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Holiday villa balls-up - please help!

35 replies

AndCallMeNancy · 26/06/2023 16:35

Wondering if anyone has any ideas of sites I can search for a replacement villa for my family holiday please!

We had planned a holiday to Tuscany this summer as a family celebration for my lovely Mum who just turned 80. There will be 8 of us in total - my mum, my brother and his family, and me and mine. We all fancied Italy, somewhere peaceful where we could eat and drink and be together. A pool was a must, especially for my 9 year old and my brothers two teenage girls.

Italy is not a massive package holiday destination but I often book flights and accommodation separately so wasn’t phased by this. It took a lot of hours of trawling but I finally found something on Airbnb that looked perfect, a big villa in a village. It had an above ground pool which wasn’t my ideal but the listing stated that an in-ground pool was being built in time for summer ‘23. I message the owner and she was adamant the pol would be completed in time for our hol (this was late last year)
Booked it, booked our flights… all good. Everyone super excited.

Cut to today when I get an email from the owner saying the pool has not been built. It is 6 weeks until we fly. They’ve offered a 20 percent refund if we want to stick with the booking but state that even the above ground pool won’t be there. We really want a pool so I am going to cancel, they have said they will give a full refund. But I now need alternative accommodation! At very short notice.

I've checked Airbnb, VRBO, booking.com, owners direct ….. any other sites anyone else can think of to book holiday accommodation in Italy? Our flights are Jet2 so not refundable.

I don’t want tell my family about this mess until
i have a viable solution!

Thanks for reading this ramble… any suggestions would be so appreciated 🙏

OP posts:
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rookiemere · 26/06/2023 19:52

Or this is available for your full dates and very reasonable Volterra is a lovely little town https://www.jamesvillas.co.uk/destinations/italy/tuscany/volterra/aberesh-18187?adults=5&children=3&infants=0&childAges=5,5,5&nights=9&depDate=05/08/2023&airport=-1&searchloggid=284180095&numhols=414

AndCallMeNancy · 27/06/2023 00:24

The villa we had booked cost around £4K for 9 nights, comfortably fit us all in, great location and SHOULD have had a nice shiny new pool! However I think the budget is going to have to increase, which is annoying but we will have to suck it up. I don’t want to go over 6K but I do want a proper pool rather than a plunge pool, so my DD can practise her swimming.

I am so grateful for all the help! Some good finds here that I am following up.

OP posts:
PopcornPoppingInAPan · 27/06/2023 14:07

If you're still looking @AndCallMeNancy we stayed here last year and I'd really recommend it if they have enough rooms and you could live with it not being exclusive (might be nice for you to have your own spaces!)
Home - Residenza Piandaccoli

Home

Residenza Piandaccoli

https://residenzapiandaccoli.com/en/

AndCallMeNancy · 28/06/2023 15:33

Just coming back to update… pleased and relieved to say I have booked somewhere new today and been fully refunded by the original place I’d booked! @wellingtonsandwaffles I have gone with the place you posted in Lari! Next door to an award winning bakery -
sold!

It’s perfect because we wanted to be in a village, somewhere we could easily go to restaurants and grab groceries. We didn’t want to have to drive everytime we leave the house. But most large villas are in the sticks so many I ruled out on that basis. I’ve spent hours online this week and I’m so relieved it’s sorted!

Thank you to everyone who has posted, really appreciate all your input 😁🙏😁

OP posts:
wellingtonsandwaffles · 28/06/2023 19:46

AndCallMeNancy · 28/06/2023 15:33

Just coming back to update… pleased and relieved to say I have booked somewhere new today and been fully refunded by the original place I’d booked! @wellingtonsandwaffles I have gone with the place you posted in Lari! Next door to an award winning bakery -
sold!

It’s perfect because we wanted to be in a village, somewhere we could easily go to restaurants and grab groceries. We didn’t want to have to drive everytime we leave the house. But most large villas are in the sticks so many I ruled out on that basis. I’ve spent hours online this week and I’m so relieved it’s sorted!

Thank you to everyone who has posted, really appreciate all your input 😁🙏😁

Oh I’m so glad it worked out! That was a five minute google that paid off! Hope you find something fun for the last two days. Have a great holiday 😊

born2runaway · 28/06/2023 20:05

Fab thread! The power of Mumsnet

Polkadotpjs · 28/06/2023 20:27

Love this!!!

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