Villa Mamma Mia

The villa has potential, but it was dated and, in our experience, nowhere near ready for guests. We paid £1100 for a week and arrived to a kitchen that smelled like a dead bird. The dishwasher had maggots and bits of rotten meat left from the previous guest, and the coffee pot had an old filter full of mouldy coffee. Some utensils and pots needed washing too. We ended up cleaning the whole villa ourselves, and it was very dirty. During the pandemic, I expected much more cleaning and disinfecting. There were also broken fridge drawers and appliances, burnt-out bulbs, and broken, cheap French curtains. Across the road, a huge construction site was active from 7am to 7pm all week. There were four large cranes, tractors, trucks, digging, drilling, banging, and industrial jackhammers. We had no warning about it. Dust covered the poolside furniture, patios, tables, BBQ, and pool, making it unpleasant to relax. The villa is also beside a busy road. They ask guests to wash dishes and keep the place clean, but provide no dish soap, dishwasher tablets, cleaning products, or tools. We were told to get those ourselves. There was just one roll of toilet paper, so bring more. They did leave wine and fruit on arrival, but not the basic supplies. When we asked about heating the pool, we were quoted £100, which felt ridiculous given all the other problems. Customer service and hospitality were non-existent in our experience. I’m a hotel GM with 22 years behind my belt, and I wouldn't touch this place with a stick. I trusted the photos and a few positive reviews, which were most likely from the owners' friends. The owners seemed not to care about cleaning standards or guests' experience. Once you're on the island, finding somewhere else at short notice is hard, and dealing with refunds and disputes can take a long time, which isn't what you want to spend a holiday doing. I intend to file a formal complaint with the Spanish health ministry and include my videos and photos. There were no extra health measures, cleaning, or disinfecting, and the cleaning was way below par. Add the construction, broken appliances, rotting food, missing supplies and toilet paper, dust, and noise six days a week, and I felt I had to warn people. I'm happy to answer questions or share photos and videos. Hospitality and travel have been my passion for years, and I want guests and clients to have a great experience. There are plenty of other places in Playa Blanca, so don't make the mistake of choosing this one.

We paid £1250 and felt completely ripped off and deceived. After only two days there with our 13-year-old daughter, Maria told us to leave that day, keep the deposit, and give no refund for the remaining five days. She blamed us for damage we hadn't caused, which seemed to come from poor maintenance. There were bare electrical wires behind the downstairs TV, and when we complained about things around the property not working and asked why we hadn't been told about the construction site, Maria said we were bad people. The site was only 23 meters away, with six cranes overlooking the garden, and the noise was horrendous. Maria said she'd told us about it and claimed it was over 500 meters away, which was completely untrue. Please don't trust Maria Garcia hernandez. She was the worst host I've come across, and she will lie to you.

We spent two weeks at Villa Mamma Mia A over Christmas and New Year's Eve. The photos were accurate, the house was high quality for a holiday rental, and there was nothing negative to say about the house itself. Bedrooms had large built-in wardrobes and good mattresses, and the kitchen had everything we needed in sufficient quantities. There are two bathrooms on the ground floor, where the bedrooms are, including one off the master bedroom. The basement has a third bathroom with shower and toilet, as well as a very large windowless living room and the sauna. We used the saltwater pool every day, though at 22/23 degrees Celsius it felt chilly at first despite being heated. The pool area is very nice. For shopping, we went to the HiperDino in central Playa Blanca for its fresh cheese, sausage, meat, and fish counter. Smaller HiperDino shops are also within walking distance. The main drawback was noise. The road is busy even at night, and the master bedroom window isn't soundproof; the French doors don't close all the way, so street noise can disturb light sleepers. The construction site opposite also caused a lot of noise during its 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. working hours. We weren't told about it, and when we raised it with the landlord, it was played down. We'd rent the house again if it were in a quieter part of Playa Blanca.

We all felt very comfortable at Villa Mamma Mia. The rooms were clean and beautifully furnished, with nicely made beds and blankets to suit different sleeping preferences. The kitchen had the utensils needed for cooking, and the welcome groceries and huge fruit basket made our arrival much easier. A few spices would have been a nice extra. We especially loved the pool, with clear, refreshing, slightly salty water. In October, there was always a sunny spot around it from 10 a.m. Fresh towels were supplied and the bathrooms were cleaned regularly, which I really appreciated. The shopping centre nearby made it easy to do everything on foot. We also enjoyed walks along the promenade to Playa Blanca and around the beautiful sailing and yacht harbor "Marina Rubicon". The weather was so good that we didn't use the sauna or large home cinema.