Damp Squid of a Villa For Our 35th Anniversary

JohnaLynne · Post by **JohnaLynne** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:39 pm

I am posting this to help others who may be caught renting a Villa in the early season! It was our 35 wedding anniversary so we decided to return to Portugal, we found a Villa which was described as a “Luxury Villa”

so we booked it and looked forward to the holiday. On arrival the Villa smelt of damp and mildew there were small puddles of water on the bedroom floor! We thought the maid had been washing it and left a bit! There was mildew on the kitchen cupboards and draws, the cutlery was dirty as well as the crockery this we washed, we do this anyway but it is not normally dirty. We rang the owner in the UK and said to her the Villa was damp! she said ask the manager to get the fire out of the cupboard in the morning! We had a nice meal in the Village walked to the Villa and went to bed! The bed was damp to say the least! I would say wet! We tried to dry the bedding with the iron and a hair drier the best we could but we still had to sleep in a damp bed. In the morning we were told by the manager the smell was the “Portuguese Smell” and we should expect damp, at least we were given an “oil filled radiator” to dry the villa! So we put ourselves, bed complete with bedding outside to dry in the sun. Two days later we both had bad coughs, blocked sinuses and sore throats which slowly got worse in fact never got better, our most visited shop was the Chemist (we still have them and have medication from our own doctor) my wife spent 7 days at least unable to go out because of the discomfort. To say the least we were glad to get home, I left it 4 days before I rang the owner and complained about the dampness only to be told “we use a Dehumidifier” this too must be in the LOCKED cupboard?? I was told “I would not be given any money back” I didn’t ask for any! As I thought the manager was to blame not the owner, I now have changed my mind! I asked why there was no visitors book “don’t need one was the answer” I wonder why? We have had many villas and this is the first time we have had a problem it would have to be on a special occasion! The moral of the story is go by recommendation not an advert in a newspaper, so "Casa Mimosa in Colina Azul" is one we will not be revisiting and is to be missed

The best thing we had on holiday was meeting Jim and Jean from Canada

and our meals at Chico’s.

biffa · Post by **biffa** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:38 pm

A sad tale. Hope you were not put off Carvoeiro in general by your experience. We have had a dampish winter but that is no excuse. Good you bring this to the attention of the website generally

JohnaLynne · Post by **JohnaLynne** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:52 pm

Hi Biffa thanks for the sentiments, we are not put off we loved Carvoeiro! you can't blame the weather or Portugal for bad British owners and management! 36th anniversary we will see?

Ranger · Post by **Ranger** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:11 am

What a disappointment for you, as I am sure that "off season," you would have had a huge selection to choose from. For the record, I am fairly sure your complaint should be directed at the owner, as most, if not all management companies, would be expected to visit the villa or apartment once or twice a week, in an effort to avoid the problems you experienced. It is possible that in an effort to reduce management costs, the company were asked not to visit. I am sure other villa owners will agree that with regular visits to open windows, etc. and even put a heater on at low, the dampness problem can be avoided.

JohnaLynne · Post by **JohnaLynne** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:00 am

Hi Ranger I agree with what you say you can only hope when you book the person at the other end of the phone is honest and will look after your interest! perhaps leaving the radiator "on" with the dehumidifier that was in the cupboard!! sorry if I feel a bit bitter but the owners attitude was not good

Its a shame Steen hadn't got the Villa Rental side going on the web site before I booked there are some nice looking ones on there

Post by **Steen Jakobsen** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 11:09 am

Ehh, the rental pages are over 4 years old?

JohnaLynne · Post by **JohnaLynne** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:02 pm

Sorry Steen must have missed the link

I did come in to say hello but you wern't about, as you run the site you will know my email addy I emailed you a few times car rental etc.

Ranger · Post by **Ranger** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:20 pm

"Good plug, Steen." Any chance of introducing a comment section with the villa's, and apartments who advertise with you. This would certainly encourage tourists to book from your site with confidence. You of course would be able to monitor that the owner was not sending the message, and the comments on the first posting would serve as a warning. Owners of course would also be able to respond, and there is little doubt that the owner of this particular villa would have wanted it known that some compensation had been given, or have an empty villa.
It is always a bit of a gamble picking from a brochure, and from many letters on this site, asking if someone could tell them about a villa or apartment they have booked. Is it near the town? Is it near the beach? What is near? All the villa's are "near" Carvoeiro, but "near" can be a few Km's away.
I have spoken to several people who were horrified at the climb back to their apartment. The brochure said, "500 Mtrs from the beach." It did not say if this was horizontal or vertical!

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 2:30 pm

A Guestbook for each villa does have a certain appeal, as long as there is a minimal amount of control to avoid abuse. Steen, you are probably inclined to agree that this would be a considerable burden on the limited staff (you

) if it was not automated to a certain extent.
However, feedback, good or bad, should always serve as a basis for improvement to be able to provide a better quality service in any area of the tourism industry.

As for Carvoeiro - I feel it gains a distinct advantage due to its spread, no high-rise buildings, comfortable distances to the neighbours, etc.
Maybe the fact that it is not flat should be mentioned on the main page - something down the lines of "Carvoeiro, a small, cozy yet extremly hilly fishing village on the beautiful algarvian coast." - "Beware of cardiac hill"

In any case, most brochures will advertise houses and appartments with the footnote "Car hire essential". It is essential, even if you do live close to the centre of the town, not only to avoid cardiac arrest on the way home from dinner, but also to be able to appreciate everything else the Algarve has to offer.
Worth mentioning again, public transport is not the most reliable - I would hate to read headlines like "Tourists starve to death whilst waiting for bus in Lagoa..."

JohnaLynne · Post by **JohnaLynne** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 2:38 pm

Yes Ranger Steen is on the ball and I think he does an excellent job with the web site (his "Ferrari" is on order) I know what is involved I have the task of looking after my wifes. Most certainly I will use the "Carvoeiro" site to book next time with a lot more confidence, when we were fit enough the climb to the villa was enjoyable a lot more time to look when you run out of wind! this is the first holiday we came back weighing less than we were before leaving, as "Arni says we will be back"

Hi Gambrinus I love the expression cardiac hill thats made my day.