Villa Delfino

My family and I spent a week at Villa Delfino. It’s an impressive villa in a quiet area very close to the sea, and the staff are friendly.

There were serious problems at this villa, and we spent a lot of time and money trying to make it livable, doing repairs, finding furniture, and dealing with things the owner should have handled. Six air conditioners were broken, and ongoing problems made it hard to cool the house and close the main living areas. Mould was widespread, damaged our belongings, and affected our health. Our son has asthma and had ongoing breathing issues. We found a python in the open swimming pool gutter. The property also had a heavy fly infestation, with trash collected only once a month and a dumpsite about 30m away. Eating and relaxing was unpleasant. Flying termites swarmed at night, made worse because the house couldn’t be properly closed. Plumbing was a major problem for weeks: sewage came up into the sinks, showerheads sprayed erratically, drains flooded, bidets dripped, and toilets wouldn’t flush properly. The back kitchen was unusable because of mould and poor hygiene. There was no washing machine, so with children who needed uniforms we had to hand-wash clothes regularly. The water tank failed often, even when we had guests. The TV room was unusable due to mould and old, malfunctioning equipment, so we bought a TV, furniture, and household items to make it functional. Lights were broken around the property, including the pool, garden, and interior, and we had to replace 16 lights when we checked in. Staff support and management were unreliable. They would clean the villa, but couldn’t be bothered to help even when we paid them. Most concerning, our dog was seriously injured while under staff supervision, and surgery and ongoing medical care cost us 30mil. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord refused to properly return our deposit, left the chat group and stopped communicating, and charged excessive amounts for minor issues so he could deduct as much as possible. As a heads up, the landlord hasn’t been back in Bali for over 7years, so how do you even go after him?