Lovely air conditioned apartment at La Cinuelica near Torrevieja

I was surprised and disappointed to receive such a negative, potentially damaging review, which I feel does not reflect well on our apartment and is unjustified.

However, being a conscientious owner who wishes to ensure that all our guests find our apartment to be a great base for a holiday, I have spoken with my key holders and looked into your claims.

The handyman says that the fridge is not making any unusual or excessive noise, and that the toilet seats were not hanging off, but he has tightened a couple of screws to make sure they are extra-specially secure.

The bed, quilts and bed linen have been inspected, and these were fine.

I am somewhat baffled about your comments about the sun terrace as we always find it lovely, and especially enjoy having a lovely sunny breakfast on the veranda.

Two days prior to your visit I requested a sparkle clean, and part of this is checking the lights. It may of course have been possible that a bulb had popped when you turned it on. As you know from the booking process, I tell all guests that if they have any issues with the apartment to contact my key holders asap so they can rectify any difficulties, but unfortunately you did not do this. I wonder if you didn’t open the external roller blinds fully to let the light into the apartment?

The television is currently tuned to Spanish channels, as this is what is requested by the majority of guests, particularly those staying for longer periods. If I had known that UK television was going to be so crucial to your mother-in-law’s holiday, I would have been able to advise you of this in advance. However, I appreciate that a small number of guests may wish to have UK TV, so I have liaised with my key holders and am pleased to say that in future English channels (and some other languages) will be available as an on-demand service for which there will be a small charge.

Gracias por tu comentario, José, me alegro de que hayas pasado un buen rato con tu familia. Sí, es un lugar tranquilo para alojarse, tan agradablemente relajante. Al igual que usted, tenemos un automóvil, pero los huéspedes que no encuentran que haya un buen transporte público a nivel local.

Mantenemos la cocina equipada para la mayoría de las tareas de cocina. Quizás podría enviarme un correo electrónico con las herramientas de cocina adicionales que le hubiera gustado tener en la cocina.

Sí, ¡España en agosto puede hacer calor! Espero que hayas encontrado útil el aire acondicionado del apartamento, especialmente de noche.

Muchas gracias,

Liz

Thank you for your review José, I'm glad you had a good time with your family. Yes, it is a quiet place to stay, so ideal for relaxing, but at the same time the shops and restaurants are only a few minutes walk. Like you, we have a car, but guests who do not find that there is public transport locally if they want to go further afield.

We keep the kitchen equipped for most cooking tasks. Maybe you could send me an email with the additional kitchen tools you would have liked to have had in the kitchen.

Yes, Spain in August can be hot! I hope you found the apartment's air conditioning useful, especially at night.

Thank you,

Liz

I am very sorry to hear that the apartment wasn't what you were expecting. I have tried my best to ensure that the description on Homeaway is fully accurate, and I believe it to be so.

The apartment is furnished in a Spanish style rather than the generic modern style that is found in some apartments as we feel this adds to the atmosphere of the apartment and that this enhances guests' holiday experience. The furniture in the HomeAway photographs is the furniture in the apartment.

I feel that the apartment is conveniently situated for most things guests need on holiday. There are plenty of supermarkets close by including two large Consums on Calle Escorpiones and at the top of Calle Rosa, plus a Carrefour on the N332. In addition there is the discount supermarket Aldi on Calle Lago Banolas, although yes, this is probably a little far to walk in the height of summer heat.

Measured on Google maps, the local bus service which runs in the summer months and includes the beaches at Punta Prima, Torrevieja and Playa Flamenca stops 450 metres from the apartment. The bus service which runs along the N332 serving the likes of Cartegena and Alicante has a stop at approximately 1km away.

The oven is not broken. Following your review I have had an engineer to check it, and he states it is fully functional. The instruction booklet is in the kitchen drawer. Following feedback from previous guests, I had written on the front of the booklet the page number which shows how to turn it on. If you had let my key holder Compass know during your holiday that you were having difficulty operating the oven, they would have helped you.

I am sorry that you felt the apartment didn't meet your needs, but I am glad that you had a good holiday nonetheless.

Liz

Naturally we are saddened that you were a little disappointed with some aspects of your holiday at our apartment. As can be seen from other reviews, many people have really enjoyed their stays and guests frequently return.

Yes, it was very warm during your stay, as Spain and much of Europe recorded record temperatures, and such heat can be very tiring especially for young children. However, I’m sure that you all found the air-conditioning in the lounge and bedrooms a great help, and enjoyed relaxing by and cooling off in the pool. As detailed in the hospitality app, walking to the beach isn’t the only option in the summer months as a local bus service runs to several beaches and the nearest bus stop is very close.

The apartment is thoroughly cleaned prior to each guests’ stay and there are regular inspections of the inventory and furnishings to make sure the apartment is up to standard. Our key-holders, Compass Property Services, have an office very close-by, and if you had drawn their attention to your difficulties in working the oven I know they would have happily helped you.

We are genuinely disappointed to receive your review which is not consistent with our usual feedback.

Glad you enjoyed your holiday at the apartment Stephen. Look forward to having you as guests again.