We were enchanted by the captivating photos on the Booking site.Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to those expectations.Our stay had started off well: we were warmly welcomed by Heinrich, a friendly German from Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr, who had lived in Venezuela and Mexico. He greeted us with a big smile and showed us the two cottages where we would be staying, as well as a small fawn that had taken up residence in his garden. In each house, a bottle of wine and some chocolates were waiting for us, a thoughtful gesture that touched us deeply.However, problems began to pile up.First problem: The heating in one of the two cottages wasn’t working. Temperatures dropped as low as 41°F at night, and the cottage in question was occupied by our elderly parents. Upon our request, Heinrich agreed to move them to another cottage where the heating worked (albeit very noisily).Second problem: The Wi-Fi didn’t work. Our father has a serious medical condition that requires internet-based monitoring. We had to set up a phone hotspot throughout the night while waiting for a weak Wi-Fi connection to function again the next day.Third problem: We have young children, and although we anticipated the mezzanine, we quickly realized that nothing was child-friendly. The numerous knick-knacks used for the cottages’ abundant decoration were all within the reach of their little hands (Heinrich insisted that we be careful… and nothing was broken), there was an unsecured water feature in front of the cottages, a shower that required delicate adjustment to avoid scalding or freezing, a space too small to cook for the whole family (though Heinrich did bring us an extra chair), and more.Fourth problem: The cleanliness left much to be desired: hair on the sheets, heaps of dust under the beds and sofas (along with a stray sock), trash behind the microwave, a coffee machine still filled with grounds from previous guests… In short, cleaning was far from thorough.That said, we can attest that Heinrich puts in a lot of effort. He handles the cleaning, guest reception, and troubleshooting. He’s available and manages everything himself, even on weekends.However, when we approached him to inform him of our intention to cancel the second night, he was downright unpleasant.We could have understood the reasoning of someone who calmly and empathetically explains why a cancellation isn’t possible. But Heinrich chose to tell us that all the issues we raised (heating, Wi-Fi, child safety, faulty showers, etc.) were just excuses and that we were among the “1% of troublemakers” he invariably has to deal with.In short, Heinrich’s lack of empathy, combined with all the inconveniences in his cottages, made our experience very unpleasant.That being said, there were also some positive aspects. The breakfast was very good, with excellent seeded bread, cold cuts, yogurt, fresh fruit, and orange juice. Each cottage was also equipped to make good coffee or tea.In summary: An experience that could have been very enjoyable, but one we cannot recommend, especially for families or anyone seeking a minimum level of comfort.
