Island Escape

Review by Paul (Stayed in November)

“Hi there,
my review for the weekend where we stayed 5a Crescent Rd is not good. We had stayed here 3 years ago and it was fine, we had a good experience which is why we returned. We are a group of friends that have known each other for 30 years and every Xmas we have a weekend away and go fishing , play golf etc. So we returned to this place which is suited us before as there are 10 of us with one being in a wheel chair so access is important, ...........however we won't be returning to this place again.
Below is what I sent to the manager ( who is great, and wanted to help us out)

Firstly: Sky TV didn’t work, and it’s advertised as having it. We wanted to watch the Cricket Test match between NZ and England, and couldn’t, it was so frustrating. We rang but of course nothing could be done, I think this should have been checked.

2nd. The septic tanks were so full, we were constantly being bombarded with this overpowering smell of poo, all one had to do was turn a tap and it happened not necessarily even flush the toilet. We wanted to have bar b ques on the deck and had to go inside!.

3rd . The gas bottles for the bar b que were empty, eventually we found a bottle that had some gas, by then we had gone through 3. ..................That could have been incorrect, the bottle was empty and we went searching for another one which we found, so maybe not 3

4th . The oven in the kitchen had one knob, we had to pull it out and plug it back in to turn on the elements, and those elements on top of the oven; we had to assemble to get them to work.

I could just tell from the last time we were there no maintenance has been done, the soffit's were covered in mould, the stereo system under the TV and down stairs by the table tennis table was all pulled apart, cables going everywhere,, a pile dead of sand-flies on top of the microwave .
It was disappointing, we won’t be going back, in fact I think some sort of refund would be in order. The overflowing septic tanks was the big one, and the Sky TV. When we rang about Sky she said that last time someone was there ( which was last Tuesday apparently) it was working..

The place cost us $2K, for the weekendI think for that amount of money someone should give the place a once over the day before; there is that ..............and here is the thing, when I sent these issues to the owner instead of an apology I got an argument. We are in our late fifties, we are telling the truth, we are not a bunch of twenty year old's looking for a 200 buck discount.
What came back was " my son was there on the Tuesday and Sky worked' ' the cleaners flushed the toilets and there was no smell'..........we are not lying, it was as bad as I stated. So for nearly $1000 a night I would look for other options,......................there endeth my review. Regards Paul”

Owner/Manager responds:

“It was very unfortunate that there was a problem with Sky during your reason stay at our Holiday Home. I am sorry that you think I did not provide good customer service. As soon as Rob rang about the Sky problem, I spent the best part of 2 hours on Sky phone calls trying to troubleshoot the problem.

There is always a full spare gas bottle at the property and not sure what the problem was.

We hire a professional cleaning company who clean the property the day of arrival. We do not provide face flannels.

The most puzzling part of your complaint is your assertion that the septic system was overflowing. Both my son and husband checked the property and found no evidence of a blockage or smells. We had guests stay after your visit and they had no complaints, In fact they are rebooking for next year. See their review below. Greenacres the septic tank company did a check and found no problems. It is a mystery and wonder if it was a neighbouring property. We want all our guests to enjoy Waiheke and have many happy customers. Sadly that was not the case with you. Below are some of our reviews! Curtis stayed the week after you!!!
“Great place in a good location. Excellent communication.”
Curtis Blyth, Nov 2019
“We had a great time staying here. Really peaceful being surrounded by native bush. Close to the shops. Perfect for a group. The fire heated the whole house. Thoroughly recommend this place. Thanks”
Ben Sarge, Jul 2019
“This property is stunning. Great range of living spaces. Fabulous for a large group. It's a relaxing spot and so central to local amenities and the beach. I especially loved the windows looking out onto the bush. I would love to come back” Ali Pottinger, Mar 2019
Perfect home away from home getaway. What an amazing place to have booked for the long weekend with a large group. Layout of house was great as to not be in each others space, the open plan living area flowing outside to the deck was just perfect. The wide windows opening out from the kitchen allowed conversations to flow from indoor to out. Everything available as needed in a house. Hosts were very flexible with check in and out. Would recommend and will use again in future. Thank you very much for opening your home to us. The property was perfect for our requirements.
Anna Ellis, Jan 2019”