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Reviews of Large private villa with private pool, garden, bbq - 15% OFF APR & MAY -request

Large private villa with private pool, garden, bbq - 15% OFF APR & MAY -request
Altura, Castro Marim

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 13 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 10 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 30 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Rebecca R.

Not quite as described
We stayed as a party of 9 (4 adults, 4 teens and a 10 year old). I think it’s useful for other potential guests to know the following, based on our experience: 1. The 2 bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs are only suitable for small children or anyone under 3ft! They are basically loft rooms, no windows, I lost track of the number of times we banged our heads on the roof and trying to make the beds when you can’t stand up is difficult. 2. The location of the property is remote. The plot to the right is a derelict/ ruined building, overgrown etc and to the left, same sort of thing but half buried shipping containers in the ground. There are 3 neighbourhood dogs that roam about from early evening onwards. They bark (a lot!) and beg, especially if you are eating outdoors/ BBQ etc. 3. The address given was not recognised by any of our sat nav’s. We used last/ long co-ordinates to get us there. 4. The pool is freezing. “Colder than the sea” as many of our party observed, and yes we did all swim in the sea regularly. No pool heating. 5. Wi-fi allowance is incredibly meagre. We got a message after 8/9 days to say that we had used up our allowance. I don’t know how. Adults were just checking emails (2 of us are self employed) 2 of the teens streamed a film one night and that was it! We emailed with owner to ask for this to be sorted but did not hear back from her directly. Obviously we were checking regularly but none of us could get on. Denise (caretaker) told us, as we were checking out, that it had been sorted but it really hadn’t, I can assure you that none of our internet savvy party could get on the Wi-fi for the majority of week 2. I think for the money we payed (over 4000 euros) there should have been Wi-fi for the whole stay. 6. The house is poorly equipped. We have been using HomeAway (and formerly Owners direct) for the last 15 years or more. We have stayed in many, better equipped properties. Not enough mugs/ glasses/ subbed mats/ rubbish (broken) knives etc.. 7. If you want to watch TV for a break from the sun for example, it’s not great. There is a DVD player but no DVD’s so you must take your own. At the end of the day, a holiday is what you make of it. We all had a great time together. The beaches in the area are really lovely. We will be using HomeAway again but will not be booking this property again.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Hi Beki, We're taken by surprise with your review. We do state on our website that the upstairs bedrooms are dormer roof space and tell all our guests that they are suitable for children. Our villa is located 3km from Altura town as stated also. There are neighbours next door that have dogs but our propery is completey private with surrounding walls and gates and the fencing also blocks the view to their site so there shouldn't be any problem, this is the first time anyone has mentioned about the neighbours. The pool is not heated and to most guests in July/August its welcoming to cool down in the heat, we've never had a complaint about this before. Regarding the wifi, the allowance is 25gb per week that it what the villa is provided with which I am told is plenty for regular use but when streaming or downloading it eats data. I contacted you straight away telling you I added extra data for you. Going forward we hope to change to a provider that supplies unlimited data. We supply a DVD player but ususally guests bring there own choice of films to watch. Regards, Aylene & Kevin

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantastic Villa
We really enjoyed our stay at this beautiful villa. It has everything you need. Very clean and plenty space. Upstairs bedrooms are dormer roof but suited our kids perfect, they both have ensuits and air-conditioning so no complaints. Great size pool, had some fab evenings there with a bbq. Would definitely recommend.
Stayed 11 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Sarah for your lovely comments, we're glad you enjoyed your stay at our villa. We hope to see you again in the future. Best wishes, Aylene & Kevin

6/10 Okay

ADRIAN S.

DIFICULT OWNER
Dear all, since I have some business in the area I rented for one mounths this house. ( for me and 8 engineers ). The house is great as you can see in the pictures. fOR START THE INTERNET IS NOT WORKING, after we payed with all included, they asked us extra money for using the pool. You will find another house in better condition for sure. Regards
Stayed 29 nights in Apr 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Dear Adrian, your review is completely inaccurate. Your company rented our house for 1 month and we were told it was for 8 guests, but as you know there were up to 16 of you staying, when I highlighted this to you, you said you could move. Only that your boss seemed a nice man we let it slide. You had blow up mattressess in every bedroom longside existing beds and the living room was full of blow up mattresses. 16 men staying in our house is alot of people and yes of course we were concerned as would any owner. This review is the first we heard that the internet was not working, if you had told me I would have sorted for you, usually when the villa is empty for few months all thats needed is be rebooted. We were not charging extra for the pool. The pool was closed for the winter and we were told that you did not need the pool by your boss. But you pulled back the cover which we do not allow and a solution and cleaning needed to be done before usuage, I asked you would we get the pool ready for you and we were told no, you wouldn't be using it. Disappointing that you would leave this inaccurate review as we were very accomodating to you.

4/10 Poor

Jacqueline C., London

Remote Villa not as described
The owners description is totally misleading. It is certainly not 1.5 kms to the nearest beach  Manta Rota beach (the closest beach) is 4.3 kms away from the villa. I walked it and it took me 50 mins (I don't walk slow). To drive it takes at least 10 mins. Tavira is a 20 - 25 mins drive and not 10 mins as described. There is absolutely nothing close by. Not even a shop. The description suggests there is a restaurant 500 metres away, but there isn't one. Had we known how remote it was, we would not have choosen to stay there. We were under the impression that we would have a 20 minute walk to the beach due to the distances stated. I was absolutely in tears when we arrived by taxi and realised have far it was from anything. We had 4 children with us aged 2-9 yrs and I we knew we would be stranded without transport. We had no other option, but to hire 2 cars. Fortunately Denise the caretaker helped us arrange 1car hire the next day and offered to take us to a supermarket in to get provisions. The nearest supermarket is 1.8 kms away. We ended up spending just under €500 extra on hiring cars!The view to the sea is very difficult to see. Yes you probably could see it with binoculars! There is not a mountain in sight of the villa, not sure why mountain views are mentioned in the description. The villa is nice enough, but there are a few issues. The football table is broken. The bedding is not great. The white sheets are yellowing and the pillows are all stained. There were no beach towels, as described, so we had to ask for them There is a hole in a paving slab close to the pool and two of our young children injured their toes in it. The pool area could do with anti slip material; our children kept falling over once the area became wet. Toilet paper is only provided for the day of arrival.The kitchen equipment is poor - there was only one teaspoon provided.  The frying pans are very old and in bad condition.We really didn't want to cook with them, as they look disgusting. A lot of the crockery is chipped. There are no serving dishes. You need to buy your own dish washer tablets and laundry soap. The iron had exposed wires, so we had to ask for it to be replaced.The wi-fi is not reliable.The shower cubicle is broken in the double bed bedroom and leaks very badly, also has black mould.There is no high chair. We were without gas on our last night. Thank you to Denise and Jimmy for their help. It it wasn't for them, our holiday would have been a disaster!
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Dear Jacqueline, I'm sorry that you had such problems. We are renting our villa for many years and have never once encountered such a review. We certainly would never give any guest information that was misleading. We state that our villa is 2.5 kms from the nearest beach which is correct, this beach is in Altura (not Manta Rota as you stated which is yes prob 4.3km). You mentioned the nearest supermarket was 1.8km, this supermarket is in Altura and the beach is literally at the end of the town minutes from the supermarket. I wonder if you ever found Altura and perhaps just went to Cacela. Tavira is 10 min drive, other guest reviews have also stated this. We state numerous times in our advert that a car is essential and would certainly not mislead any guest to believe that they could walk to the beach or town. Yes, there is a restaurant/bar 500 meters away situated to the left when leaving the villa, it is a local Portugese place (converted railhouse), perhaps you just didn't find it. You are correct in saying the football table was broken, my apologies for this. I think it was unfair of you to state that the kitchen equipment is poor, we continuously replace new ware and there is everything you need, ample glasses, ware and saucepans including serving dishes, yes perhaps the non-stick was chipped in the frying pans and we have since replaced these. Denise had left beach towels for you in the garage and came around to hand to you. The wifi is Vodafone and we made sure that it was the best for our area. We have never had any other complaints about this. We do have a high chair and Im sure if you had requested this there was no problem in giving to you as it is locked away. It is unfortunate that you left us such a terrible review as we have never received one before. We strive to maintain our villa to a high standard and hopefully future guests will see from all our other reviews that is the case. Kind regards, Kevin & Aylene Hurley

8/10 Good

Graham P.

G Paget
In a quite area which was nice for us. Pool and outside area is great. Upstairs rooms have a low ceiling which might be an issue. Otherwise appliances all worked, and house is spacious...would definitely recommend to others.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Marco P., Cascais

Liked: Cleanliness
Férias em Familia
Tivemos uma estadia muito positiva, a moradia tem condições para muita gente, desde crianças a adolescentes, todos os quartos com ar-condicionado, boa cozinha, boa piscina, boa zona de grelha, etc, gostamos muitos e vamos repetir.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Mar 2024
Hi Ines and Marco, thank you for your lovely review. We're delighted you enjoyed your stay at our villa. You were such lovely guests. Thank you for your booking for Aug 2024 and we look forward to your return visit. kindest regards Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

José S.

Ferias
Boa À piscina estava pouco limpa
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Jose for your review. We are happy you enjoyed your stay at our villa. We have our pool cleaned professionally every week and as soon as you told me I had our pool man call immediately to clean for you. We look forward to seeing you again. kind regards Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

Pedro R.

Liked: Cleanliness
Avaliação
A casa é agradável mas não deslumbra. os quartos superiores são muito acanhados e mesmo para crianças muito baixos. A casa estava limpa e a localização é boa.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Pedro for your review. We do state that the upstairs bedrooms are suitable for children due to the dormer roof. Thank you again for choosing to stay at our villa. Kind regards, Aylene & Kevin

10/10 Excellent

Peter V., Amelandhoeve, Vlaardingen

Liked: Cleanliness
Netjes onderhouden villa
Heel erg naar ons zin gehad gaan weer terug goede service en vriendelijke mensen
Stayed 21 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Peter for your kind words. So glad you enjoyed your holiday at our villa and thank you for booking with us next year again, looking forward to seeing you again. kindest regards Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

Sofia C.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Great house
We lived the house and the pool. Except some details all was great. It is a very quiet place and We even had horses as neighbors.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Sofia for your lovely comments. We're delighted you enjoyed your holiday at our villa. We hope to see you again in the future. All the best.....Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

nuno s.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantástico
Muito boa
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Nuno for your lovely comment. We hope you enjoyed your stay at our villa and look forward to seeing you again. kindest regards...Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

Carlos V.

Liked: Cleanliness
Razoável
Gostamos de tudo de uma maneira geral mas a localização e pouco precisa e induz em erro.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Carlos for your review and we're delighted you enjoyed your stay at our villa. Apologies if the location was misleading to you, we will have a look at this to ensure it is clearly marked and thank you for letting us know. We hope to see you in the future. Aylene & Kevin

8/10 Good

Rinus v.

Goed
Voldoende ruimte en badkamers zitbanken verouderd
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Rinus for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay at our villa. We welcome your comments and always try to make improvements where we can. We have since replaced the couch and installed a new shower door. We look forward to your return in the future. Thanks....Aylene & Kevin

4/10 Poor

Maria cristina A.

A localidade da casa é enganosa!
A casa nas fotos parece uma coisa doque realmente na realidade é! No site dizia que a praia é a 2km!! A serio?? Nao se enganem! A casa fica a uns 5km da praia e isolada no meio do do nada!! Bom para quem quer ter umas ferias isoladas e nso ir a praia pelo menos a pé. Fomos enganados pois quando alugamos a casa pensamos mesmo que seria so 2km essa ate foi mais uma das razoes que alugamos a casa! A propriedade esta em muito mau estado! Nao é arranjada, sem manutencao ,tem uns sofas na sala que sao umnojo! Um onde nem sequer nos podemos sentar...a casa estava suja!! A unica preocupacao deles é a manutencao da piscina...pois porque é onde atrai os clientes e os engana! Pelo preco que se paga, nao recomendo a ninguem!!! Longe isolada de tudo, suja e tudo muito estragado!! A piscina era a unica coisa agradavel mas nao se vive numa piscina! Detestamos a experiencia desta casa!
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you for your review. I do mention that car hire is essential as our villa is located in the countryside and yes is 2km and not 5km from the beach. I do take your point about one of the couches not being up to scratch but we have since replaced this with a new one. We take our bad reviews with our good ones so we can always improve. The villa is always cleaned thoroughly.

2/10 Terrible

Rui S.

Descrição enganadora
A casa não justifica o valor que pagamos. Não se justifica que os proprietários cobrem este valor por semana e depois ofereçam sofás velhos e empenados, móveis antigos, espremedor de laranjas que funciona às vezes, varinha mágica que não tem, etc... Podem parecer coisas pequenas mas que têm importância numa semana de férias. Por este valor vamos encontrar de certeza melhor. Não se recomenda!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018

2/10 Terrible

Lionel F.

Une expérience a vite oublier! Vraiment pas terrible!!
Bonjour, Tout d’abord je tiens à préciser qu’il n’est pas dans nos habitudes d’écrire ce qui va suivre mais pour les prochains locataires je pense qu’il faut que cela soit dit. Nous attendions peut être beaucoup trop de cette semaine de vacance mais là nous sommes tombés de haut. Pour commencer, le jour de notre arrivée nous avons mis bien longtemps à trouver la maison. En effet l’adresse qui vous sera communiquée ne vous mènera pas à bon port. Il vous faudra tenter d’échanger avec votre contact « bien aimable (ironie) » qui ne fera aucun effort pour se faire comprendre,sauf en anglais en fonction de son humeur car ni le français ni le portugais sont maîtrisés le tout par téléphone. Finalement arrivés à la maison les premiers problèmes commencent. Pas d’eau chaude les 3ers jours, chauffe eau capricieux, pas d’internet pendant 4 jours, pourtant cette prestation sera facturée lors de votre réservation, le lave vaisselle qui ne fonctionnait pas au bout de 2 jours, le frigo qui bipé sans raisons évidantes, un baby foot annoncé que l’on na jamais trouvé, bref nous en oublions sûrement mais cela reste anecdotique car tellement mineur versus le reste. En effet si nous resituons le contexte, nous sommes dans une location en plein août il fait beau, il fait chaud, même si autour de la maison l’environnement n’est pas terrible ( les 3 maisons voisines étaient en chantier pour 2 d’entres et la 3eme étant un genre d’entrepôt j’oubliais de le préciser) on bosse toute l’année pour les vacances donc allons profiter de l’élément principal, l’atout de la maison, ce qui fait que vous choisissez cette location et pas une autre (et que vous payez le double car sans piscine c’est moins cher) Malheureusement le cauchemar n’était pas fini. Après la 1ere baignade les 1ères gênes sont apparus puis des brûlures (constats egalement du pharmacien)au niveau des maillots de bain, des brassards des enfants, des bouts des doigts, les yeux irrités,... l’eau était tout simplement dangereuse pour nous. Un PH et du chlore très, trop faible. Je vous laisse vous renseigner sur les conséquences d’une eau si acide.Nous ne pouvions plus rester dans cette piscine. Aucune solution trouvée jusqu’à notre départ ni par les propriétaires,ni Abritel,ni personne. Allez demander aux enfants de ne pas profiter de cette espace avec la chaleur estivale. De plus du carrelage glissant autour de la piscine une fois mouillé venez augmenter les nombreux bobos que nous avions tous. En résumé à éviter.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
We are sorry that you did not get to enjoy your holiday at our villa. I can tell you we strive to maintain our villa to a high standard and maintain this throughout the year. Unfortunately problems will incur from time to time and when the dishwasher broke, after having someone try to repair we then replaced with a new one however this took a couple of days to do so, out of our control. The wifi was only a problem for 1 day and we sorted for you, as the maximum usage for 1 week is 25gb and you had used this. Regarding the pool, you told us you had concerns with the PH level and without our permission put a full bottle of Chlorine into it. Our pool is maintained weekly and we are renting our villa over 12 years and never once had any complaint with our pool. Thanking you.

6/10 Okay

Marina T.

Netjes
Het huis zag er netjes uit met voldoende slaapkamers en badkamers. Mede dankzij het weer waren wij genoodzaakt binnen te eten en de avond door te brengen. Hiervoor was de keuken eigenlijk te krap met onvoldoende plek voor iedereen aan tafel. Daarbij was het huis erg gehorig/galmend waarschijnlijk door de stenen vloer en het gebrek aan gordijnen. Verder prima onze zin gehad.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Hi Marina, Thank you for your review on our villa. It was unfortunate that you had bad weather during your holiday. I can understand that you thought the kitchen was small, the table and 6 chairs is standard but does extend. We strive to keep our villa to a high standard. There are curtains on every window however. Kind regards, A&K Hurley.

10/10 Excellent

Gisela G.

Gostamos muito
Gostamos muito da semana que passamos na casa do Kevin. Correspondeu ao que está no anúncio,
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2023
Thank you Gisela for your lovely review. We are glad you enjoyed your holiday at our villa and look forward to future visits. English Translation "We really enjoyed the week we spent at Kevin's house. Corresponded to what's in the ad," Aylene & Kevin