Casa Rural Fontalba

At 5:00 PM we were still waiting for forks, so we ended up eating with our hands. There wasn’t enough kitchenware, and several lights didn’t work. The dishwasher was broken, and instead of providing a replacement, they dropped off a huge pile of dishes and told us to leave them unwashed. That meant stacks of dirty plates in the kitchen. The house was filthy, despite the extra cleaning fee. It’s a disgrace to rent it out in this state. Worst house I’ve ever stayed in. Run.

The house itself is pretty, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there. It was easily the worst rural house I’ve experienced, and there wasn’t hot water. For a place that sleeps 18, we found only 5 forks, 8 knives, and 12 plates. It was filthy, and the dishwasher didn’t work even though we’d been charged extra to use it. The owners were incredibly unfriendly. Police showed up too, apparently because the owners weren’t registering the property as tourist accommodation and were having problems with them. Run away.

The house is beautiful, but the stay felt surreal, and I’d avoid it. There were two odd people staying there: one was supposedly the owner, who seemed shady, smelled bad, and walked around barefoot with filthy feet, much like the house. The other said he was the cleaner, but we never saw him. Everything else was horrible. The sheets had blood and grime on them, dead bugs were scattered around, the bathrooms were disgusting and smelly, and the pool water was stagnant. The place was unbelievably filthy.

We’d already told them how many people were coming and they hadn’t objected, but there still weren’t basic facilities for everyone. Before booking, ask whether the dishwasher works and how long it’s been broken if you even consider staying. They blamed it, along with the other damage, on the previous guests from the week before, though the listing hadn’t mentioned any of it. The house must once have been lovely, but now it’s so neglected it’s a pity. We felt like we were occupying it illegally. Lights didn’t work, things were broken, wires were exposed, sockets were unprotected, and there was dirt, dust, hair, and fungi everywhere, even though they charged extra for cleaning. It was by far the worst rural house we’ve ever stayed in. I’m giving one star because there’s no lower option. Don’t rent it. I hope our experience keeps someone else from falling into the same trap.