We’ve just had a dreadful experience with an airbnb villa in Seminyak – Villa Mana 888 – a 4 bedroom villa. The reviews seemed good and the pictures looked quite good but when we got there, our hearts sank. There were lots of things wrong with the place besides it just being really old. I complained on the first day and took photos but the host just disagreed with me and dismissed many of my complaints. The holiday was for my family to celebrate my birthday but I spent most of the time stressed and sending messages to the host and airbnb support.
The property was not as advertised and I received a partial refund – what I consider to be an admission of fault.
There was construction noise from 8-5 every day next door which we weren’t warned about, the workers also peered over the fence at my daughter in the outside shower, the shower was broken in one bathroom and another one leaked water from all taps, the towels were threadbare and smelly and I had to buy new ones from Bandung Collective, the aircon cut out at around 2pm to work only as a fan, leaving us hot and uncomfortable most nights, a toilet anchor bolt was loose which caused the toilet seat to slide, an led light in one bathroom fell out onto the floor, there were mozzies in every room, we had to ask for toilet paper and water bottles, no kitchen tea towel was supplied, 6 sachets of coffee were provided for 7 people for 10 nights, the walls were grubby and the bathroom drains were covered with naphthalene balls (which I’ve just read are toxic !!) and air freshener sachets to hide the smell, plus there were drain flies in many rooms. All benchtops were cracked and the kitchen cupboards couldn’t open properly. The second TV didn’t work, the tap for the outside bath was loose at the base where it connected to the deck, the showers looked old and in need of regrouting, the curtains in 2 of the bedrooms were old and hanging by a thread plus they were grubby at the bottom because they were too long, the curtain rod was sagging and broken on one end, the external doors for the bedrooms were corroded and paint was falling off. The villa has been painted white internally – including the internal thatching, which raises concerns about why was this necessary. The paint job was done very poorly and done several years ago from the looks of it, so now it just looks grubby and old. I’d estimate that the villa is around 50 years old and has had some superficial renovations over the years.
The host said he would be happy to come to the villa to discuss our grievances but he didn’t make the time, despite me being available and asking him to nominate a date and time.
To make things worse, the host sent a request for money for repairs to light switches and the toilet seat!! We did not break anything. It seems so unfair that we have to prove that these things were broken before we got there and the property wasn’t as advertised. Airbnb should take action against this host because it reflects badly on Airbnb. The place was a dump yet there are glowing reviews. Something is very wrong here. Are the other reviewers real people?? – I doubt it.
