, and Luigi explained everything we needed to know when we arrived. The main problem was the neighbors in the next room. They came in late at 00.50am, 2.30am, 4.30am and other times, talked one night from 3am to 5am, and seemed to have a phone call at 4.45am. Their dog yapped too. I don't know whether pets are allowed. They weren't especially loud, but it was enough to wake a light sleeper. If you're in an upstairs room, bring earplugs in case you get unlucky with the neighbors.

The apartment was small, but had all the essentials and was spotlessly clean and tidy. Ruben was a great host, attentive to our needs and very thorough when explaining the check-in process.

Guillermo, who greeted us, was friendly, and the apartment was clean. El Palo's beaches are a 10-minute walk away, but the place really only suits two people. The mattress sags in the middle, and its fabric is sagging too. The sofa bed was incredibly uncomfortable, with springs digging in. There isn't even a bathroom shelf for a toothbrush, so everything has to go in drawers. There was no microwave or small saucepan for heating food. It gets quite hot in summer, and the air conditioning barely cools the place. I won't be back.

I lost my keys, and I understand that was my mistake and comes with a cost. But they charged me €35 for someone to open the door at night, saying it counted as a nighttime check-in, plus €25 for a key copy. They said the price reflected the effort. I politely asked them to show me the contract term for lost keys and an unexpected night-time door opening at that price. It seemed they hadn't planned for this and were making it up as they went along. When I called, they told me to sleep on the terrace so they wouldn't have to come and let me in. Then there was the hairdryer exploding and the cleaner taking some of my belongings without warning. I know things like that can happen, and I wish I could charge them for the inconvenience. Instead, they charged me €60 and were incredibly brazen about it. Maybe they'll say it's for the trouble, but luckily they didn't decide my inconvenience was worth €200. If you're reading this, find out in writing when they'll charge you for human error. An appliance can break and they still charge you for the hassle of going to get it repaired.