Our vacation was interrupted when a member of our group learned her mother had suffered a heart attack. In the rush to leave, she accidentally drove off with the parking pass. We notified the host as soon as we realized the mistake—they didn't have to discover it themselves.
Instead of responding with compassion, the host accidentally sent me a text that was clearly meant for someone else, calling me "an a********" That alone was incredibly unprofessional. Rather than just apologizing, they justified the insult and claimed we had "corrupted" the stay over an honest mistake during a family emergency.
A simple response like, "I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's mother. I hope everything is okay. Here are the options for returning the parking pass," would have shown both professionalism and empathy. Instead, we received neither.
The property also had issues. The beds were extremely firm, and the kitchen table was covered in a thick, hard plastic that was both unattractive and impractical, making it difficult to even set a glass down.
I understand hosts need to protect their property, but emergencies happen. The complete lack of compassion and professionalism was far more disappointing than the parking pass issue itself.
We won't be returning or recommending this property. Guests deserve to be treated with respect, especially during unexpected family emergencies.