Beautiful view, poor hosting.
Despite claims of a warm welcome with gift and chocolates, Sophie’s listing proved to be a hotel room that was inadequately prepared for her guests. The unit is acceptable but was not very well prepared for our stay, with a notable and unpleasant surprise being no toilet paper in the holder at a desperate moment (I did hunt around and eventually found some in a supply closet). Other issues added to the sense that this unit is not well cared-for - I had to fix the trash bin under the sink so it would open properly. The furniture is aging and other signs of poor maintenance were frustrating, like the refrigerator door that is no longer attached to the veneer.
None of that would have mattered in were it not for the rude shock of the cleaner coming in on the morning of our departure. We were admittedly a bit late in departing (our flight was cancelled unexpectedly, causing a bit of delay)- but rather than allowing us a moment to collect our items, the cleaner simply told us she was coming in and did so despite our request for a few minutes to pull things together. I have never in decades of worldwide travel experienced a cleaner who unlocks a room and enters without permission, much less one who will not allow a few minutes to complete departure. Instead Sophie’s cleaner came inside and demanded we leave instantly. Sophie backed up the absurd approach of her cleaner (though she was never on site), and was rude to us on the telephone. No one who wants a pleasant stay should book with this host- other units are available directly through Pounamu Apartments, which maintains a professional manager on site. No pretty view is worth the shoddy treatment of a poor host and uncaring staff.