VANDER - Sea Story

I had a really good stay here in September 2022. The apartment was clean and fresh, with modern, stylish furniture and all the kitchen appliances available. The price seemed reasonable, and the views were beautiful. I'd definitely come back.

We were very happy with our stay. The apartment was modern, clean, and roomy, and the location was great. Having laundry on every level was appreciated too.

The street out front was noisy, so I'd try for a room at the back next time. I loved the area, especially the bakeries and the deli and meat market specialty store. It was a great place with easy access to everything.

WARNING, you may not get the apartment you booked and paid for, even if you booked four months ahead. We booked and paid for a two-bedroom apartment on 24 December 2018 and received confirmation. Two days before our Easter holiday, on 19 April 2019, we were told we couldn't stay there because of an unforeseen situation, apparently an overbooking by Booking.com staff. This was after four months. It was Easter Friday, so everywhere else was either full or too expensive for our three-night budget. Yet the same apartment still had a one-bedroom unit available, at three times the price of the two-bedroom place we'd originally booked. It made us wonder if they had taken our money in advance and then moved us at the last minute, leaving us with no choice but to use their business. Could this be a way for the company to get people's money? There were three of us on a girls' holiday, and it was stressful. We were afraid we'd have nowhere to stay, and had already paid for flights and activities. We felt we had no choice but to accept the alternative accommodation the host offered. It was about a 15-20 minute walk each way from the centre, or we could take a bus, which cost £6 for a single ticket. We used the bus once, when we arrived in Stavanger with our luggage. After a day of hiking, that walk wasn't great. Please think carefully before booking this apartment. You might not get what you reserved and paid for, and there may be no time to find the option you want. Unfortunately, Booking.com lets this host do this. If you cancel, you don't get a refund, even if you found a good price for your budget. But they can cancel on you or change your booking at short notice, and we customers can't charge them for it? I also noticed Booking.com didn't post my negative review on its site. Google Maps shows some construction sign, but Booking.com is still advertising the apartment without any warning. Con artist?