Villa Chingo

The place was clean and tidy, and it was easy to book. Our host was friendly, helpful, and quick to communicate. There’s parking on site, and I was allowed to bring my cat. The view is AMAZING, with lots of natural light, a decent balcony, and other shared outdoor spaces. Internet worked for browsing and light work. The bathroom was a typical European size. It’s a short drive into town, and payment is cash only.

We might have given the place a solid four stars if the hot water problem had been handled differently. At first the owner was friendly, but when we told him there was no hot water, he blamed us for breaking something. We waited nearly three hours, then gave up for the night. In the morning, there was hot water because the boiler hadn't been turned on. Once we pointed that out, he went quiet. No apology, and no interaction for the rest of our stay. If you have a car, the location is convenient enough, and the room with a view is nice. I can see why people leave positive reviews, but it seems to depend on what mood you catch the owner in. Customer service needs to be consistent. I hope other guests have a better experience.

The balcony had an amazing view, and it was handy to have a kitchen and fridge available in the house. The room was comfortable and spacious, though the morning light was very strong. Bring an eye mask and it won't be a problem. The owner was the friendliest, a really nice and helpful man. I'd recommend it!

The owner’s dismissive way of dealing with problems made this an unpleasant stay, and I can't recommend the place. Some reviews describe him as friendly, but that seemed true only while everything was going well. When there was an issue with the room, he denied responsibility and blamed us. We arrived to find nobody available to check us in. We looked around the property and called out, but got no answer, so we eventually called the owner. He came out of his apartment, which was right in front of where we had parked. That night, after a long day of travel, we tried to shower and found there was no hot water. The owner came up and immediately asked whether we'd forced the faucet. We said we hadn't; he said the faucets were broken, then said he would turn on the boiler and told us to wait 15 minutes. There was still no hot water, so we contacted him again. He asked us to wait another 20 minutes, saying the water needed time to heat. We were the only guests on the property then, apart from guests in two other occupied rooms who were out, so it didn't seem possible that the hot water had simply run out. Several rooms were vacant, and we asked to use another shower, but he ignored the request. After another 20 minutes, there was still no hot water. He told us to wait 40 more minutes. It was below 10°C outside, so hot water felt like a necessity. When that wait also led nowhere, he said there was nothing he could do until morning, when he would change the faucet. We told him how frustrating it was not to be able to shower after traveling all day. Instead of apologizing, he said, “Most likely you twisted the temperature side of the faucet with too much force and broke it. I had paid for it €120 euros, and I am more disapointed than you.” The next morning, the hot water worked perfectly when we tried it. That confirmed to us that we hadn't broken anything and that the owner simply hadn't turned on the boiler in time for our stay. We messaged him to explain, but he never replied or acknowledged it. The stay might have been acceptable without this problem, but the way he handled it was unacceptable. He was rude and refused to take responsibility. There are plenty of other affordable places nearby with similar or better views, so I don't see a reason to risk staying here. Also, it's far from Ohrid town. You'll need a car, or face a round trip walk of more than two hours.