Quinta Turki Malika

The house is beautiful and has potential, but it’s badly managed and maintained. Windows, wardrobes, cabinets, drawers, and other furniture were dirty, and several rooms and items smelled of mould. We had to air the rooms out for hours. Towels and bed covers were stained and smelled unwashed, so we brought and used linens from a relative’s home. We stayed eight nights and left the place in good condition, yet Andreia expected us to clean everything, even the garden, and complained that we hadn’t made the beds. It makes me wonder whether sheets are changed properly between guests. We washed the oven and grill ourselves because they were filthy when we arrived. They were cleaner when we left, but the cleaners still called them “dirty” and called us “pigs” in messages Andreia forwarded. She also complained about a little sugar on the counter. It gave me the impression they didn’t intend to do a proper clean that day. There were problems from the start: Andreia, who manages the house and bookings, asked us to pay part in cash and transfer the rest to her personal account. After checkout, she sent my aunty a voice note with racist comments, saying we “behaved like monkeys.” She also blamed us for broken items and stained sun loungers that were already dirty before our arrival. Days after we left, she kept sending messages, videos, and photos demanding payment for damage we hadn’t caused. She even wanted us to collect the bedsheets or have them delivered so we could wash them after leaving. This was a stressful, upsetting stay, with racist remarks, false accusations, poor hygiene, harassment afterward, and unprofessional behavior throughout.

The house itself is attractive, but it was so poorly kept that my experience deserves no stars. Outside, the floor was covered in rubbish, the grass needed cutting, and the garden furniture was marked with dirt. The windows looked as if they hadn’t been cleaned in years. In the kitchen and laundry area, drawers and cupboards were filthy, dishes had dried food on them, there were only two kitchen cloths, and the single tablecloth was covered in grease stains. We spent the first day washing enough dishes to use and cleaning a couple of cupboards so we could keep the same dishes clean. The bedrooms were just as bad: no sheets on the beds, dirty floors and furniture, and smelly blankets in the wardrobes. The bathrooms were dirty, with clumps of hair coming out of the drains. After our four-day stay, the person in charge complained that we had left everything dirty and out of place. We left it cleaner than we found it. She said she’d report us and that this wasn’t a hotel, so we had to leave everything clean. I do not recommend this accommodation to anyone.

We tried to make the best of the three days, washing and cleaning whatever we needed to use. I didn’t complain when we arrived, partly because the woman had kindly let us check in in the morning and said we could check out later. We didn’t want trouble, and we had to stay there. That was probably foolish. The house was in poor shape from the start. The pool had green slime above the waterline and plant debris in it. Kitchen drawers and cupboards were dusty or dirty, pots had food left in them, and the fridge smelled musty. The beds had no sheets, just a fitted cover and a covered duvet, despite it being summer. The wardrobes and much of the stored bedding smelled mouldy. Shower drains were blocked in more than one bathroom, and the bathroom drawers were dirty. The windows, frames, and blinds hadn’t been cleaned for months, so I avoided opening the bedroom windows. Sofa blankets and cushions were poor, and the outdoor cushions and upholstery were stained. When we left, I messaged that we’d gone and left things roughly where they belonged, with only a few items in the fridge. I forgot to mention one thing, which was our mistake: the wind had blown the parasol into the pool overnight and it broke. We took it out and left it on the ground beside the pool. We had also taken the rubbish outside, scrubbed the barbecue area, gathered the sun lounger cushions, and put the furniture under the shelter. That night we received photos and complaints from the “cleaning” lady about the broken parasol, leftovers and bottles in the fridge, chairs being in a different arrangement, a bench and towel out of place, and “dishes scattered” on the counter. The dishes had been washed and left together to drain by the sink. We were threatened and insulted. No one gave us the benefit of the doubt about the parasol. We suggested checking the outdoor cameras to confirm what happened, though no one had told us about those cameras at check-in or asked for consent. To protect the person who made the booking, and avoid more hassle and a report to Booking, we paid for the parasol just to end the experience. We could have reported it to Booking, the electronic complaints book if they have one, the Consumer Portal, or ASAE, but we hadn’t taken photos to support our account. When things go wrong at a group property, the bad word seems to spread as quickly as the good word does. If you decide to take a chance on this place, report problems as soon as you arrive. Don’t be taken in by the apparent friendliness and hospitality.

The sheets were so damp that sleeping was impossible, and the house was freezing in the middle of winter with no heating. I asked the accommodation manager if they could provide blankets, firewood, or electric heaters. She replied that it was a “quinta, not a hotel,” and that they didn’t have those comforts. Easily my worst stay. I can’t recommend this place.