If you’re looking for a neglected, unhealthy and unsafe environment with basic necessities denied you and a host that will make little effort to resolve any issues, then Salford Apartments & Beautiful Views is perfect for you.
1 Maple Close is situated in a pleasant and quiet cul-de-sac. Unfortunately, despite what the listing claims, this isn’t the address where you’ll be staying; Salford Apartments & Beautiful Views” is round the corner adjacent to a six-lane dual carriageway. I didn’t get much sleep.
On entering the property, you may notice a serious safety breach (a fire door with a broken closure mechanism). When I alerted the host and asked if he could get this fixed asap, his response was “That’s not my job”.
Although the place was reasonably clean, I found rubbish placed under the sofa and one of the beds, including what looked like an orange Smartie; used empty cups; empty metal capsules (laughing gas/legal highs?); two half-eaten doughnuts.
The listing boasts 1.5 bathrooms but only has one. The host explained to me that because the bathroom has a toilet it counts as 1.5 bathrooms.
“High-spec furnishings and fittings” – No. It’s been fitted on a budget. One cupboard fell to pieces when I opened it. The mattress I slept (very briefly) on should have been replaced a long time ago.
On the plus side, the TV works, the shower works, the fridge freezer is good, the kettle is modern and swish and the individual heaters in the bedrooms work well. However, the heaters in the kitchen/diner/lounge and bathroom don’t work.
When I raised the issue of there being no towels, no oven trays, missing kitchen utensils and cutlery, the response was a mix of denial: “The kitchen utensils are there” (even though he later admitted to living too far away to actually come and check before guests arrive) and excuses: “the recent guest have robbed the towels.” There was no attempt to suggest or provide a solution. When I raised these issues a second time, also noting that there were no oven gloves or tea towels and the soap dispenser in the bathroom was empty, the host did eventually (3.5 hours after my initial request) decide to pay us a personal visit to pass over two towels. No attempt was made to resolve the other issues.
To complete the picture, there were trailing wires, clocks with flat batteries, a socket coming away from the wall, a door frame that’s falling apart and a bathroom door that is difficult to shut and impossible to lock. The water runs hot for about a minute if you’re lucky and then goes cold. I found it difficult to identify what the “excellent touches” stated in the listing actually were – perhaps the two sets of fairy lights, both with flat batteries?
On the morning of our departure, I requested a refund. The response was: “You can’t get a refund when you have stayed sorry.”
Finally, on the morning of our departure, our host made an unannounced visit at 11.30. Despite the check-out time being clearly listed as 12 noon, he wanted us out because, he confidently asserted, the check-out time was 10am.
NOTE: Where I have quoted the host’s responses, these are actual verbatim quotes from text messages sent from his mobile phone which I have kept and can be substantiated.