Santa Clara Urban Estudio

With 39°C outside, the broken air conditioning made the house impossible to stay in during the day. We contacted the host early that morning and got no reply. There weren’t even pillows for sleeping. Eugenia was indifferent and didn’t seem willing to help. One of the worst places we’ve ever stayed.

The area worked really well for getting around, with a bus connection to the historic center and the commercial center within walking distance. We spent five nights here over Christmas as a family of four. The loft is basically one large room, with a double bed and a sofa bed for two, plus a small kitchenette, water heater, and microwave. There’s a mini market 20 meters away, a pleasant square by a church down the street, and a larger square about 100 meters away with the Hercules Columns, lots of restaurants and bars, and a pharmacy open 365 days a year, 12 hours a day. A beautiful loft in a nice neighborhood.

Getting around was easy since the apartment is well located and everything is a short walk away. The host’s service, though, overshadowed the stay. We had trouble with the hot water and didn’t get a prompt response. Someone also knocked on our door in the morning without warning. The host promised an apology and partial refund, then refused to honor the refund through the booking platform and stopped replying. After we posted a negative review, they asked us to remove it in exchange for the refund. The apartment has potential, but the lack of service and unprofessional behavior were disappointing. I was stunned by the host’s arrogance.

We ended up renting somewhere else as well, with no reimbursement, after finding a cockroach in the entrance. The managers advertised free WiFi and a desk, but neither was available during our stay. They said the internet company would come fix the problem, then stopped answering our messages. The WiFi signal didn’t even reach the apartment so we could enter the password. I had booked a four-night stay through Booking.com and was meant to check in that evening. On arrival, I found advanced mold on the wall beside the bed, as shown in the photos. The apartment didn’t look like its listings on Booking.com or other websites, which I felt misrepresented the property. The owners said they hadn’t known about the mold and, in their opinion, it wasn’t a health risk because many guests had stayed there without getting sick. They offered to paint over it the next morning, which would have meant dealing with paint fumes as well. I told them I was pregnant and uncomfortable with that, and wanted to find another place, but they refused to offer a cancellation option. I’d warn potential guests to check carefully: the listing didn’t accurately represent the property, and the customer service was unsatisfactory at a delicate time. Stay away!