Well maintained villa
Review Submitted: July 20, 2009
Date of Stay: July 2009
Just returned from a very pleasant 2 weeks at Casa Diana, we were very lucky with the weather - not a cloud in sight for the whole holiday.
The house is amply proportioned, if slightly strangely laid out (one bedroom is off the kitchen) and a great deal of space is given over to large en-suite bathrooms. One thing that is not clear from the description is that the air-conditioning is only available in one bedroom (the 'master' bedroom) and in the large lounge (with the bar). Having said that we did not use the air-conditioning while sleeping.
It was not clear from the owner whether we would have to pay a deposit on arrival and there was no rental agreement stating one way or the other (though the web site does indicate that one may be required). The lady who greeted us at the property expected a deposit, but then gave it back immediately when it became clear that the requirement for (and amount of) deposit had not been made clear beforehand. So full marks to her for dealing sensibly with a fairly minor issue and not letting it escalate unpleasantly.
The house was clean and comfortable, though some may find the beds rather too firm for comfort. The cleaning lady is delightful and appears at intervals to water the garden and clean the house, but is not in the least bit intrusive. On the middle Saturday of our stay she arrived to clean the house at about 10am, but left us in peace (to return later) when she discovered that the younger members of our party were still asleep.
The terrace outside the dining area/kitchen is very pleasant and the roof terrace is a bit of a hidden gem that gives lovely views down to the sea at Tavira and all around.
The pool is great (if sometimes a bit leafy!), but there is not a lot else to do at the property itself in terms of activities - no bikes or other active games to play. A good, if eclectic, selection of books though!
A minor criticism was the lack of basic foodstuffs - oil, sugar, salt, pepper etc. - when we arrived, so that catering is a little awkward at first. There was a 'welcome pack' of wine, water, butter and bread rolls though. With an Aldi supermarket just 5 minutes drive down the road it was easy enough to rectify. However, compared with other holiday properties, there were fewer basics here.
We experienced some problems with mosquitoes and ants (but hey - it's a holiday home in a hot climate!). All-in-all a very enjoyable stay.
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