Lola was very responsive and pleasant. Our huge concerns were with the apartment. First, when we arrived, we couldn't use the bathroom sink because the drain was clogged. There is absolutely no way the housekeeper didn't know that the sink didn't drain. There was a chemical to unclog a drain and a plunger in the bathroom, but that didn't work. We called Lola and she came out and met a plumber right away. What we didn't know at the time was that the shower didn't drain either. It was completely clogged with hair and slime. We could only shower for a minute before the shower would overflow. The problem was not new because the chrome around the shower pan was completely calcified from all of the overflowing water.
The main bedroom window leaked and flooded the bedroom floor. There is mold growing on the wall around the window demonstrating again the lack of maintenance on the property.
Additionally, the NOISE was out of control. There was a food court right next to the apartment on the southside and people partied until 2-3 am. There were two new restaurants being renovated with construction going on directly east and directly north of the apartment. The restaurant to the adjacent to the east opened while we were there and added to the evening noise. Lastly, the insulation between the apartments was abysmal. You could hear every footstep, movement of furniture, etc from the apartment above.
The noise was so bad in the primary bedroom that my husband had to move to small bedroom and wear earplugs to get any sleep. The problem with that bedroom was that the bedding had not been washed. There were urine stains or bodily fluid on the bottom sheet, mattress pad and duvet cover which had been turned inside out instead of being washed. When we washed it, our second day there, a red stain showed up as if there was a piece of candy left on the inside. We went out to buy bleach and washed all of the bedding. Unfortunately, the bedding didn't dry by evening, so we had to use beach towels to cover up at night.
There were no extra sheets provided for a month long stay in an apartment without a dryer. There was only a bottom sheet, a duvet and a tiny, thin blanket in each room. I would recommend at least one change of sheets be left in the apartment when there is a long-term rental to avoid this situation for the next guest.
Not only were the sheets dirty, but the dishes and utensils were dirty upon arrival. We had to wash everything before using, linens, dishes, pots and pans and silverware.
The A/C unit in the smaller bedroom didn't work and my husband had to keep the door closed to eliminate as much of the noise as he could in order to sleep. He'd get up around 3am, when the noise quieted down to open the door for some circulation.
The area where the apartment was located has many homeless people living in the park. Many of the buildings are crumbling and boarded up. The area does not have the beauty or charm of the rest of Valencia. The beach is beautiful but surrounding area is NOT.
I would not recommend this apartment to anyone who likes peace and quiet in the evening. It is a loud, chaotic party scene. It could be ideal for someone who likes to party all night and doesn't want to go very far to get home.
After two weeks, we had enough. We rented a car and went to Denia where we rented a wonderful Airbnb for five days. Then, we went back to Lola's apartment where the bathroom drain still had water in it and decided to fly to Mallorca for the rest of our vacation. We rented a room in a Boutique Hotel that was also exceptional. We returned to the apartment in time to pack and catch a train back to Madrid for our flight home.
Lola's place was my worst Airbnb experience ever. As a host, Lola gets great reviews, but Airbnb should separate the reviews by location so other guests don't read her reviews for another location and come with expectations of staying in a 5-star apartment. El Cabanyal is NOT a 5-star apartment.
I would like to upload pictures of the condition of the property but it appears that is not an option.