Santa Maria Estate Holidays from AU$993

Terrible experience. The apartment was in poor condition, and the entire building was filthy, with pigeon droppings and feathers everywhere — impossible to avoid, even inside the flat. The building itself was under construction, which was never disclosed beforehand. The shower was broken — every time we used it, water leaked heavily and flooded the entire bedroom. Communication with the host was awful: our messages before arrival were ignored, and once we arrived at the address, we were denied access until we paid unexpected charges. Only after payment were we redirected to a completely different location, where the host refused to assist us and was rude over the phone. Other tenants had to help us find the apartment. The provider's behavior was deceptive and unprofessional. Avoid at all costs.

Fantastic hotel with amazing staff!

Overall, there are several significant issues to consider, especially around security, billing transparency, and arrival logistics, although the property does benefit from a good location and strong potential if managed properly. The most serious concern is security. The building’s front door never locked properly and was consistently open, to the point where no code was required to enter. Billing is also an issue. Guests must pay taxes, cleaning, and extras through a separate link before arrival, but no proper receipt is provided. The amount charged did not seem to align with expected exchange rates. I had to press for a receipt and was given a partial refund without any way to validate the charges, and I still have not received a usable receipt. The total still seems high and there has been no meaningful response to clarify this, even after Expedia follow-up. Arrival was confusing. The address is buried in attachments, with conflicting versions provided, making the entrance difficult to locate. The shuttle service was unreliable. Despite booking one month in advance and reconfirming days before, no driver arrived. After waiting 30 minutes, I had to follow up and was then asked to search the airport for a license plate, which is not reasonable. It is also not truly door-to-door. Cleaning does not match the amount charged. There was dust, unclean bins, pigeon feathers, and crushed flies, and only one sponge and tea towel were provided for the kitchen.