I booked a rental through this company on Airbnb (where they go by Ryan and Nicole so you don't realize it's a company and not an individual owner you are renting from) in April 2022 for November 2022. Hurricane Ian hit in September 2022 and all the first floor condo units in the complex where our rental was received 5-7 feet of storm surge followed by extensive mold damage, all the AC units in the complex were destroyed, and the pool and the beach access bridge were destroyed, etc. - not to mention that those who don't live on the island are still not allowed to enter the island by county emergency decree. A couple weeks after the hurricane, Ryan messaged us and said that while they would be rebuilding for a while, they would keep our money, no refunds would be given, and we could seek compensation from traveler's insurance if we had it.
We contacted Airbnb to request that they refund us if the host would not, and when Airbnb contacted Ryan, he said that he had made a mistake and the unit was actually good to go and would be ready for us (at this point the condos had barely even been accessed by building staff, and no mold/water damage mitigation had been done yet). Airbnb said they had to go by what he said until the day of check in came, and then if we couldn't actually access the property they would help us.
On the day of check in, we sent Airbnb information including an email and photos provided by the condo complex manager saying all units were uninhabitable, and links to the Lee county website saying that the island was only accessible to those with a Sanibel or Captiva driver's license. Airbnb contacted Ryan, who still lied and said that the unit was fine and usable! (We are told by the complex manager that the unit was actually pretty much down to bare studs). Thankfully, Airbnb provided us a refund due to the extenuating circumstance of us not being able to legally access the island due to the state of emergency declaration.
Every other company and individual owner I know of on Sanibel has provided refunds for those with bookings through March 2023, while Dream Vacation Rentals company has been keeping people's money while providing them with nothing in return. (Note to those in this situation: If you booked through Airbnb or VRBO, send their customer service this link: https://www.leegov.com/hurricane/storm and tell them to click on the Sanibel/Captiva Access Update part to prove that you are not able to access your reserved unit. If you booked directly through Dream Vacation Rentals, you could initiate a chargeback with your credit card company.)
The most shocking part of all of this is that if we were not a part of the island community through social media and friend and family connections, Dream Vacation Rentals would have allowed us and our 1 and 4 year old sons to travel cross country expecting to have place to stay that was, as Ryan said, "good to go", only to not even be allowed on the island and probably struggle to find any alternative accommodations as our reservation was for a holiday week. Their lack of regard for any of their customers, even small children, is appalling - as is their willingness to tell bold-faced lies in writing! read more