Would be better if owner maintained property more regularly
Submitted: March 12, 2013
Stayed: January 2013
The description and pictures of this villa are a bit outdated. They appear to be taken when first purchased and do not accurately show the current state of the villa. We stayed at this villa for 6 nights and almost dailly had to contact the maintenance staff because the water would shut off sometimes mid-shower (all due to a faulty toilet that could easily be repaired, instead the owner has posted a sticker by the toilet to show how to prevent this problem). The bathroom mirrored doors were very heavy and hard to open, especially for children and by the last day, one door got stuck at midnight and the maintenance staff had to come to fix the door. The chemicals in the pool seemed off balanced and as a result turned the swimwear green. The drain cover in the middle of the pool kept coming off because of missing screws and this issue was never resolved the entire duration of our stay. This was a concern especially for the children staying at the villa. The location is ok if a 10 minute walk to the main road down a narrow alleyway is okay for you and your children.
Note that although there is AC in the villa, it is only in the bedrooms. We were asked numerous times to turn off the AC when we were not in the rooms and if we did not, the staff would turn it off, thereby leaving no retreat from the heat. There is no communal area (living room or dining) that is AC'd.
The owner was present, friendly and courteous. He offered a ride to the supermarket to pick up food and drinks and brought us to a painting store he recommended. There is no complaint about the owner or staff, the only disappointment is the location and the constant maintenance issues we had to call about daily that easily could have been resolved with minor fixes.
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Owner's Response: Firstly I would like to thank you for your feedback. I am sincerely sorry you experienced some problems during your stay at Villa Zara and to be completely honest this is the first ever complaint. When you arrived it was just at the end of peak season and I had been Running at 100% occupancy for some time and had to wait till it slowed down to take a break for a thorough mainenance check. Everything now is in perfect working order. I had to order the bolt for the pool grate, it was only ornamental and never had any suction, please be assured that your children were never in any harm. My maintenence man is great and he was always there within 15 minutes of you calling him.
You are probably right, I could use some new photos as I have improved the villa and added a new couch, screened in porch, new dining room chairs and lounge chair covers. Although the photos posted are only 1 year old.
There is no AC in Dining or Living room area, as most people when they come to Bali like to enjoy the outdoors and you would have been able to see this before you booked if that was an issue.
I do ask my guests to turn off their AC units when they leave for the day to conserve energy as it only takes minutes to cool back down. Going Green and Starting to Recycle as well! Its a new thing here!
As for the location, it is pinned on the map and is stated in my description that it is located down a small alley in a quiet Balinese neighborhood. It takes me 2 minutes to walk to the main street but it could have taken you 10 minutes if you were walking with small kids.
Most villas in Bali are located down small alleys.
Next time you come to Bali you may prefer to stay in a family orientated resort, the cost however could be much higher.
Thank you once again for your constructive criticism, It is people like you that allow me to elevate and Improve my Villa to continue to strive in my Quest for excellence and the happiness for future guests.
Cheers
Guy
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