Loved Turkey and Kas. Villa a disappointment
Submitted: September 7, 2012
Stayed: August 2012
Arriving at the villa, I was shocked to realize the proximity of the adjacent villas. 7 metres between the patio pool side and the neighbour’s chimney is not a “good distance” as described in a pre-booking communication with the owner.
Whilst the villa is beautiful, it shows signs of neglect. There is no villa sign as mentioned in the owner’s directions. It has completely disintegrated and is now obscured by foliage.
The support columns of the dual gates to the rear car park have collapsed making it inaccessible. There are tiles missing from the swimming pool. The paved terrace by the barbeque has broken leaving a particularly dangerous edge. The doors to the three bedrooms are delaminating and are ill-fitting, the central one not latching at all. The semi-circular window frames around the spiral staircase are exhibiting a fair degree of rot. The grey-painted balustrades are corroding, staining the marble of the master bedroom balcony. Many interior light fittings did not work. The towel rail in the master bathroom was loose and fell off repeatedly. There is black mould evident on the sealing grout in all shower trays.
The owner’s guide book was out of date and entries were edited by previous guests. For example, it extolled the virtues of various restaurants and establishments that no longer existed. The instructions for the AV system were incorrect and we could achieve audio from the DVD player but no video.
The “infinity pool” is a misnomer. The definition is “a swimming pool set up to produce a visual effect of the water extending to the horizon (infinity) or into the sea”. The only visual effect you have is of the roof of the villa directly in front!
We were unfortunate enough to have damaged a mosquito net when it attached itself to an exposed 50w spotlight within 15cm of the bed. The material was without doubt, nylon/polyester as it melted rather than burned. The owner withheld a significant proportion of our deposit to purchase a pure cotton replacement at £115. A classic case of opportunistic profiteering.
My seven year old son fell down the spiral staircase entrapping his arm between the staircase and exterior wall. He suffered lacerations and bruising to his upper arm. Suffice to say there is not a continuous handrail on the staircase –Not exactly child friendly!
Definitely my worst villa rental in thirty years.
Owner's Response: This is the first and only negative review we have had in seven years. Valid concerns, such as the covering of the sign with foliage have been addressed. In addition, we repaint all railings and revarnish all wooden shutters at the end of each season. The motive was because we charged him for the burnt mosquito net, which he says somehow “attached itself to an exposed 50w spotlight”, and which was indeed pure cotton, despite his claims to the contrary; had the guest asked for proof of purchase, I would have provided a copy of the receipt from supplier verifying it was indeed a pure cotton net, currently priced at AUD $279 – we did not charge the guest the full amount, taking into account depreciation as it was not brand new.
In further response to this guest’s negative review, I would like to share some pre arrival email exchange (this is exact wording).
Here is an excerpt from the pre-arrival correspondence re the privacy complaint:
Guest question: We like our privacy – and we have three noisy boys. I noted from your excellent reviews that there are neighbouring villas. Are they a reasonable distance away?
Owner response: Yes, I think most people feel the neighbouring villas are a good distance away – there’s an established garden, which provides good levels of privacy
Here is an excerpt from the pre-arrival correspondence re the check-out: time
Guest question: I have booked the flights with Thompson Airways. I couldn’t get a return flight until Monday 3rd. Would it be possible to stay until Sunday afternoon please?
Owner response: I’m afraid I have other guests arriving on the 1st. There are a number of decent hotels both on the peninsula and in town so this might be an option for you? I can recommend Hotel Tamara, Hotel Likka, Hadrian Hotel.
Guest reply: It will be a shame to have to relocate for one day.
Guest question: Is this normal for Turkey? In my thirty something years of renting (mainly Caribbean, Indian Ocean and some European) I’ve not experienced a change-over before midday.
Owner response: It will be OK to check out at 11am on the 1st.
Our caretaker tells us the guest attempted to stay in the villa past the agreed check out time and was reminded we had new guests arriving on his day of departure.
Helpful votes: 2/2
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