Hoomy - Rental and Concierge

Dirty old and nothing like the photos - bad all round

We were very unhappy with this villa and the rude manager (Catherine). The pool was dirty, the blinds were broken, so didn’t close and banged all night, the garden was overgrown with weeds, none of the outdoor or pool lighting worked, there were no bath mats, the beds weren't made, and the dishwasher was broken. When we complained to Hoomy, we were advised to speak to the local agent, Catherine. She told us we didn't need outdoor lighting or pool lighting because summer evenings are bright, refused to help us with anything else, sent people to clean the pool the day before our departure, and, wouldn't even let us leave our suitcases in the garden for a single hour on the morning of departure (because we had to return the bikes and couldn't ride with the suitcases). A horrible experience! Avoid! The villa is dilapidated, and nothing works. It's advertised for 12 people, but there's outside seating for 6, with 4 lounge chairs and 5 wine glasses, so it can't accommodate more than 6 …

Hoomy First thing to say - don’t bother with Hoomy, or the awful accomodation it rents out. I booked a small bungalow at Residence les Pingettes, les Bois Plage on Île de Ré, and arranged a specific check in time for 4pm. The telephone numbers provided by them failed to work, either ringing out, or terminating in an answerphone message. Had it not been for a kindly lady, who provided the correct telephone number, we would have been stuck in the car park in blazing heat for even longer. When I eventually got through, I was told that noone was available until 5.30pm. So, another hour and a half stuck in a boiling car waiting for someone to arrive. Eventually, the rep did turn up, but her attitude left a lot to be desired - dictating that ‘you can do this, you can’t do that’, and so on. What a start to the holiday. The bungalow is also pretty awful, tired in many respects, and dirty in others - see photos. The dining furniture is also rickety (see photos of dining chair as an example). I booked through Booking.com, and was only told a couple of days before arrival, when we were already in France, that towels and sheets were not included. So another £75 for three days worth for three people, paid upon arrival. Don’t get caught out by the damage deposit either, which amounted to another €800, and which was virtually impossible to pay online via a sister company. What a shambolic state of affairs. My advice, steer well clear, there are plenty of comparible properties out there at a similar price without this sort of hassle.

Great stay, nice home. Hygiene not so great.

We had no information about bedding and had to pay 50 Euros unexpectedly. The kitchen was not well equipped. The bath had no plug and the shower was broken. The electricity trip switches tripped frequently. There was no welcome pack The owners were pleasant.