Initially we wanted to book our package via the internet. However the flights on the site were either extremely unsociable hours (departure 5am etc) or you missed both ends because you arrived past midnight and left the villa around 6am the last day. Finally we rung an agent who seemed to have access to many more flights than we did and got a suitable time. Because this was not an internet option we had to go through him. This started our first problem because on the internet the default option includes the welcome package. As we were arriving at midnight with 3 young children this was necessary. The price he quoted was slightly higher than what we were looking at on the net but there were some differences such as we changed hire car to transfer and different flight times. All that taken together it was reasonable to understand the welcome package was included but apparently not.
The flight was delayed 2 hours, not anyones fault. Unfortunately our bags were one of the last out also so we were quite late getting in with 3 very tired children. The transfer was no where to be found. We wandered about a bit to no avail. We managed to track down the desk when mysteriously the driver appeared from no where not impressed that he had been rumbled for not being were he was meant to be. He had us walk to the car rather than bring it around like I
saw the other agents doing, quite a hike for 3 tired children and was rude.
By the time we got there my youngest was asleep. The driver got out, dumped our bags smack in the middle of the street and watched me struggle with a booster seat, large sleeping 4 year old and the paperwork with the keycode on it repeating the word 'Margarita' to indicate we had arrive and motioning me to get out of his vehicle. My friend could not help much as she was struggling to get her 2 children and the cases in and off the road.
Originally when we booked I had mentioned to the agent that my friend was not very good in high heat and that we would be best suited for an air-conditioned place. The agent we used swore this was unnecessary as the villa came equiped with fans. These were more than sufficient I was assured. They were 3 tiny tabletop fans that at best circulated a small amount of air, not ceiling fans that yes would indeed have done the job. This made sleeping difficult for her and not so great with the kids either. Especially the first night since you cant drink the water there, too salty, so they could not even have a drink until the shops opened up due to the lack of communication on the welcome package.
The second day the agent turned up but to our dismay had little local knowledge at all. The material in the villa indicated a festival the week we were there but she knew nothing about this. The best we got was 'Oh, I don't know, I think that was last week I remember seeing fireworks maybe on the Saturday.'The only useful things she managed to pass on was that the British food shop was overpriced and 1 place for cheap food. Interestingly enough I ran into a former agent there now working tables at a bar/cafe. The agent after her walked off the job mid season because she had been assigned an insane amount of villas to look after or so I was told and she thought currently the villas were being looked after by out of area agents who, no, would not be of much use because they were not from the area. Also, I asked our agent about the welcome package and was told it was not on her paperwork but she would check and get back to me that day. I got a text the following day on my phone from here advising us she had no record and to check with the booking agent.
We were two separate families which in a 6 bed villa is not out of the ordinary but we had one set of keys. This meant I was tied to my friend and her children for the whole holiday. In addition the doors locked by key leaving us only two choices, take the upstairs key off where my friend was sleeping so she could lock her door or leave it unlocked. Regardless I had to have the downstairs keys to lock us in at night which mean if she got up before us she could not get into the main villa for food or a drink. I have never been in holiday accommodation where even a traditional family was limited to one set of keys and I cant think that supplying two would cause much difficulty.
The final day the cleaning crew turned up early. They said 'ok?' but my Spanish was a little limited to say 'Please come back at 10' so we had to work around them. Very nice people and one helped us put our scooter down etc but they wanted to shift us as soon as possible and we were delayed by working around them. The agent never visited again after the original day so I had no idea where to leave the bags while waiting for transport and unfortunately again language was an issue with the staff. Finally we worked out that yes we could put them by the gate until the transport turned up at 12.45 and off we wandered. Did make me laugh when we turned up at 12.40 to meet the transport and they tried to shoo us off fast because the next party was due in two hours. First of all check in is 4pm as I understand it and second we had to return to collect the bags!
The rest of the problems were just little niggles that well, happens I guess but for a weeks holiday at over £3,500 with a company of James Villas reputation I was left feeling let down and disappointed. I would not book again nor would I recommend anyone else did.
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Oct 10th, 2009
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