| Review | Rating | Posted By | Date |
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I stayed in Alozaina for a 3-month writing retreat (Feb - May 2018). I was looking for a quiet mountain village and Alozaina was a perfect fit. The town is quiet, except on festival days when it really rocks out. There are plenty of bars, grocery shops, and even a swimming pool/gym/community centre where I joined a fitness class. People are very friendly. I liked it so much I even ended up staying in the village a few months more.
Mary Rose's house was quite large for my needs. I was able to host a few visitors. It is situated on a quiet street with a great view of the mountains, and a steep (beautiful) climb into the centre of town that still managed to leave me breathless three months in. The balconies are wonderful for meals, tea, or a glass of wine. I found the house a little too dark to write in (my personal preference is for lots of natural light, which is not how traditional Spanish homes are built), so most days I worked at the municipal internet cafe nearby. It also got quite cold and damp during my rainy winter stay. The fireplace, space heater, and electric blanket were necessary and kept the main floor quite cozy. The house is equipped with all of the basic necessities. Mary Rose was very responsive and the neighbours across the road were also very helpful. I would highly recommend Alozaina and Mary Rose's house as a get-away rural retreat.
| Excellent |
vs
| 6/5/2018 4:23:00 AM |
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Top Notch in every way. Mary Rose met us when we arrived and quickly rearranged sleeping arrangements because we were a day early. The next day we did a tour of the village enjoyed tapas and met some very interesting people, expats mostly who have chosen to make Alozaina their home.
The house itself suited us very well. The master bedroom is on the main floor just off the living room. It has a very comfortable bed, is nice and roomy and also has a balcony which was where we had our morning coffee, and more often than not our afternoon tea. A small wood heater kept the room nice and warm.
The well stocked kitchen was at the other end of the room which is alsowhere the washing machine was.
The bathroom was on the second floor along with two more comfortable bedrooms. Our friends from Canada who came for a visit stayed in them and slept very well. There is also a balcony on the second floor where were able to hang our clothes to dry and often enjoy the sun.
The community itself was well stocked with stores and a number of cafes featuring tapas, beer and wine, and delicious meals. Not that it matters to most people, but for non drinkers like myself, all the bars and restaurants had a good selection of non alcoholic beer.
We rented a car for the whole time we were there and would strongly recommend this. We used One Travel, and were able to get an economy size with all taxes in for $15.00 CDN a day at the airport in Malaga. We also did a lot of hiking in the surrounding countryside.
| Excellent |
Dentist
| 9/19/2016 7:36:00 PM |
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Our stay at this property was delightful. The initial contact with the owners was flawless, our arrival and orientation went smoothly and the support during our stay was timely. The house is set in the old section of this stunningly beautiful "white village" perched on a hill overlooking the Andalusian countryside.
The house is a traditional structure with thick walls, small windows to block the sun, and a steep stairway to the second floor. The unit has been fully modernized with all the conveniences, including laundry and wi-fi, needed for a comfortable stay. The home is compact but has 3 bedrooms, a small living/dining area, and several balconies for outdoor living. These balconies are located at the back of the house affording gorgeous views of the mountains to the West - perfect for sipping wine and watching the sun set.
The village is small but has a number of cafes and small restaurants. We didn't need a car as there are a number of small shops - butchers, bakers, hardware, general merchandise etc. close by. Bus service to Malaga is frequent and reasonable so transportation is not an issue. There is a small but friendly expat population so that socialization, if desired, is not a problem. The only caveat is for people with mobility issues as the village streets can be steep and one needs sufficient stamina navigate the area.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Alozaina and would return to this property without hesitation.
| Excellent |
Brue Webb
| 6/15/2016 4:36:00 AM |
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I rented this house for a month May/June 2016. I questioned the
50 Euros per week demand for utilities in advance, as I travelled alone and expected to use a small amount of electricity/internet. Also, living in Sydney this amount would be considered HUGE compared to our charges and I passed this on to the owner. Yes, it was then lowered to 35 Euros but as I used one electric reading light, 6 washing machine loads and 3 brief stove uses...I questioned the 140 Euros I had paid in advance after I left and was blanked out. The owner simply stopped communicating with me. In Aust. the meter would be read before and after any tenant visit and I asked if this had been done? No reply. I see these charges are 'guestimated' and extra monies gathered top up rental charges. What can I do 12,000 miles away...sue her? No chance and of course and she knows that.
By the way, if you travel by foot to this house (and this info. was missed out from instructions sent to me prior to my visit)...it's a hell of a walk from the bus stop to the house dragging luggage along the uneven/cobbled streets, especially in the heat of Summer.
Oh and the amount of steps/inclines to be navigated are something to really think about if you have any kind of mobility issues - you need to be fit to go to and from the house. Also, the all-day building works going on immediately behind the house, looking into my bedroom was really annoying - jackhammering from 8 a.m. 10 or so hours a day for a couple of weeks really was annoying.
The village itself is quaint and the people lovely. I enjoyed those aspects of my stay but feel I was not treated fairly or respectfully regarding utility charges.
Response from lister: I am sorry that A. did not fully enjoy her experience in Alozaina. It is a beautiful white village set in the mountains of Andalucia. It's a walkers paradise. But A. is right, it's not a place for people who have difficulty with hills and I will put this into my description of the town on the website. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about small building projects going on in the village from time to time and I am sorry that A. was upset by the noise which was gone the following week. In relation to utility charges I will in future include these in the rental fee to avoid any misunderstanding. I thank A. for her very helpful feedback and I wish her all the very best back in Sydney.
| Average |
Anna
| 6/10/2016 12:53:00 PM |
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We loved our stay in this house. It is conveniently located to public transport and to Dun Laoghaire village, both within easy walking distance. The house itself is lovely and we were very comfortable there. The owners are very friendly and made the logistics of our stay (arrival, departure) very straighforward and were accomodating to our needs. We would highly recommend this property to others.
| Excellent |
James Curran
| 12/18/2013 1:52:00 PM |