Villa Penthouse Tenma

The room was so noisy from the nearby train track, about 20 meters away, that we found it uninhabitable and checked out right away. Inside, it looked nothing like the photos: the furniture was worn, with grease, hairs, and dirt, and the bathroom and kitchen were in an unacceptable state. This was the worst hotel experience of my life, and a nightmare for my family. Do not stay here. After leaving, we spent days of our family vacation and countless hours trying to sort things out with Hotels.com. An agent initially told us not to worry about cancelling and promised a full refund. We relied on that, booked another hotel, and had extra transportation costs as well. I made a good-faith effort and sent all the requested photos and videos, but the property has refused to refund us. Hotels.com has been useless too, saying there is nothing more they can do, despite its agent's promise. Now I have to pay for two hotels, and this property and Hotels.com's abysmal customer service ruined part of our long-awaited trip. Avoid it at all costs. You won't get what you paid for, and if anything goes wrong, neither the property nor Hotels.com will take responsibility.

The apartment itself is a good size, with a separate bedroom, bath and shower area, and toilet. It’s nicely equipped, including a washing machine. The big catch is the 4 pm check-in, no matter when you arrive. We got there at 9 am, and it made for an extremely long day. From noon, you can use the code to get into the foyer and leave your bags, but there’s nowhere to sit there or outside. I contacted the company ahead of time because we were travelling with an elderly couple who needed to sit and take medication. We were willing to pay for an extra day, but they said there was absolutely no way to get in before 4 pm. So be warned. Shops are about 300 metres down the road, where you can find a restaurant and sit.

In a local neighbourhood, with the station and places to eat close by, the location worked really well for us. The room was great, and having a kitchen and washing machine was lovely. You can hear the trains go past, but we didn’t find it too bad and never woke up because of them. We do wear earplugs, which the property provides for free. If you sleep very lightly, this probably isn’t the place for you. Otherwise, or if you use earplugs, you’ll likely enjoy the apartment and area as much as we did, and sleep like a baby.

The location is handy, tucked away enough to feel removed but still close to train lines, food, and shops. Cleanliness was a bit off, though. The curtains were broken, and there was only one washing tablet for three days. Since you’re out most of the day and don’t see anyone around, those things can slip your mind, but I’d think twice about booking here again if I were nearby. Light sleepers should know the trains run late, and you can hear people walking around when you’re on a lower floor.