Villa Zinata

For what it costs, this place feels very overpriced. The upstairs master bedroom doesn't close off, so privacy is an issue. And with ten people, there just aren't enough bathrooms.

The location by the sea, pool, and outdoor kitchen were fantastic, but the value for money was poor. We booked the “luxury villa” through Airbnb for two adults and our children, aged 10 and 14, paying €6,000 for seven nights. We left after two nights because of the unsanitary conditions. Airbnb canceled the booking and refunded us in full. On arrival day, the host insisted we check in by 6:00 PM, so we had to cut short our day trip to Corte. A woman who smoked greeted us. The check-in was rushed: the dishwasher was full, a robot was still cleaning the pool, one bed hadn't been made, and its linens arrived later, leaving us to make it ourselves. The bathrooms had mildew in the grout and limescale on the fixtures. The shower and kitchen ventilation were dirty. Every air conditioner had a slimy, cobweb-like layer of dust and dried brown water marks. There were also torn curtains, brittle bathroom sealant, missing tiles, rust on shower fixtures, loose wires dangling from the ceiling light, and a clogged sink. The garden and beach access seemed neglected. Only the guest toilet had hand soap. There was no shampoo, dish soap, dishwasher tablets, or the advertised vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. The host accepted our comments about the “details,” apologized, and said she'd send someone to clean, but nobody had come by day three. She thought we were exaggerating our hygiene concerns and pointed to her 20 years as a landlord and 100% satisfied customers. She then asked if we wanted to leave.

We really enjoyed breakfast in the sun and dinner in the shade on the terrace, and the location was perfect for us. The pool, garden, and beach access were all well kept. The beach itself is for experienced swimmers, though, because of the steep rocks. We did find the layout less suitable for ten people. There are four bedrooms, so eight seems fine, and the bathroom setup was awkward. Upstairs, the toilet and bathroom aren't separated from the bedroom by a partition, which we didn't like. The downstairs toilet also had a slow-filling cistern. Those are small complaints overall.

The location is great, right by the sea, though there are lots of sea urchins. The beds were bad, the rooms damp, and the heating didn't work. There was no garage available for us to use, and the jacuzzi water smelled very bad and had deposits.