We arrived at the property, only to find that the smell of cleaning products was so strong that we could smell it (and taste it) outside the unit. We entered the unit, opened the windows to try to let it air out, and waited outside for forty minutes. During this time, my wife developed a migraine from the fumes. Eventually, we decided that the smell was not going to subside adequately, and chose to leave. The owner, Jenny, insisted that is was "just a little bit of Fabuloso" and that we should continue waiting.
Upon our departure, Jenny, seeing how upset we all were to have travelled so far to find unsuitable accommodation, offered us a full refund. We booked separate accommodation and departed, after having spent 45 minutes on site.
Upon contacting Hotels.com / VRBO to finalize the refund, we were told that Jenny now claims that she thought we were going out to dinner and had no idea that we'd left. I have detailed text messages with Jenny (shared with VRBO) that clearly show that she knew we were unhappy with the smell. These text messages made it clear to the VRBO representative that Jenny was lying, but because she carefully avoided mentioned the refund in writing, they refused to take action.
The location of the apartment is lovely, and the inside is dated, but acceptable. However, the owner is a liar who cannot be trusted. Avoid at all costs.
