AIBU to leave a bad review

[OverReact]

We booked a holiday villa with pool and garden. on booking.com This is something we do most years and it works well.
Wr have 4 teens so we chill at the pool in the heat of the day and do sightseeing in the evening.
We arrive at the villa this year and are very surprised it is a upper floor duplex apartment within a villa that contains 3 or 4 properties all occupied as family homes by an extended family who are all there. The family who were in our duplex have moved in with other family for the duration of our stay.
On the first night it was late and we were tired from travelling so we said nothing. It isn’t exactly an issue that can be easily resolved.
I checked the details on booking.com it is all about “the villa”, “the pool”, “ the garden”, “the patio”. No mention that it is an upper floor apartment with access to shared pool and garden. To be fair it didn’t say “exclusive use of” either. I assumed that it would be because it usually indicates if this is not the case. Exterior photos are of the of the whole property.

As it us high season and we had paid in advance there are not a lot of options so we tried to make the best of it.
The first morning I went to put up a parasol for shade at the pool and an older lady with no English came running out shouting at me. The english speaking host came out and said it was too windy to open a parasol. I asked about shade and was invited to sit on a patio directly outside their French doors. We did that the first day but the second day they were using that space which was the only shade.
Another time DH closed but didn’t lick the front gate and someone ran out immediately after him to lock it.
We felt we were being watched all the time. It was very uncomfortable.
2 of the teens stopped using the outdoor space completely and stayed inside.

We found alternative accommodation for the last few days and just left.

I have had a message from the host asking why we left and I will explain.

AIBU to leave a bad review explaining that property is not as described. I am also considering contacting customer service at booking.com to outline the ways in which the property was not as described.

I would definitely leave a clear factual review. It wasn't a "villa", it was an apartment. I think you did remarkably well not to ask for your money back! Which country was it in?

I use booking.com a lot and it does usually state whether it's the full property, are you absolutely sure you read it properly when booking?

I'd wait until I'd spoken with both the host and booking.com before leaving a bad review.

It doesn't sound ideal, and I wouldn't have enjoyed that sort of holiday either. But I'd give them both chance to respond before reviewing.

I think a review explaining what you expected and what you got, in factual terms, is reasonable. That’s not a bad review, it’s a review that reflects the situation you were in.

They should at the very least make it clear which aspects are shared in their description. The price should also reflect that there's no exclusive use too.
A factual review will help other people who are thinking of going there.

As long as your review is factual and not couched in emotional terms, the host cannot complain that the review is bad. A clear, factual explanation of the ways in which the property was not as described, or ambiguously described, would probably be appreciated by the company, if it is a reputable one which values its reputation.

I agree with this

Yep factual is fine - save others from that experience. Does it have other reviews?

On booking.com reviews you have to give marks out of 10 for various aspects so I can’t just leave a factual review. I have to give scores if I do a review.

And yes I have double checked and have had DH and my children read all descriptions. There is nothing about sharing space or it being an apartment.

Then go for it and give the genuine appropriate score.

Yes it has 5 other very good reviews which is partly why I am wondering if I am being unreasonable.

I really feel for you - a private pool is a big part of our family holidays. We wouldn’t have been comfortable sharing with the owners extended family.

i would give a factual review, as others have said, highlighting the differences between description and reality.

The 5 good reviews may be from people who booked it as a group, like the extended family.

When you say the host, what do you mean? He owns it and was staying there as part of the extended family?

I would reply to him and just state factually what you've said here. Offer him the chance to give you a refund. Then leave a factual review. I agree I wouldn't be happy feeling like I was tagging along on another family's holiday.

They should have flagged that it was an apartment within the owner’s property and the pool is shared. I have no doubt it was intentional as that would out some people off, it’s a not uncommon ploy.

Leave an honest review. And on tripadvisor too. You may save someone else the same pain!

You would never have booked this if you knew it was shared facilities so it did not live up to your expectations

Yes just say it wasn't as described and that it was in fact an apartment within a villa with shared access to the pool.

It's not a bad review, it's an honest review.

What’s the link to the actual villa?

this happened to us - we stayed at somewhere called blueberry cottage or something and it was actually just the outbuilding of a beautiful cottage. The photos were very flattering but in reality it was one large room which had a bed and kitchen etc in it! we only stayed one night so didn’t bother to complain but it’s a real piss take

Absolutely leave a bad review. This was your holiday clearly ruined to a degree. You have every right to say how it made you feel.

I have double checked and have had DH and my children read all descriptions. There is nothing about sharing space or it being an apartment

In that case it seems a clear case of misrepresentation, which is what I'd say in a review