The Mandrem House

There were frogs hopping around, along with lizards and mice. This apartment was very poorly maintained, and our five or six days here with my family for their anniversary were chaotic and extremely troublesome. Given the nightly price, it was a traumatic stay. The apartment is large, but not hygienic: mice on the ground floor, ants in the kitchen, stained bedsheets, dust everywhere, and big bathrooms with pathetic shower pressure and poor furnishings. The fan regulators, water heater, and WiFi weren’t working. Goa was cooler because of the rain, so warm water was a necessity for my family. On the day we moved in, the glass in the staircase window was broken, letting grasshoppers and lizards creep inside. The tabletops and bedside areas hadn’t been dusted, and powdery dust covered the floor. There was fungal growth in the kitchen microwave, and ants lined the kitchen counters and cupboards. The owner had dumped old bed stands and frames in corners, making the apartment feel like a storeroom. Power cuts happened often, and the backup kept failing. Even when the power was on, the WiFi and other heavy appliances kept tripping, including the fridge, washing machine, fans, and WiFi. On the second and third days, the owner sent workers and expected us to deal with the contractor and electrician ourselves while we were staying there. We had to sit through hours of noise as they worked on loose fan regulators, the broken glass, the MCB, and WiFi. The contractor also asked us for cash upfront. The owner ruined the holiday for our family of five. We paid a bomb for the apartment and still had one of the worst hospitality and service experiences. The owner owes us compensation, but money alone won’t make up for the awful experience we had on our vacation.