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Review submitted by Ken & Tracey from Glasgow (Submitted: 3 Jan 2012)
Having only used RCI before staying at this Villa, I was reticent as to what to expect...I neednt have worried. We were greeted by Alan (keyholder) as we arrived, who gave us an excellent welcome and a heads up as to how to get the best out of our weeks stay....This Villa is well appointed and has some unique features which helped us make the most of our weeks stay....Loved the rooftop terrace for "private" sunbating and the BBQ was a welcome addition to our eating habits...Breakfast in the Front Garden, lunch on the Rooftop,evening drinks on the terrace....Before going out for dinner....Staying here was 1 of my better holiday decisions and I would recommend to 1 and all.,..
Review submitted by Chris from Glasgow (Submitted: 12 Oct 2011)
The villa was great, particularly the roof terrace and barbeque which we cooked on most nights. The villa had everthing we needed and the separate upstairs air-con was handy to have. The pool and the area around was spotless and it was very quiet which meant that we had it to ourselves most days. We also ordered a high chair and cot and both were there, set-up on arrival and were ideal for our 9 month old.
The area is well served by good supermarkets and wed definitely recommend hiring a car for shopping, finding other restaurants and getting to the beach easily.
Review submitted by Rachael from Whitley Bay (Submitted: 30 Aug 2011)
The villa is in a quiet residential area, however there are bars, restaurants, banks, takeaways, etc nearby. The manager Alan was a nice bloke, who we could contact with any problems however there were none. I was concerned about the aircon after reading previous reviews, but the owners seem to have taken notice and on our arrival we were supplied with some 2 euro coins free of charge which lasted 5/6 days. We feel this was a thoughtful gesture and eased the panic over the 2 euro coins, so the aircon was not an issue to us at all. The villla and pool area are as described, and the location was perfect for us, although we would recommend a car in order to facilitate your enjoyment of the surrounding areas. All in all our 2 weeks in August with three young children was a thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Review submitted by Paul from Linlithgow (Submitted: 14 Aug 2011)
This is a lovely, clean villa. We made good use of the pool and found the neighbours to be friendly and helpful, as was Alan who looks after the property.
As a family with three small children we spent a lot of our time at the beaches of Guardamar, Torrevieca and La Zenia - all of which were easily accessible by car (and we thoroughly recommend that you hire a car, as La Marina is primarily a residential area).
There are several pubs and restaurants in La Marina itself which are nice, friendly and reasonably priced. There are also three supermarkets within the development so you dont need to eat out constantly if you dont want to.
We had a fun, family holiday here, but we would also recommend this villa if you prefer to take things at a more leisurely pace.
Review submitted by Julie from Leeds (Submitted: 7 Aug 2011)
a bit disappointing that the air conditioning was not included as this cost an extra £70.00 - and that was only having it on for 8 hrs overnight. 2 euro coin box ineffective as no one gives out 2 euros. Could do with a dishwasher. Freezer part of the fridge was ineffective and things melted very quickly - proper sun beds woudl be nice to have at the property. everything else was fine.
Review submitted by Paul from Hove (Submitted: 18 Jul 2011)
Party of 5 stopped at the property between 7th July 2011 and 14th July 2011.
The property is comfortable and well decorated. The furniture was comfortable and modern enough. The owners (when contacted via email) were helpful, courteous and prompt with their response. There was certainly no lack of support and assistance from them. The caretaker, Alan, was very friendly and helpful and apparently lives nearby if help is needed (he attended within 20 minutes to deliver the key to the safe when it was requested). There is a supermarket, bars and restaurants nearby and a collection of larger supermarkets within a short drive away. The villa had ample off street parking for two cars, was secure and equipped with a safe for valuables (this is not mentioned on the webpage but rest assured there is one)
There were a few issues with the villa though. Most prominent was with the air conditioning. As stated above we visited the villa in the second week of July. The weather was hot all week with temperatures regularly topping 100 degrees. Therefore air-conditioning was not an option it was an essential. The air-conditioning in this property was on a meter that required 2 euro coins to operate. Having paid for the property for the week I feel it was inappropriate that we were then required to pay for air-conditioning too. I appreciate this is stated on the site however we have stopped in Villas before and have never had to pay for air-conditioning. Further to this 2 Euro is a bit steep for the amount of air-con time it bought.
A recommendation to people stopping at this Villa would be to ensure that you have plenty of 2 Euro coins, guard them jealously as we had tremendous difficulty getting them from the local businesses. If you are struggling try the Iceland which is nearby - it was the only place we managed to get 2 Euro coins successfully (as an interesting side note the staff at the Iceland appeared to be mainly English and so a lot easier to express your needs when asking for the change!)
The pool at the property is communal and through a gate to the rear. It is shared by 12 villas but was never anything like as crowded as that might suggest. The most I ever saw in there was 5. The pool area is nice but could do with some seating near the sun shades. As it stands you have to carry sun loungers from the Villa to the pool area. Having met some of the neighbours in the pool they were a mixed lot. Some were very nice and you could have a nice chat to them and some were frankly stand-offish. Of the 12 villas 1 was empty, 2 were lets and the other 9 were privately owned. The complex definitely had the vibe of being predominately privately owned...
Another tip for those staying at the Villa and using the pool (to avoid any unintentional faux pas) is to use the shower at poolside before you get in. There is a small and easily missed sign under the heading Pool rules that requires you to do this. The level of Stand-offishness from the neighbours evidently rises in proportion to failure to observe this rule as my (60 year old) step-father found out when he got into the pool without doing so (he too was unaware of the sign and the requirement for a pre-dip shower) As an interesting aside it was observed that not all the neighbours observed the pre-dip shower themselves...
The Villa is part of a large urbanisation so was pretty much surrounded by complexes of Villas. Despite this the area is eerily quiet and we saw very few people around so the Villa is perfect for a quiet getaway. What I would say about the area (at the time of our visit) is that the area is still being developed by the looks of it (or possibly had been but economic issues had stopped work) As such the area is not always as neat and tidy as it could be. At the front of the Villa is an area of scrubby wasteland which appears to be awaiting development. It is not particularly offensive but is untidy and there has been some minor fly-tipping on this land.
One of the party also requested I mention that the back bedroom on the ground floor didnt have a mirror in it. This is something that could be very easily solved (and I am sure will be)
I have raised some issues re this property during this review but I like to think it is fair and I would like to say that the party did very much enjoy the stay. The area was fit for our purpose and is ideal for those wanting a quiet getaway. The in-Villa facilities were very good, we all particularly enjoyed the upstairs terrace (very nice space to enjoy meal times) And we all found the Villa a comfortable and relaxing place to stay. For those who dont want to miss Eastenders while they are on holiday the full range of English channels was available too.
On the whole the property has its flaws but it we would recommend it for future bookings. Hopefully this review will give future holiday makers a fuller picture of what holidaying at the property entails.
Review submitted by Karen from Berkeley, Gloucestershire (Submitted: 26 Aug 2010)
Lovely property, spaceous and clean. Choice of dinning areas, plenty of equipment in the kitchen (except a dishwasher!). Pool was lovely and quiet. August was very hot so air conditioning was needed and this is charged extra. Alan was very helpful and available when we needed him. Would recommend.
Review submitted by Lisa from Kent (Submitted: 15 Jul 2010)
Just got back from 9 days at this villa and what a lovely holiday we all had. The accomodation was very clean and was well equipped with everything we needed to enjoy our stay. The pool was of good size and used by all in the hot weather we had. Bars and local shops were in walking distance and the la marina beach was a short drive. Overall this holiday was excellent value for money and highly recommendable
Review submitted by Jas from Birmingham, UK (Submitted: 5 Sep 2009)
Excellent location and superb neighbours! The property was clean and well maintained with very good quality fixtures and fittings. We had no problems with key collection.
We had a lovely holiday - thank you!
Review submitted by Carly from Kent, UK (Submitted: 14 Aug 2009)
There was myself and 5 girls for my friends hen do, and we had such an amazing time! As soon as we got in we did the whole "Oooohhh" and "Aaaahh" after every room we went in as we really didnt expect it to be so lovely for the great price we got it at.
We were well looked after, any questions we just asked Dave who was great and very helpful. The villa was close to shops and a few bars. We went to a karaoke bar on one of the nights which was still open when we left at 5am!
Security was really good for the villa, keys to both gates and double locked doors etc. Felt very safe there.
The roof terrace had a BBQ and was so so lovely at night, most nights we sat up there just chatting and having a few drinks til the early hours. Felt like paradise!
The pool was lovely, just the right temperature and we had it to ourselves most of the time, only problem was a Spanish family who kept coming out and shouting at us in Spanish which we couldnt understand because we were being "too noisy" which we werent, we were just chatting and laughing, they had a BBQ for about 10 people and were making much more noise. Spoilt it a bit bit for us as we were worrying the rest of the time about the "noise", but other than that, such a fab time. Would recommend that the meter controlled air con was included in the price, as the first night we got there at midnight we hadnt known about it and only had 2 coins which didnt last all night and was so hot, then on another night we had run out and was too late to get some so we all sweat the whole night which made nights sleep bad, so come prepared with 2 Euro coins!
Really would recommend this gorgeous place, absolutely perfect, and would love to come again! Thank you!
Villarenters reply:
Review submitted by Helen from Gwent (Submitted: 26 May 2009)
Nice, comfortable, well furnished property in a quiet area and only 5 minutes walk from shops, restaurants, bars etc. We constantly used the fantastic pool throughout our stay, beach towels and sun loungers were provided. I recommend hiring a car as beaches and larger towns a 5 minute drive but easily accessible. We picked lemons from the tree and put fresh lemon slices in our vodka. Absolutely first class. We had a lovely time and I would fully recommend it to all. I look forward to returning one day soon
Review submitted by Alasdair from Inverness (Submitted: 24 Mar 2009)
This is an excellent holiday home. Very relaxing in a nice quiet area with good local amenities. The pool and villa were much larger than they seemed in the photos. The property manager was friendly and very helpful. Loved the sun terrace with the barbeque, great for sitting and admiring the sunset. Hope to book again this summer to make full use of the facilities and do a bit of exporing.
Review submitted by Tuach from Glasgow (Submitted: 9 Oct 2008)
My family and I have just returned from an amazing time in this villa. It was our first villa holiday and this more than met our expectations. The villa was very clean, excellently decorated, felt very homely and comfortable and was fully equipped with all a family needs for a relaxing break away. The BBQ was well used, pool clean, good size which we used day and night.
The location was quiet with plenty amenities within close proximity – shops, restaurants, bars, disco, children’s play area, park, aquapark, go-carting. Beach is just a 5 minute car journey away from the villa, plenty of good quality golf courses and Benidorm was only 40 minutes away, makes a great day out!
Many thanks for a wonderful holiday. Only wish our time at the villa was longer. Will definitely be back next year!!!
Review submitted by neil from ullapool (Submitted: 8 Oct 2008)
This villa is fantastic very beatuiful peaceful and spotless.The owners have put a lot off effort into it and u need for nothing.Outside area ia also beautiful and spotless.Close to pubs and resturants.Will definately be booking for next year and would recommend to anyone would go back tomorrow fantastic.
Review submitted by A from Lochinver (Submitted: 23 Sep 2008)
We have had quite a few Villa holidays over the last few years and I would have to say this has been the best one so far. Firstly the Villa is very central and very close to some excellent beaches, bars, bodegas and restaurants, something that we loved exploring as this area is more traditionally Spanish than most. It is well managed, very clean and there is a lot of attention to detail (it even had a pizza cutter) something which is not common among other villas we have stayed in. It has a large pool which we were in everyday and an excellent solarium where we were every night taking in the sunset and consuming the odd bottle of local vino. Whatever teething problems they might have had in the past are obviously rectified as we could not fault this property in anyway.
Review submitted by ADAM from BIRMINGHAM (Submitted: 4 Sep 2008)
good quailty villa, nice pool area, great eating places. la marina is a residential area and not a holiday resort, so people who want a good quiet break, this property is brilliant. air conditioning needs to be included in the price, electric meter for this is quite expensive.
Review submitted by Sheena from Swindon (Submitted: 8 Aug 2008)
We enjoyed our stay although we were disappointed with a few things. Initially we read the header of the Villa saying "Villa with Pool,A/C etc" which makes it sound like the villa has a pool not a communual one....although saying that, we were actually glad that it was a communual one, cos it was safer for our children to not have it immediately in the grounds of the villa.
Then we hired a car to go to the Villa, and followed the instructions we were sent - but they are completely wrong, about 2 years out of date. Thankfully we rang the caretaker and managed to meet up with him.
There is no DVD Player.
The beds in the two bedrooms downstairs are not very good for kids. They have wooden frames with sharp egdes and we all hurt ourselves on them on many occasions.
Some of the Plants in the garden not child friendly either.
Air Conditioning is charged by the meter - which we were not informed of on the website OR via email. This is a bit naughty as this all adds onto your cost of the holiday. Also, it only takes 2 Euro Coins which are VERY hard to get hold of !!
The Communual Pool is in need of urgent repair. Three of us cut our feet on the steps in the shallow end. Some of the tiles have broken off (some are missing but they are fine) but the broken ones are VERY sharp! (We did speak to one of the people on the commitee, and informed him of the pool and he brought it up in their commitee meeting and it should be being dealt with)
The villa doesnt have any first aid kit either - not sure if this is required but it would be a "nice to have" item.
There were no Fire Exinguishers and I dont think there were any smoke alarms either - again not sure if they are required but would be good to have.
Television reception is awful in the daytime...
Freezer doesnt work very well. We bought frozen items on our second day, and it all defrosted....
By the end of the holiday items were freezing (we had some ice pops left in there) so not sure if it didnt work properly if it was only switched on for our visit - or if it just dont work properly but it was very annoying (and wasting money) buying frozen items which we then had to throw away.
We had to wash the bedding a few times cos the villa gets so dirty/dusty ... it would be nice to have a cleaner in to repalce the bedding and clean the villa once in the week we were there - as if you are self catering abroad in a apartment, you have cleaners in every other day, and changing the bedding once a week .... but as this is supposed to be a Five Star Villa - it would be nice to get Five Star Treatment.
Apart from all the above - we DID enjoy ourselvesd but as you can tell - we were disappointed by a few things... I would say it was a 3/4 Star Villa - defo not 5 star though...
We would recommend to friends but explaining the good and bad points ....
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 19 Jul 2008)
My husband, baby and I had a fantastic week at the villa.
The villa itself is beautifully kept and has everything you need for a confortable stay. We particularly enjoyed the privacy of the roof terrace and the location of the villa which is perfectly placed for anyone who wants to explore the surrounding areas.
The pool was great and surprisingly quiet. We pretty much had it to ourselves!
There are loads of places to eat in and around the residentail area and lots of supermarkets to get everything you need.
The minute we arrived we were so pleased we chose to come to the villa instead of staying at a resort or hotel. It was great to feel at home..especially with a little one.
I would gladly return to the villa and recommend it to anyone!
Review not verified by RentalSystems* (Submitted: 30 Aug 2007)
We have now stayed at this gorgeous villa on two seperate ocassions and have to say we will be booking again next year, everything about it from the large stone table and barbeque in the solarium to the sizeable pool made our holiday, the surrounding blue flag beaches are also of the highest quality. Jane Macleod
Review submitted by keith from exeter (Submitted: 25 Aug 2007)
the villa is comfortable and clean although not luxurious. there are a few small shops and bars nearby however you definitely need a car for the beaches and restaurants
Owner reply:
Thank you for your constructive comments, we have added and improved certain areas of the villa since your last stay and hope when you return in November it will make your holiday more pleasurable