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?

I definitely agree that the other family are pissed off they have to share the pool but the experience would be so much less painful for everyone if they were civil and polite.

Oh, the owners are 100% on the phone with their son (who owns this particular apartment). I keep on hearing 'swimming'.

I am so confused. Family number 2 is now having dinner at family number 1's dinner table, family number 1 came to the pool with their luggage yesterday, set off for the airport (I heard the children's chatter about how they'd be home tonight), and the children re-appeared at the pool today.

WTF? Maybe they missed their flight? Is this overlap of 2 families to figure into my complaint?

I read the original OP as 2 sets of people, so I can understand how they would think it's obviously 2 appartments.

I would be furious!!! Stand your ground OP...fingers crossed you get some of your 5K back...

I´m glad you are following this up. This isn´t acceptable. You have been missold this holiday.

I read the original OP as 2 sets of people, so I can understand how they would think it's obviously 2 appartments.

That's not how contracts work, though.

Op what nationality are they? Could they be the owners family?

This really isn't reasonable. You've got in writing that the pool is shared by 2 other people. Take photos of the other people in the pool, towels on sunbeds etc
I suspect that the owner has offered something they don't have the right to - let the agency deal with it but don't back down, its not good enough
You could try leaving an honest tripadvisor review while you are there.

And I don't think it matters whether people are sharing, have missed flights or whatever. You were told 2 other people - ie a couple, and there are two families. And not enough sunbeds

Well hogging the sun beds is not on. They know it’s a shared pool so they shouldn’t use all the sun beds. I’d say something especially if they’re not using them.

If I were you, I´d get photographic evidence of all the other people in the pool. So it isn´t your word against theirs.

Iloveacurry to be fair, it's not their fault there aren't enough sun beds

Write a note for the owners OP using google translate.

We did this in a villa in Spain when my school girl spanish wasn't getting across that we had a found a dead rat in our swimming pool for the second morning in a row and we were worried where the rats were coming from. Not the best villa we ever booked .

I think you might be in the middle of an aristo family feud, where all the different segments have all promised pool access to guests and the 80-year-old-parents are being left to pick up the pieces. (Does that sound possible?).

I am very jaded about aristos and their belief that rules/contracts don't apply to them. One Venetian v posh person told me that Italian bureaucracy is so horrendous that unless she had totally ignored regulations her Grand Canal palazzo would have crumbled about her ears before she got permission for a kitchen. And that because of that bending the rules becomes a way of life in Italy. (Esp if you're v grand, I guess.)

Anyway, your complaints are completely reasonable, and I also want to know why Family 1 is back after their pre-flight dip? Do they look alike/have six fingers and a certain amount of aristocratic in-breeding that could mean they're related?

Heart going out to your teens by the way...

OP! My DD would loveyou for your username alone. So sorry this is happening to you. That's awful.

I was once referred to the "escalation" team (it was a utility company) and it end REALLY well for us. Think four zeros. The escalation team is MUCH more preferable than someone in a call centre! Good luck. Be prepared to document it all. Photos are good.

Are you sure you’re meant to be using this pool?

We once went on holiday and had a confusion over the parking bay.
Both we and they were very British about it, grabbed the bay whenever we could and remained politely aloof (and grumbled privately!) when we missed out.

Wasn’t until the end of the week that we found out from a gleeful resident that we’d been parking in the wrong bay: ours had remained empty all week at the back of the premises
Fortunately, they saw the funny side when we apologised and brought wine to smooth things over a bit.

If they’ve been told you shouldn’t be there, it might explain their attitude.

Are you sure you’re meant to be using this pool?
@Tanith
Did you miss the OP detailing that she asked for clarification with the booking agent re what exactly
this " shared pool" entailed?
Sounds like a nightmare OP, I would be absolutely fuming. Swimming is a big part of our holidays abroad.
Photographic evidence is a must.
Best wishes.

No, but that doesn’t mean she, or the other family hasn’t been lied to or that a mistake has been made.

If the agent says you are sharing with 2 people, surely that means Mr & Mrs Elderly Aristo who live below?

Not the two other families of 4 & 6 who sound as though they are in a separate building owned by Mr Son Aristo?

Hope this gets sorted OP. I would not be happy in the slightest. The one bonus of a villa is that you don't have to converse with people outside your little family set up and go reserve beds! This is awkward at best

Signore & Signora Anziano Aristocratico!

OP make sure that you take some video footage as well as pictures as it can really help to give a good feeling of what it’s like.

If you’re able to get footage when it’s really busy and/or when the people are being awkward, when there aren’t enough loungers (reminding them that you would expect to have 9 for your villa alone) - let them hear the upset and frustration in your voice, explain what you were expecting, how it doesn’t match up and so on.

And on a practical note - film it in landscape orientation rather than portrait orientation. Means that when it’s viewed on a pc screen it will be much bigger and therefore more impactful!

Do you think that other family members might have been selling access to the pool to other friends, neighbours or nearby holidaymakers?