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Villa rental in Secret Valley, Paphos, Cyprus (South), Cyprus |
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Villa Thalassa (Ref:
28441)
Self catering villa in Secret Valley, Cyprus |
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Review submitted by Riona
from Navan
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(Submitted:
15/07/2009) |
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| "My husband and I stayed at this villa in June/July with my elderly parents and had a wonderful holiday. As indicated previously by others it is essential to have a car so it was great to have one with the villa.
It was very peaceful and relaxing sitting on the terrace and being able to take a dip in the pool at will.
The villa has all modcons required and importantly the air conditioning worked very well. The optional airport pickups were very efficient. The owners father in law was very helpful in addressing questions and providing assistance on the few occassions when assistance was required.
There is a lovely roof terrace in addition to the terrace at the back of the house. We asked for an umbrella for the patio table on the roof terrace and one was provided the next day. What we hadnt realised until we put the umbrella up is that it is often quite windy up on the roof terrace and that a sudden gust of wind can blow the umbrella and table over!
The villa is ideal for those who want more living space than is provided in hotels and who appreciate peace and tranquility away from the main resort tourist area."
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Review submitted by Barbara
from Welwun Garden City
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(Submitted:
09/05/2009) |
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| "Excellent villa that was well equipped with all we needed for a good holiday.
We were well looked after and felt confident that any problems would be sorted but there were none.
Not that happy with the booking system though - had several problems and nearly changed my mind as I was not confident that it was progressing properly. Conflicting information sent to me too. i.e I had paid for taxis to and from airport but was sent an email detailing car hire and saying that a car was needed in that area. Not very professional."
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Review submitted by vicky
from gloucestershire
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(Submitted:
25/04/2009) |
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"A car is a must. It is a nice Villa on the face of it.The beach is over 2km away not 500m and down a steep hill. appliances did not work properly. The TV is not set up properly. The BBQ was very dirty-we had to scrub it to use it. There is no maid service, linen is changed after one week but no cleaning done. No tourist information is available in the Villa. This would be a big help as we were not aware EVERYTHING closed Easter weekend! There were no umbrellas on the garden tables - a must in the Cyprus heat. We made ourselves a lovely holiday. Visit Nicossia - its gorgeous. Eat at Phivos in Paphos, the staff and food are lovely and affordable. Take lots of money Cyprus is beautiful but very expensive."
Owner reply:
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Hello Vickey,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your review about your stay at our villa.
Not all reviews are good. This is welcoming as it does indeed show the genuineness of our reviews.
I am sure you are correct in stating the distance to the sea is more than 500m. To be honest, I never actually set the mileage on my car to check the exact distance down to the meter. I just estimated the distance. I will however change the description of the advert to read the correct distance to the sea. Thank you for alerting me to the fact.
I agree a car is necessary when using the villa, I therefore provide a car for my clients for their entire holiday at no charge.
Our cleaning service normally receives a 10 out of 10 score on our feedback cards for cleanliness. I am therefore very surprised that the barbeque was left dirty for your use. I would have attended to it immediately should you had alerted me at the time, unfortunately all I can do now is offer you my apologies. I can assure you though that this oversight will not be repeated. I hope this did not cause you too much hassle.
The umbrellas for the garden tables where damaged the previous week due to unusually strong winds. I have replaced them with new ones. I did not expect any need for them until end of May/June. I should have had them replaced earlier. I once again hope that this did not cause you any inconvenience
I am a little confused concerning some of your other comments in your review.
After I read your review I absolutely scrutinised every appliance in the villa to try and find the faulty appliances that you mentioned. I am still unable to identify any fault with any of the appliances, from the popcorn maker to the coffee machine to all the larger appliances. I have tried to contact you by email to find out which appliance is faulty but I unfortunately have had no response. Please be so kind as to dro p me a brief email to let me know which appliance is faulty as I would dread for someone else to have a similar experience.
I too checked the 42’ plasma TV with its digital surround sound system and could not locate any problems. The picture is perfect and the sound is crisp and clear. The only explanation that I can offer is there may have been some sort of temporary interference one evening when the weather was a little rough (satellite images can sometimes be compromised when there is heavy cloud cover. Thankfully in Cyprus this is not often).
We offer a complimentary maid service once a week. The maid had attended to the villa during your stay. She changed the linen and towels and reported that the villa was already spotlessly clean upon her arrival. She did further freshen-up where she could but reported that “our visitors are very nice people and have kept the villa spotlessly clean”.
I will ensure that our maid service will in the future ask our guests if there are any further requests before they conclude their weekly clean-up.
Easter is the biggest and most festive season in Cyprus. You are correct in saying that there are no facilities open on the Easter weekend. Most people attend the village fairs and partake in the glorious festivities on that weekend. The festivities are renowned and continue throughout the week. Posters and signs are displayed everywhere urging people to join in the festivities.
I try not promote the general “tourist information pack” that is normally placed in holiday villas, instead I offer my clients a personal recommendation on where to go and what to do. This has worked very well for our clients in the past as they are able to experience Cyprus with all her authenticity. I will however promote more literature in the villas that could offer the alternative holiday.
Cyprus would seem expensive to holiday makers at the moment. This is due to the falling Sterling / Euro rate which had depreciated drastically.
You will be glad to know that our villas are priced in Sterling and not in Euro. You therefore will not experience the fluctuation in the currency when making a booking.
I am glad you made the most of your holiday and I hope to see you again in the future (with a clean barbeque).
Thank you for suggesting places of interest and good restaurants for people to frequent.
I hope to see you again in the future and hopefully earn a better review.
Nick
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Review not verified by RentalSystems*
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(Submitted:
19/03/2009) |
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| "We came to Cyprus to get married and my parents chose to stay in a villa and we could not have picked better than the Villa Thalassa. We cannot stress enough how lovely this villa is. My parents really enjoyed their stay there and the villa itself was delightful and very well laid out, furnished and equipped. The views from the patio by the pool and from the roof top patio are stunning. Inside the villa is tastefully furnished with all possible mod cons.
Unfortunately we were there in February so the weather was not that brilliant, in fact it was often pretty wet and windy and chilly, so we werent able to use the patios much or the pool at all. As all the floors and walls are tiled, it could be a little chilly but the villa has a good heating/air conditioning system. I cannot imagine a better place to be on a blazing hot summers day than by the pool at the Villa Thalassa.
Nicks wife and father-in-law, Andreas who lives next door, did everything they possibly could to make my parents feel comfortable and at home.
Thank you too for the use of the car. It really would be difficult to get anywhere from the villa without the use of a car and my parents soon got the hang of coming into Paphos to see us at our hotel. Finding the villa on the way back was tricky at first until they got used to it as there are no street names and signs to the villas are non-existant. We also visited Limassol , Coral Bay, Aphrodite Hills, Secret Valley. We also went to several other golf courses during our stay and must warn that the cost of a round of golf is extremely expensive, but the food at Secret Valley was excellent and very good value.
We have come home with such lovely memories of Cyprus and we will certainly be recommending your villa to anyone we know planning to visit Cyprus.
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Review submitted by Maurice
from Star Glenrothes
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(Submitted:
02/02/2009) |
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| "my wife and I throughly enjoyed our holiday the villa is in a peacefull setting, Andreas is a very helpfull person. we met with friends from scotlnd who came to visit for the afternoon they were blown away with the villa and the surrondings . would love holiday at the villa again"
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Review submitted by Linda Ann
from Pennal Wales UK
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(Submitted:
08/01/2009) |
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"The villa was exellent. However it was rather isolated ie you couldnt walk to a bar or shop. Not a place for a couple alone, but would be probably be fine for a group of people where driving and shopping could be shared. However the "car" for your use was old and dirty inside. Probably better to get your own car. Weather didnt help us, this is a summer place! If you want to sunbathe and go in the pool this would be great with good weather.
Next door neighbour who is father in law of owner very helpful and pleasant."
Owner reply:
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Hi Linda Ann,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your review and for your kind words regarding villa Thalassa.
It is always disappointing when a holiday is not what you had expected. You are absolutely correct in saying the villa is not within walking distance to clubs, pubs etc. Villa Thalassa is situated on a hillside overlooking the mountains and valley. This is its attraction. It is a quiet, relaxing, private location where you can enjoy a breath of fresh air in peace and quiet. Shops, pups, and a huge variety of restaurants are only a short drive away. Most of my clients are couples looking to escape the “hustle and bustle” of their daily life. The vast majority of these clients return to the villa year after year.
The car we initially issued to you was a late model 4 door Renault Cleo. It has power steering, electric windows, CD player and is in mint condition. This car however was damaged when you drove it through a 1 meter deep puddle of water which flooded the engine. The replacement car we gave you (Toyota Corolla) whilst the Renault was in for repairs was not as in a pristine condition as the car first issued to you although it is extremely reliable. It is absolutely rare that a car would need to be repaired during a clients stay this would only occur if the clients themselves damaged the car during their holiday and it needed repairs.
I would like to mention that we paid for the necessary repairs to the car without asking you for any contribution for the repairs.
The weather is much cooler in January and swimming during this time of year appeals only to the extremely brave even though the average high temperature during winter is 17 degrees Celsius. It is still warm enough though to soak up the sunshine outside.
I hope your next visit to Cyprus is a much more memorable one.
Kind regards,
Nick
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Review submitted by Beryl
from Watford
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(Submitted:
24/08/2008) |
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| "We have just returned from a two week holiday in Villa Thalassa. There were five of us myself, my husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandson who is 12. Villa is lovely and the views beautiful. Weather was very hot just as we like it. We spent most of the days in the pool which was lovely or lazing around on sunbeds. One point I would make here is that it would have been nice to have a couple of parasols for the sunbeds as the only shade was on the patio area where there was a large umbrella. The car was essential. Unfortunately there is nothing within walking distance i.e restaurants and beach so you do have to drive everywhere. Andreas next door was a lovely man - he had to go out on the first evening to find my son-in-law and husband who had gone to get some shopping and had got lost. I think this caused him great amusement! We had a lovely evening at the Festival on the 16 August which was held in the village square - great fun and an excelleant opportunity to mix with "the locals". All you could eat and drink for 10 euros - very good value!! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would have liked to stay another week.
All our love to Mummy, Nibbles, Damian and Gregory (Andreass four cats (named by my grandson) we fell in love with them.
Beryl, Alan, Julie, Nigel & Chris - Watford"
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Review submitted by Craig
from Staffs
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(Submitted:
14/08/2008) |
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| "Good quality high spec villa."
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Review submitted by Robin
from Chesham
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(Submitted:
28/07/2008) |
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| "We were very pleased with the level of accomodation and it was great value for money with a smashing swimming pool and outdoor furniture/BBQ. The courtesy car was essential for getting around and was included within the price which was also a great cost saving. Both the Villa Owner and his family were located nearby and couldnt do enough for us to make our stay enjoyable. would definitely consider going back and recommending to friemds and family."
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Review submitted by Carole
from Eastleigh
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(Submitted:
29/06/2008) |
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| "When you open the door to villa Thalassa you wont be disappointed, it is a top class very well equipped and maintained holiday home, everything you could need has been provided,
We were picked up from Phaphos Airport, as arranged, by Andreas, the next door neighbour, who is Nicks Father in law, and very helpful and informatative and friendly, without being intrusive, nothing was too much trouble for him, We had problems figuring out the T.V/ Entertainments system, and called for Andreas, he came over immediatly and could not help us himself, but he phoned Nick and within 5 mins Nick was there, problem sorted, and he even brought us his own T.V. listings guide in case we wanted to watch anything during our stay.
The pool is cleaned by an automatic system each evening. the only slight concern I would have with the Pool is the level from shallow to
deep is a bit steep but once you are aware of this is ceases to be a problem.
There are still building works going on in the vicinity, these did not effect us, we found the property to be very quiet and clean.
The car provided was clean and reliable, but not filled up with petrol as the conditions state. The car is essential as there are no Tavernas or shops within walking distance, the nearest we found were the Golf Club, 5mins drive aways, a very good value restaurant and bar in beautiful surroundings. good carvery and buffet on Sundays.
The local village is also 5 to 10 mins away, good little local supermarket but a bit pricey. we went into Paphos for a Main, shop and topped up in the village.
We also found the Taverna Aspris, a family run small establishment in the village to be an excellent eating place.
We had 2 very minor ,down sides, for the first couple of days next doors cat came to visit every time we sat outside, but this was quickly sorted out with the help of a 2 Euro water pistol, and the Mosquitos come out at night! the men of our party were not bitten, but we ladies were! must be the sweet meat!! so make sure to take insect repellent.
But we all agree that you could not wish for a better value holiday stay.
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Review submitted by Alan
from Elgin
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(Submitted:
25/05/2008) |
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| "We stayed in May 2008, 4 adults and 2 children. The villa is of a very high standard with good facilities, in a quiet location.
The owner, Nick introduced himsef and made sure he was contactable if their were any problems.
Andreas (father in Law) who lived next door replaced any item without fuss and within 5 minutes (mop, broken microwave).
The only downside was that there was no facilities within walking distance. The advert did say car compulsary and we got the use of a Renault Clio for the duration which was excellent.
In essence, if you want a luxury Villa with privacy and don't mind driving 10 -20 minutes for a great meal (Pissouri and Pissouri Bay are filled with good restarants) This Villa is highy recommended, I will be thinking of going back.
Thanks again to Andreas for the lift to the Airport"
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Review submitted by Alan
from Oxford
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(Submitted:
07/04/2008) |
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| "Villa Thalassa is in an extremely quiet residential area adjacent to Secret Valley Golf Club, though you cannot see the course from the villa. There is still building ongoing on the development but none nearby.
The villa was well appointed and both the owner[Nick] and his father-in law [Andreas,who lives next door]were truly wonderful throughout....the owner even replaced the errant DVD player within a matter of minutes of hearing that it was faulty. They were never intrusive but always ready to help. Their contribution to our holiday enhanced it appreciably.
A comment on the weather. We were there in March[5 to 19]. The days were around 19C, the evenings cool, 10-12C. It was not warm enough to use the pool.
We hope to return. The golf club hope to add two more courses...that will tempt us!
Nick, Andreas and families...thank you!!"
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Review submitted by craig
from Cheadle
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(Submitted:
17/01/2008) |
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| "Excellent holiday fantastic villa very friendly family, especially Nick and his fatherinlaw.
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Review submitted by PHILIP
from NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
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(Submitted:
11/10/2007) |
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"An absolute waste of money. Secret Valley is a building site. The owner, despite written assurances that there was no building noise allowed us to be subjected to 2 weeks of unbearable noise.
Nick will meet and greet you, and come across very friendly, but God forbid you have any problems as he will not help you. He lied to us on several occasions.
His father-in-law lives next door and he is loud and interfering.
There are no facilities to speak of at Secret Valley other than a golf course. The owners photos are clever and do not show you the surrounding building works. You will be disturbed throughout the day. It is far from the tranquil holiday this owner promotes.
To be fair the villa is lovely but unless you want to stay inside with the tv on as loud as possible to conceal the building noise, take my advice and do not book this villa!
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Owner reply:
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Well I finally got a bad review… and my heart truly goes out to this couple as they were very unfortunate. It just so happened that the time they came on holiday, the local town council decided to do some road works. This involved noisy machinery. Naturally Phil and his partner were upset as they were unable to get the peace and quiet that they deserved and expected.
As soon as I heard the racket the road works was creating (the same day), I immediately approached the council workers to find out how long they will be working.
In an effort to try and resolve this unfortunate incident (as I did not want my customers to be affected by the noise) I decided to rent an alternative villa at my own expense for Phil to use until the council workers completed the road works. I paid for the alternative villa, took them a lovely dinner and offered them a complimentary week at my villa.
The council workers left after 4 days and Phil returned to the villa where he enjoyed the rest of his two week holiday.
I took him and his partner back to the airport when it was time to leave where they showed great appreciation for my efforts and actions during their holiday. They even gave me a bottle of wine to thank me.
I was very surprised to find an email from Mr. Phil Earley a few days later threatening to take legal action against me for compensation and to submit a bad review if I do not pay him £1,000.
I am sorry you did not have the holiday you wanted but I do think your demand (and in the manner in was made) for £1,000 was unreasonable.
Road works can normally happen anywhere; even in your home town you could have road works. I’m sorry they had them whilst you where there and that is why I paid for you to use a villa that was not close to the road works. I genuinely cannot understand why you have submitted this bad review. I do not lie and make promises I cannot keep and that is why 70% of my bookings are referrals.
With regards to my “loud and interfering” father-in-law, what you may regard as “loud and interfering” translates to good manners to Cypriots. It is extremely rude in the Cypriot culture not to greet someone as you walk past. Cyprus is generally a friendly place and the locals make an effort to be friendly. If you don’t like people greeting you or smiling at you as you walk past, you probably won’t enjoy Cyprus.
I hope you have a better experience the next time you visit our island, it may be worthwhile for you to explore a bit more of the culture.
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Review submitted by amanda
from hayes
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(Submitted:
10/10/2007) |
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| "great value for money, lovely owner, was better than described on the website.
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Review submitted by Sandra
from Leatherhead, Surrey
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(Submitted:
05/09/2007) |
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| "We were very impressed with this property, which was modern and stylish and furnished beautifully. We had all of the facilities we needed - efficient air conditioning, fantastic pool, good kitchen facilities and we were looked after very well. We were met at the airport and taken to the villa and were impressed that a welcome pack (milk, juice, fruit etc) was provided for us - a very nice touch. It was also great to have a car provided with the property and not have the cost or the hassle of organising our own car hire.
The only drawback I would mention is that the villa is on a new development, so when we visited there was still an amount of building work taking place nearby and on the hillside in front of the property. I must stress however, that it was all quite unobtusive and that in a few months time, I'm sure it will all be complete.
All in all, we had a very enjoyable holiday and would go back there again. I think next time we visit though I would go in the Spring or the Autumn, as the average temperature in August is 35 degrees!"
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Review submitted by Trevor
from Bideford, North Devon
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(Submitted:
23/07/2007) |
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| "This certainly reached the WOW factor. Great accommodation, great pool, great everything. Hosts were really friendly especially Nicks father-in-law who was also our taxi to and from the airport. We had a brilliant holiday and will look forward to returning very soon, PS having the car was a real bonus. Thanks Nick. Trev and julie kerby and Family."
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Review submitted by marie
from orpington
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(Submitted:
04/06/2007) |
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| "Nick the owner,met us as promised from paphos airport.He was polite and helpful and said should we need anything ,please do not hestitate to ask.He was true to his word.We were welcomed with a welcome pack of ice cold keo beer,haloumi cheese +all the essentals you would hope to expect.The villa i would say as a seasoned traveller,is first class we are a family of four with children aged 2 and 5.Oviously as a mother i worry about the risks in new suroundings.Th e great thing i found on arrival was all doors had locks on them.So when we'd put the children to bed we went out to the pool area Knowing they were safe.We had a late flight back and we arranged with nick to have the car later and his father in law took us to the airport."
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Review submitted by Roni
from Buckinghamshire
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(Submitted:
30/05/2007) |
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| "I didn't actually stay at this property! But I wish I had! I stayed elsewhere on the complex!
The owner Nick would have been the perfect host and do all his could to ensure we would have had the perfect stay!
In an error of judgement I chose another property on Secret Vally that boasted "Sea Views"!! which it didn't have!
I had no communication from the owner even when we got into trouble!
I wish I had booked Villa Thallassa! It is absolutely goregous! I took a sneeky peek whilst I was there!
IF I had not been so stupid I would have had a great holiday! Nick would have made sure of that!
DONT EVEN THINK OF BOOKING ANY OTHER PROPERTY IN SECRET VALLEY!!! THIS IS THE BEST ONE!!!
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Review submitted by Bernadette
from Acton
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(Submitted:
13/05/2007) |
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| "Everyone wants the WOW factor, Villa Thalassa has it. What an absolutely fantastic place. It's peaceful with great views. The villa has everything you could possibly need. We had a fabulous time and are sure to return again."
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* Reviews with 'review not verified by RentalSystems' are testimonials that have been added by either the property manager or members of the public for bookings that have NOT been made via the RentalSystems booking engine.
Reviews with star ratings are customer reviews are reviews that
are from customers that have booked using the RentalSystems
booking system and are therefore verified that they are from
genuine customers who have stayed at the property. Only these
reviews have star ratings and contibute to the RentalSystems
Index.
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