Rivabella Suite Apartments

Really great!

The people who tried to help us were kind, but the apartment itself and the owner's response made this a terrible weekend. The cleaning lady and maintenance man did what they could: they cleaned where possible, got the extractor hood working, and fixed the bathroom water. The owners are responsible for the state of the place, though, and seemed not to care. The polished website, glossy pictures, and automated WhatsApp messages don't match the service we received. We were ten family members, six adults and four children, including a newborn. We chose the apartment so we could all stay together for a weekend, not because it was cheap. On arrival, there was dust across the floors, enough that my crawling son got dirty hands and knees straight away. The kitchen was worn and dirty, the hood was greasy and unusable until repaired, and there was mold and caked-on dirt in the bathroom. The cleaning lady had to return the next day. The sleeping arrangements were awful. The double beds sagged, with springs pressing into us. My wife, a new mother who needed to breastfeed our newborn, had to sleep on one, and seeing her go through that was unbearable. The sofa bed had iron slats you could feel, and my parents had dreadful nights on it. The bunk beds were the only acceptable beds. Everything else looked run down and poorly made, nothing like the attractive online photos. When I raised these problems, the owner didn't apologize or show concern. He said, "You can't expect luxury for €10 a day," which felt like he was belittling me. I wasn't asking for luxury, just a clean, decent place that matched the listing. He also said he'd been in the apartment and it looked clean at first glance. Make of that what you will.

That beach and location were fantastic, and we still had a pleasant stay because of them. The rooms are laid out nicely and the furnishings are good, but there were two neighbors having bachelor parties, and sound carried badly. Inside, the kitchen didn't have much equipment and the bathroom felt shabby. The faucet, outlet, and door handle were loose, its ventilation didn't work, and the place was very dusty. For €180 a night, I expected a bit more. The location is hard to beat, with a great beach and entertainment nearby.

Being close to the sea and promenade made Apartment No. 2 handy and comfortable, especially for someone with a disability. It had cookware, dishes, glasses, a kettle, broom and mop, iron and board, towels and sheets, fridge, oven, moka pot, and TV. There's also a very good nearby restaurant, "La Posada," that does takeout. A cleaner arrival would have helped, and I'd have liked a clothesline, tablecloth, tea towel, and a couple of salad bowls. Most of all, a second key card for getting into the apartment would be useful. With those things, I'd give it five stars.