The Captains House

The location was brilliant, with everything we needed within walking distance, and the house was a good size. But most rooms needed TLC, and dealing with the owner was extremely unprofessional and unnecessary. We arrived at the end of July, and my friend, who booked the stay, tried several times to call the owner because we couldn’t get into the property. His phone was off, though we eventually got the keys. Before the trip, he’d promised us three free parking spaces outside. When the rest of us arrived, two cars found those spaces already occupied by other people, so we had to pay for parking for the whole stay. He hasn’t agreed to reimburse us. My friend had also asked before the trip if we could leave our bags in the house on our last day while we explored more of Liverpool, and he’d agreed. But the cleaner hadn’t been told, and we were asked to leave earlier than expected. About a week after the stay, the owner called my friend in an extremely irate manner, demanding full payment even though the amount had already been taken from her bank account before we arrived. He asked her to transfer it while she was on the phone and was very rude. She ended up having to prove the payment with screenshots of her bank statement.

The location is easy for walking around, and there’s street parking, though you may have to pay depending on the time. That’s about all I can say in its favour. The place looked nothing like the photos, and practically everything was broken. The hallway had no lights, the electrical sockets and switches were smashed, the TV didn’t work, and one side of the double bed had collapsed. Fire alarms had been removed, the carpets and bedding were stained, and there was a broken bedroom window. There were only three forks in the kitchen, so we ate with spoons. The previous guests’ rubbish was still in the fridge, someone’s clothes were in the bathroom cupboard, and laundry was running in the washing machine. Worst of all, while I was at the shop, someone let themselves into the house with a key and started questioning my children. This felt unsafe and awful. It shouldn’t be rented out.

The location is good, and there’s a pub across the road. The house itself was average, though there were hardly any plug sockets, so it wasn’t well suited to a group of women, or men, really. The parking was supposed to be free, but cars were already in the spaces when we arrived. The owner didn’t offer a refund or even basic communication. When we got there, the door lock was faulty and we couldn’t get in. We called the owner several times, but his phone was off. That’s a basic hosting responsibility, and it wasn’t met. Based on our experience, I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Great value for a quirky apartment. It’s a three-minute walk to the Philharmonic Theatre and about 20 minutes on foot to Albert Docks and the Beatles Story. I’ll definitely stay again.