Vila Amalya

Okay.

The biggest issue was the housekeeper's attitude. During our six-night stay, she never asked if we needed anything or cleaned the room, but sat outside all day with coffee and cigarettes. She was always there, breathing down our necks, and eventually told us we couldn't cook anymore because she thought we used the kitchen too much, even though we'd paid over 4500 lei. The place itself was a huge disappointment. The Booking listing said 300 m from the beach, but that turned out to be the distance to the shore. The beach was about 1.5 km away. The shower flooded the floor, had no faucet support, and the AC drained into a 5-litre canister that we had to keep emptying so water wouldn't drip on us. They hadn't run a hose outside. There were spiders on the walls, and the hallway light looked like a makeshift setup with exposed wires. The kitchen was awful too, with drawers that barely opened and a very old stove. The villa isn't worth the money. I've never stayed somewhere so embarrassing on a beach trip, and I don't understand its 8+ Booking rating. I'd give it zero if I could.

We were two families. In my friends' room, the toilet connection leaked water onto the floor, though it was replaced and fixed, and there were ants. The shower cabin was glued at the bottom. I'd requested an extra bed for my 13-year-old son through Booking. When we arrived, we were asked to pay for it, even though Booking said children up to 15 stayed free. After I showed the owner the listing, he changed it on the website. At one point, the balcony door in our room broke, so we were moved to another room. Once it was repaired, we moved back. The reception ladies gave us a beer each for the inconvenience, and that earned them a score of 10. My main dissatisfaction was the owner's attitude. After we pointed out what Booking said about the extra bed, he accused us of breaking the door and said he was travelling through the Maldives. He also asked where we'd ever seen people not pay for a child, since the child used electricity and water. After we got back from Costinesti, we booked a trip to Vienna and sent him a photo showing there was no extra charge for our 14-year-old. He got angry and called me an animal in WhatsApp messages. I hope he wasn't treated that way in the Maldives. That's why the ladies get a 10, and Mr. Boss gets a 2.

The balcony is huge, with a table and chairs, and the room also has air conditioning and a small fridge. There’s a modern kitchen, a terrace for meals, a play area for kids, a barbecue, and private parking. I’ve only been here two days, but it already feels like home. The villa is very clean, the beds are comfortable, the bathrooms are clean, and the two women at reception are just wonderful. It deserves more than five stars!