My partner & I stayed at this accommodation, between 4th & 11th July 2008.
We were looking for a private cottage/villa for 2 people in a quiet, scenic location.
We chose this accommodation offered by holidaylets.com, & theforcetravelclub.co.uk (neither of which contains a customer review section), as it appeared to offer quote: ‘exceptionally quiet rural surroundings’ and ‘perfect peace and a magical setting’ with ‘private’ terrace.
We emailed the owner to confirm how separate the property was from the owner’s house & were informed it was ‘well away from the house’.
When we arrived we were surprised to find that the find that the Studio was much closer to the owners house, and less private than we had envisaged. It was overlooked by the owner’s house. Also the beautiful gardens were tended by the owner herself which meant she was often around tending to them. This gave the Studio more of a ‘guest house’ rather than a ‘privately rented’ feel.
Furthermore, on 2 of our 7 day stay we were awoken at 7am by the sound of chainsaws cutting down trees, and the smell of burning foliage (arranged by the owner). This went on all morning which meant we were unable to use the patio because of the noise (when we complained the owner was not particularly sympathetic).
Also most evenings the garden sprinklers came on and sprayed onto the patio preventing us from sitting out and having our meal or a drink whilst enjoying the scenery (unless of course we wanted to shower at the same time).
The studio itself was tastefully decorated, comfortable, and adequately albeit basically equipped. It was generally clean except for a rusty drainer & ‘used’ washing up sponge & cloth.
There is no air con or fan. The only ventilation on offer is opening the windows, which means at night lots of mosquitoes!
Although there were plenty of books, and a long list of dos & don’ts, most of which relate to the owners dog (a lovely Labrador), there is no leaflet on local information such as nearest G.P, shop opening times etc. This would have been useful. To obtain this kind of info you have to go & personally ask the owner.
Valldemossa is a picturesque village, bustling with eateries, bars, & boutiques. There is however only one supermarket with inflated prices, so best to shop at the hypermarket in Palma before you arrive. A car is essential (with air con in the summer) as the 2km walk into the village is via narrow busy road.
To sum up, we feel that overall this accommodation would best suit early rising people who like the feel of someone being around. It is not really suited to those who prefer total peace and quiet, a private/romantic type holiday, and definitely not for honeymooners.
We feel we should mention that the owner’s house (Valldemossa Country House) is also rented out, often at the same time as the studio. Due to the layout of the property, there could well be times when other guests encroach on the studios privacy, & vice versa.
