Unhappy holiday
Review Submitted: July 7, 2008
Date of Stay: April 2008
Ventimiglia is a medieval village, we found it to be a poor looking, in poor repair, and and not very attractive, the grafitti and abundant dog mess didn't help. The locals were not friendly. The local supermarkets and shops had little to offer. Car parking is difficult although this appears to be true of other areas in Italy that we visited in our short stay.
The house was clean and adequate and there was plenty of clean linen, pots and pans etc. However our first view of it was disappointing because the outside and steel door entrance were covered in grafitti and the inside courtyard was covered in fallen leaves from the overgrown bourganvillia. Moreover a bag of rotting and seeping garden rubbish had been left in a corner of the courtyard. We found this to be a gloomy area. However we preferred it to the terrace which, as described had a wonderful view of the sea, unfortunately you had to be standing up to see it. It was also overlooked on the back of the terrace by its neighbours thus providing little in the way of privacy. This could have been made clearer in the advert.
We did not like the town or the house and only stayed for two days and three nights. We were unable to secure a refund and a percentage of our deposit was withheld for cleaning despite our very short stay. An expensive lesson that we learned from this experience was to have done more research on the area before we booked.
Owner's Response: These guests had every opportunity to ask for as many details as they subsequently complained about before their visit. As the property owner I have no control over the availability of parking spaces, whether people control their dogs properly or graffitti and as Ventimiglia Alta is clearly described as a mediaeval town the fact that there were immediate neighbours and therefore the terrace was overlooked would be obvious to most people. The local shops sell fresh produce grown or baked locally in a tradition long lost in the UK which most visitors to the town find particularly appealing but there is no Asda or M& S Simply Food nearby.
I am also puzzled about the claim that the local people were unfriendly since I know that these visitors spoke not one word of Italian.
From the bookings last year 3 families are returning this year and most visitors to the house find its location and amenities extremely good value.These visitors asked for a refund because they expected something completely different but I refused as I could have rented the house during this period to others who would have enjoyed and appreciated the house and region. There are numerous guidebooks that could have given them information about Ventimiglia or they could have asked me beforehand.
Ventimiglia is not a glitzy tourist haven and one is unlikely to find a 3 bedroomed house for £420 per week in somewhere like Monte Carlo or Portofino. Mediaeval towns in Italy often look scruffy to suburban English eyes and if this is likely to offend them they should go elswhere.
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Helpful votes: 10/12
