Category Archives: Hotels

Maui Sunset Condo, Kihei, Maui

Don and I tried for 10 months on 3 waiting lists at our timeshare before getting only one week, so we searched around and found a 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo in A 107. Understand please,  I am not a total clean freak but let me tell  you what we faced going in.

Youngest daughter was arriving later in the evening so we wanted to make sure all was well. The pull out sofa bed still had the old sheets; pillowcases still on the pillows but not washed from the previous guest(s). When she turned on the tap in the Mini-sized bathroom, the tap came off and there was no holder for the toilet paper.

The carpets were very dirty and the floors were not swept as crumbs and fluff laid about.  When we tried to make breakfast, the fry pans still had old food caked on but placed in the cupboard and knives in the knife rack were still coated with food. The counters had coconut pieces on the counters and they had not been wiped. Not enough cutlery (hardly 2 pieces matched), only 1 wine glass but the owner said she wasn’t buying wine glasses for guests. Spider webs on two corners of the kitchen and hanging down.

Tin foil plates that go under electric burners on the stove were so filthy and caked with spilled food we wouldn’t use the burners as the charred remnants on the foil plates caught fire and smoked incessantly. When the cleaner came to give us a towel or two, she said the owner used the foil plates but she (cleaner) wasn’t buying them.  They were $1.97 at Walmart, we checked. We traded these towels for the dirty ones we gave her to clean. We hadn’t used them yet.

The patio table outside had old pizza remains stuck to it and two bare light bulbs on the wall for patio lighting, and one was burned out. We never had air conditioning for the entire two weeks we were there, due to conflict with the owner and staff who work the condo.

In the bedroom, the ‘comforter’ (term very loosely  used here) was dirty with blue stains on it and the pillow cases and sheets were wrinkled, perhaps from previous guests;  not sure here but sceptic.

We called the owner but it was nothing more than a screaming match (her) and Don gave the phone to me and it continued. FINALLY, she asked if we took pictures? Huh? She wanted proof. So we hung up and started taking pictures.

When we left, I washed all the towels, dish cloths, removed the cover off our bed (zipper broken) and washed it, all bedding including  off the sofa and when all was done, laid it out on the futon and took pictures to prove all was clean. All the dishes in the dishwasher were clean and put away, and the two cups and 1 small pan left to dry on the rack. The owner suggested I was being fussy.

Again, several calls with the owner and she made a promise to adjust things, but so far nothing has occurred. About 3 days after leaving, I was missing a couple of clothing items and asked if they had been found. She called back and said the cleaner would let us in. The cleaner had NOT been there since we left and everything was as it was left. She did let us in but was slamming doors and became a little on the sharp side, until we said we were only looking for the two items I was missing, we thanked her and left.  I finally found them at another location and was glad of that.

Yup! Another owner who just wants the money but collects $130.oo US  each time it is rented out as a cleaning fee. Either the cleaner is just taking the money and pretending to clean or owner does not give a darn. Would we recommend this condo? Not on your life. If the owner does not give the promised refunds, she will be reported to the VRBO. The refund was for 2 nights at least and the cleaning fee of $130.00 all in US funds, by the way.

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Robin Hood Motel, Victoria, B.C.

We were attending the k.d. lang Concert in Victoria and needed a place to stay over rather than drive back after the concert.

We booked on line and just so you know, it was the only place left. Some places wanted over $400.00 a night and this, for $219.24 was more than enough. We checked in, and once you read all their rules and regulations, you think that, although it looks tired on the outside and the grounds are less than stellar, it would be really good on the inside.

We had time to put our things in the room and head out to find a) a parking spot, b) the Theater and c) a restaurant to have dinner. The lady at the Reception desk to us where the theater was and, off we go.

We find a spot in a car park, up on the third floor and wend our way down to locate the theater. Done and now we try to find a place to eat. We did, and more on that later. After dinner we go to the theater and are met by some really well dressed people in the lobby. They come over and ask if we are for the concert and we said yes. Well, says them…you are in the wrong place and it is the Royal Theater you want and you will have to take a taxi.

After the concert we were finally able to grab a taxi (in the rain) and wanted a coffee when we got to the Motel. Don went down to the Lobby to get one and they charged him $1.00 for a packet. There was a funny smell in the room….now we know why.

When we open up the top of the coffee unit to put the packet in, the one from the previous guest was still there. When we opened up the closed garbage pail on the table, it had the previous guests food: orange peels, tomato pieces, and other food stuffs. I called down to the office and was told “sorry but you know there is no cleaning staff on at night. Leave it out and I’ll get it later”.

When you sat on the side of the bed, the mattress is so old and soft, you sank down to the box spring and the pillows, looking so fat and fluffy, enveloped you head when you laid down. Any Chiropractor would condemn these in a heart beat.

The sofa looked okay and when you sat on it, it has a permanent tilt forward and is truly very uncomfortable.

We don’t love, no, make that, like Motels but are thankful for a clean and fresh place to stay when required but not here.

They won’t even let you stay here if you live in the same City and wanted to spend your Anniversary here. You have to prove you are travelling, show two pieces of I.D. (one with picture) and no partying.

Yup! Sure worth that.

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