Operational failures followed by a complete lack of accountability
We chose Genteel Home because of its reputation & expected a professionally managed apartment. Unfortunately, our experience revealed repeated operational failures followed by what I consider to be a disappointing lack of accountability. Problems began at check-in. We received almost no information about the apartment, were not given the electronic device required to access Florence's communal rubbish bins, and were not told how the system worked. On our first evening there was no hot water. Resolving this took an entire day, involved contacting three different people & being asked to reboot a boiler in direct sunlight at over 40°C. A technician finally resolved the issue that evening. We also reported a broken ironing board, which was never replaced.
The missing waste-disposal device caused further difficulty. Once Genteel realised it had not been provided, no attempt was made to deliver one over the weekend. We therefore had no way to dispose of household rubbish in extreme heat and had to store waste in the freezer to maintain basic hygiene. The device was delivered only on Monday afternoon, four days after our arrival, after I contacted the company again.
The apartment was also below the advertised standard. We found a stained mattress with hair and dead insects beneath the bedding, blood stains on the headboard and curtains, breadcrumbs throughout the oven, ants and other insects in the kitchen, and a bathroom bin left full by previous guests. The shower door was damaged and there were no shower shelves, despite previous guests mentioning this in reviews.Despite this, we remained constructive. Rather than lose another day waiting for cleaners, we cleaned much of the apartment ourselves, washed the bedding and vacuumed the mattress. While delivering the waste-disposal device, a Genteel representative invited honest feedback "so improvements could be made for future guests." I sent a detailed summary with photographs, without asking for compensation. The reply, however, focused on explanations rather than responsibility. We were told the mattress had been cleaned in February, although the relevant issue was its condition when presented to guests in June. We were told Amalia "doesn't normally do check-ins", although staffing arrangements are not the guest's responsibility. We were also told the waste-disposal device could not be delivered until Monday because it was the weekend, even though the omission was Genteel's own. Hospitality is a seven-day business.
The representative then told me he had forwarded my photographs and complaints to the cleaning team. Shortly afterwards, the entrance door was struck with such force that it shook violently and part of it moved inwards. We heard someone running down the stairs. I make no allegation that this was connected to my complaint because I cannot prove it. However, the timing was extremely disturbing. We reported the incident immediately. Nobody attended, inspected the damage, checked on our welfare, offered relocation or provided reassurance. We no longer felt safe & left with three nights remaining, paying for alternative accommodation ourselves and losing groceries bought to prepare gluten-free meals for my daughter, who has coeliac disease. The greatest disappointment came afterwards. Genteel later claimed we left because of cleanliness issues and said they wished we had reported them during our stay. That is incorrect. We had already spent days reporting problems, had provided photographs and had cleaned much of the apartment ourselves. We left because of the security incident and what we considered an inadequate duty of care afterwards. Genteel offered a refund for only two of the three unused nights and asked us to confirm acceptance. We agreed because we were still travelling, no longer felt safe and were dealing with the immediate cost of relocating our family. Accepting that offer did not mean we considered the matter resolved or the compensation adequate. At the time of writing, the refund has still not been received. We also wrote to Genteel's General Manager and Operations Director requesting an executive review. Despite the detailed evidence supplied, we have received no acknowledgement or response.
Maintenance issues can occur in any property. What defines a company is how it responds. In our experience, Genteel Home failed at every important stage, causing avoidable stress, financial loss, emotional distress and a complete loss of confidence in its duty of care towards paying guests.
UPDATE: I subsequently discovered that the 2-nights refund was credited to a different card saved on my booking.com. I, therefore, believed it is still outstanding & am correcting this for accuracy.
22 de junho de 2026
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