Great amenities but.......
Submitted: December 10, 2012
Stayed: November 2012
Let me start off by saying the villa was amazing. Amenities are great and we loved the area. We ended up having 2 extra guests then listed on the rental agreement, the owner was very understanding and flexible with that, however thats where the good review stops. When we arrived we could not get the air conditioner below 75 degrees. After texting the owner she advised us that they have it locked at 75 and that most people find that comfortable. 75 degrees inside with humidity is not by any means comfortable and no one got a lot of sleep because it was to hot and stuffy. We took very good care of the villa, never wore shoes in the house always rinsed our feet off, always ate at the table and cleaned nightly. When we left we cleaned the villa and put everything back were it belonged. When we arrived home we received a very nasty email from the owner stating than according to her cleaning crew we had left the villa "trashed" that things were missing, broken, stained and damaged. She stated that we would have to wait at least 2 weeks before she would know if we were getting our deposit back. She also stated that she would be traveling there herself to assess the damage and file a claim with the rental insurance. She went as far to say that after she filed that we would be responsible for anything over the $1500 damage protection. We were extremely upset over this as when we left the villa was in perfect condition minus 1 bowl that had broke. We emailed her and explained to her that was absolutely untrue what the crew was telling her. She responded with and even longer and less pleasant email. After 2 days I requested an itemized list of what her crew was telling her was wrong. She did not email me with a response but I did get an email for home away stating that my whole deposit was being returned. I was not surprised because we knew there was noting wrong with the villa. I never received an apology from her for her harsh words. The bottom line is that the owner is hard to deal with and doesn't wait before she jumps into accusations that are untrue.
We go to Hawaii twice a year, usually Maui or Kauai, we always use home away and we have never not received our deposit or have any problems with any owner. My suggestion would be take pictures when you arrive and when you leave to prove the condition of the villa, or even better don't waste your money on this island or this owner and go to a Maui or Kauai.
Owner's Response: I appreciate Laura's honesty regarding the excellent quality of the villa, the terrific amenities and the wonderful location. I would ask any prospective guests to compare this review to the many other reviews we have received before making a judgment about booking a stay.
We have never had any issue with any guest previously and were saddened to have to contact Laura about the condition in which her group left the Villa. From the outset, we seemed to have some communication issues with Laura. As she mentioned, she had two extra guests arrive with her at the villa. We waived the extra guest fee as a courtesy. The villa can accommodate up to 6, but we only rent to groups of 6 where several of the group are 'small' children. Her group had 4 adults and older kids, which is not a comfortable fit.
When the cleaners arrived they let us know that the villa was the dirtiest it had ever been left after a guest had departed, that there were "some" broken plates and they weren't sure if anything else was missing or damaged because they'd need to clean first to check. I contacted Laura immediately to let her know that it could take up to the allowed 14 days for us to do the refund while we investigated what was going on. Since we were planning to be at the villa anyway I had told her we would take a look for ourselves and not rely solely on our cleaner's information. Laura initially replied by saying that they thought they had left the place "tidy” and that she was sending our email on to her attorney. I was surprised by her level of agitation since I had simply said we couldn't refund the deposit immediately, that we had to investigate, and that we'd either get her the full deposit refund within 14 days or provide details for any deductions. I don't know what she means by 'harsh words'. There was no swearing, wild accusations or vitriol. I simply and professionally stated what the cleaners had told us and that we'd look into it. She immediately accused us of lying, insurance fraud, and legal action.
Even though it took our cleaners hours of extra cleaning time to get the villa back in shape, we decided to keep our record of 100% refunds and refunded her full deposit. We want to clarify for potential guests how differently we see the events that transpired than Laura does.
We've received dozens of personal thank you notes, holiday cards and over half of our guests are repeat visitors so please consider our track record before making a judgment.
Helpful votes: 12/15
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