I stayed at one of the Portofino IV propertie summer of 2022.
Before staying at the rental, I prepared myself by reading the reviews. The other reviews I read seemed picky, however they are accurate!
I called the realty company in advance to address any problems in advance but they rehearse responses: "If you have any problems during your stay, call us and we will dispatch someone to address it."
The property advertises a washer and dryer. I asked if the washer was high-efficiency in order to bring the right kind of detergent. Sea Star Realty said they didn't know. However, when we arrived they gave us a welcome package with laundry detergent. So...they didn't know what kind of washing machine they had, but they provided detergent? I would think that someone could think through this and determine what kind of washer was on premises. I was trying to plan my vacation in advance, but no one could answer BASIC questions.
Before I left for vacation, I asked what kind of coffee maker they had. They stated it was a traditional 8-10 cup brewing machine. So we packed OUR Keurig Coffee maker in order to use it instead. However, when we arrived, there were 4 coffee makers: two traditional brewers, and two small Keurig's. Our coffee maker was the 5th. The realty company is not aware of what is on the property. We used our Keurig coffee maker, because ours was CLEAN compared to what they have.
When we arrived, we lacked linens, wash cloths, and towels. We called. It was after 9 PM before we received them. The last thing you want after traveling all day. This is after a long day of traveling. However, by the end of the week we realized there were TOO many problems for this to have been a simple clerical error. There are fundamental problems with Sea Star Realty.
The rental agency does NOT work on Sundays. Unless it's an emergency, you have to leave a voicemail. They also do not work holidays! So, keep this in mind if you're book over Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day. At least hotels are staffed 24 x 7 x 365. This "professional" place is not.
The Portofino IV property is not clean. The cleaning service wiped the counters, vacuumed, but missed several areas and they don't dust. The window seals, blinds and hard to reach areas are FILTHY; they haven't been cleaned in YEARS. Places like closets, laundry area, underneath the tables and bed are dirty. They have dust, cobwebs, sand from the beach. Even one of my TEENAGE boys commented on how sandy and dirty it was. Again, my teenage son (whose room at home is a disaster) thought this place was dirty.
The carpets are dated, and could be a problem for someone with ALLERGIES. They were also dirty when we arrived. Fortunately there was a vacuum cleaner and we vacuumed the rugs ourselves. Yes, we cleaned the house before we settled in.
There are two Lazy Susan cabinets in the kitchen. They are broken and don't rotate well.
We cook a lot. Be aware that some of the cookware is fine, but others like the sheet pan are dirty, RUSTED and bent. If you're eating out you'll be fine, but it will be challenging to prepare meals here. Also the kitchen is a galley kitchen and is small. The refrigerator is small relative to the size of the house. For a house that can hold 15+ people it doesn't meet the needs of a group this size. Our refrigerator was crammed full all week, and we shopped 5 out of 7 days to keep it stocked. In addition, we had to rely on multiple coolers to refrigerate our food.
There is a loose plank by the front door. It is a tripping hazard. We have two in our party that are over 80 years old. This is bad.
Wicker furniture is broken, so we loved out of our suitcases. 4 people. 4 suitcases. 1 room. Very cramped.
Problems from previous reviewers are still a problem. The master sink is STILL stopped up months later
I called the realty company 6+ times while we were there. They said they would address them. However they called saying there was an emergency and couldn't make it, but we were next. A week later no one ever arrived to solve the problems.
The day we were leaving a Sea Star car blocked us in the property preventing us from leaving and the car owner disappeared into another property. Sea Star Realty refused to give us a late checkout even though we couldn't leave and their employee/contractor was the root of the problem. They threatened us with a late fee even though they were the problem.
How can so many things can be wrong in such a short period of time?
My family uses Airbnb and VRBO frequently on vacations. I know what a professional agency is and what is not. Sea Star Realty falls into the latter category. You are just a number to Sea Star Realty. You are just another renter in the turnstyle of vacation property rentals. Sadly, they are the most unprofessional, least communicative, and worst run agency I have ever experienced in all my years of renting. read more