Holiday Pool Dilemma: Please help me get a grip.

[RoadToRivendell]

We're on holiday at a veeery nice villa in Italy.

Some days after I booked it in May, when I will still within my cancellation terms, I noticed that it said 'shared' pool in the description. I emailed the agent, expressed concern, and asked for clarification. They said I would be sharing it with two people, so fine. We proceeded.

This week, we were completely dismayed to find a family of four join at the pool - two adults, two smallish children - which we could have coped with, but 1. it's a pretty small pool, like what you'd have in the garden of a very nice house; and 2. THE FATHER DID NOT RETURN OUR HELLOS, so we sat in awkward silence.

A subtle tug of war ensues, and we gather they've left as they bring their luggage to the pool yesterday (WTF) and get changed in the bushes for what we presume is a trip to the airport.

This morning, we turn up at the pool at around 11am to find that all six sunloungers have towels on them. Overnight, a second family has arrived, and the original family is still inexplicably here! (I saw the children, who are lovely, in two of the 'reserved' sunloungers this morning!).

I sent my kids down to fold the towels and get stuck in at around noon (still, no one in sight - and all 6 chairs are reserved). Family number 2 turned up some time later, and they are lovely and exchanged hellos as you might expect so I can cope with this setup - we were actually all trying to very politely ensure the other had sufficient sunloungers at various points through the afternoon.

Would I be unreasonable to demand a good chunk of change back from this rental place?

Always best to look at the place on google earth beforehand to see what it's really like, how close the neighbours are etc.

DH does this and I mock him endlessly for it, BUT I was so grateful when it meant he could find the way to the villa at midnight last week as he’d memorised the route and the landmarks and we’d checked as well that the pool was completely enclosed.

The number of sun loungers should match the number who can use the pool - roughly. Yours sounds nowhere near.

OK, thanks everyone . I did fire off an email this am and I have heard the owners on a heated phone call, I feel sick.

They are just below.

I think if there are all of those in a very small place I’d be calling the company first thing in the morning.

What? You heard the owners?

DH does this and I mock him endlessly for it.

Same.But, as you say, he's already familiarised himself with the route and landmarks. Plus, can see if there's a motorway etc nearby or "the pool" is really in the owner's garden not yours.

Sharing a pool would really ruin a holiday for me.

What were the owners saying?

That to me sounds like they've been vague or misleading to stop you cancelling.

To me if they meant 2 other bookings they'd have said 'shared with the 2 neighbouring properties / sharing with 2 other bookings'.
Sharing with 2 people to me would leave me thinking sharing with a couple.

I would be complaining. Not sure what they could do short term but it seems a bit crap to have misled you and then you end up with no benefit of a private pool (which is surely to avoid sun lounger hogging).

Two PEOPLE should mean two individuals. Not two families, not two properties.

It doesn't matter that it says shared! You sought clarification and it still wasn't as described! Yanbu.

It's a bit of a strange setup, but I gather it's a huge villa that has been subdivided into many apartments and the matriarch/patriarch (who are lovely and charming) live below.

I hope the agent is handling this diplomatically and not dropping us in it. We have to stay here for the next 3 days.

Ugh.

What were the owners saying?

I don't speak Italian! sob.

What you certainly can do is make it clear there is no reservation of sunloungers with towels. If there is no one using them, you can take the towels off.

The agent has been very creative there haven't they? Clearly in order to stop you cancelling. It's money back or bad review imo.

If you paid with your credit card you can call them to raise a dispute. You were told two people and it was 10. Maybe you will get 5% of holiday price back.

Perhaps the translation error was between the owners and the agent, rather than the agent to you.

Urgh - we had this in the past in France - it rather ruins your holiday doesn't it?! Turns out the family had brought another family along without telling the owner... we emailed the owner. Everything was fine as they were due to leave halfway through our stay so no upsetting frostiness round the pool as we had to it ourselves for the last few days. Hope it turns out similarly for you OP!

You've every right to be annoyed. You booked it in good faith that you'd be sharing with a couple - sounds fair. It turns out to be completely unfair. I don't know about compensation but I'd be having strong words with the agent you booked with.

And the placing of the towels on the sunbeds is outrageous!

I would include we are not able to use the sunloungers as there are not enough and will have to advise other potential guests of this constraint in reviews.

It's not in Sorrento, is it OP?

a lot of people would give anything for a shared pool.

Take some pictures, complain when you get home and enjoy.

I would be asking for some money back tbh.

I hope it is sorted out amicably for you OP, but you have clearly been misled and the fact the Agent is calling the owners confirms that.

Honestly, it's just the stomach-churning from dealing with this incredibly weird family that is so antagonistic and territorial. I am completely beside myself and it's ruining my holiday.

How am I supposed to enjoy myself at the pool with this weirdo who has repeatedly refused to say hello to us? We were babes in the woods, just saying a cheerful 'Ciao' on the first day and he totally blanked us, as has his wife, and now his children are on the programme.

Definitely ask for some money back, they have misled/lied to you.

I'd complain.

Six other folk?.

Nuh huh.