**Long but important review I feel you should read before choosing to book this apartment**
It is hard to leave a review where I do not feel I have many positive things to mention, however I do feel there are some serious issues with regards to the customer service, or lack of, that should be addressed.
A few weeks prior to my booking I was advised by Rebecca and the team that our check in/check out times would be changed (check in was moved to 4pm, and check out to 10am). I was disappointed at the time as I had things planned around the check in time (we were travelling there for a nice Hen weekend to celebrate my sisters wedding). The reason was given was that there were staffing/laundry shortages for cleaning due to COVID and they wanted to ensure the apartment was clean and ready for us etc. I was more than understanding when this happened as I work in hospitality so I understand how hard the industry has been hit, I didn't ask to be reimbursed for the time lost due to the delay.
However when it came to arrival on the day, we were waiting outside to check in and at 3:36pm was informed that the cleaner had been running late and the apartment was not ready. After expressing my concern around this considering our check in time was already pushed back and we were only just notified when were due to check in in 20 minutes, I was told we could go and wait inside for her to be finished.
Under the assumption it would only be maybe 10 or 15 minutes, we when in, however the cleaner advised she had only just got there and wasn't even sure when she would even be finished and we were left standing in the hallway. I spoke to the change over manager on the phone and was effectivity told we would just have to wait until she was done and that there was nothing she could do to reimburse me for the cleaning fee I had paid or the time we lost waiting around and advised that I would need to speak with Rebecca.
Eventually we were allowed upstairs once the living room was done and we were left in there to wait as she rushed around the rest of the apartment, which makes you wonder just how clean it really was. We were not given full access to the apartment until 5:20pm, 2hrs 20 mins after the check in time I was told when I booked. My issue however really starts from here, as I then received a very rude and accusatory message staying that the apartment was 'NOT' to be used for parties and that she had been told by her cleaner we were here on a Hen party (we were, but we are not a loud partying group of girls and were there to spend time with family) I couldn't believe the tone of the message, and that as a customer I was being spoken to in that manner, and so replied expressing my concerns around the cleaning delay and customer service and asked again to be reimbursed for either my money or time. I heard nothing back apart from the check out messages with those details and asking to leave a review! My complaint was not acknowledged what so ever or even addressed and I sent multiple chases in-between the above mentioned messaged and have still not received a response.
Given that the apartment is not cheap and they ask for a cleaning fee, I would feel that they would take the time to respond and resolve something when someone is pointing out that the service paid for is not being received. I am now taking this directly up with Airbnb
My review would have been much more positive if there wasn't a clear lack of customer service or even care from the host about a genuine complaint. It doesn't take much to apologise for the inconvenience and it isn't much to have given us a later check out as it is quite clear I won't get a refund of the cleaning fee. It is a great shame as something like this is very unavoidable and despite this I can't deny that apartment is in a great location, albeit it does look very run down and definitely needs some TLC, the pictures are slightly misleading as to the condition of the apartment - there was still a big damp patch on the living room ceiling and walls (which I have seen mentioned in earlier reviews), and the front door didn't seem 100% secure as you couldn't double lock the second porch door, the carpets were a bit tatty and small things like that which usually wouldn't put me off if the customer service was good!
I dread to think if something really serious was wrong what we would have done considering it is being treated as if there was no issue at all. Customer service and being polite to people really does make a difference, and as I do not feel either was received I will not be going back, recommending this apartment or anywhere that is from the HAT team which is a great shame as this all could have been easily avoided.