BUBUFLATS / Mercat — Hotel in Valencia

This is an amazing apartment. We were in Bubuflat 6, and it felt as if we were in someone's holiday home – there were so many thoughtful touches. We've only been in an apartment once before and based on that experience, brought with us a tea towel, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets and detergent for the washing machine. None of that was needed as it was all provided. hotels.com said the apartment was serviced during limited hours but, in fact, we were just given a number to phone if we needed anything. There were spare towels around should we have needed them and we found it liberating knowing that no-one else would be coming into the apartment. Before this experience I would have avoided a no-service apartment, but have changed my mind.||We were arriving late (after 9 pm) so, partly for convenience and partly to avoid a late check-in fee, we arranged to be picked up from the airport. That worked efficiently and pleasantly and we enjoyed the journey into Valencia in a very nice Land Rover. We have noted that if, in future, we are on an earlier flight, it would be helpful to print a map as the old city of Valencia has a lot of high buildings and Google maps tends to struggle to pinpoint where you are. (The location was fantastic – another review mentions that.) The owner who met us at the flat (so sorry, I have forgotten his name) was fantastic and even though we were late, took time to give us a map of the city and to show us where everything was, including bus numbers if we wanted to go to the beach etc. We felt very welcomed and very at home.||Looking at photos on the web, all the Bubuflats are different (and a couple may not be in the old city centre). There seemed to be four in our building, and another flat which looked as if it was lived in permanently. Our flat, no 6, was accessed from the second floor, via a very small lift, as was another one. Ours had two floors, with a fairly steep spiral staircase to access upstairs, and a small mezzanine floor in the middle which had a sofa and a TV. Downstairs was the kitchen with a table and a balcony and a toilet. Then the mezzanine floor and above it the bedroom, which had tall ceilings, a shower-room and another balcony. It was very comfortable, with a very firm memory foam mattress and good air conditioning. Our only tips would be that this flat wouldn't be suitable if you have mobility problems and also, if you like a dark bedroom, bring eye shades as there is a clear panel above the shutters and street lamps outside. (We slept OK but didn't really like the mattress. I'd asked for a blanket over it as otherwise I get too hot and there was only a thin mattress protector. A spare towel solved my problem.) We really liked our flat, though if you think you are going to want to sit and watch TV or just chill, our sofa is probably not as comfy as the easy chairs in the other apartments, as far as we could see from photos on the web.||We'd asked in advance if there was a kettle and a teapot and were told there was. However, there wasn't a teapot and I was sorry I hadn't brought mine though we made tea in the mugs provided perfectly adequately. Another review spells out what is in the well-equipped kitchen. The sockets i the whole flat were the old type European ones, with fatter prongs, so most of our adaptors didn't work. Fortunately I'd brought a couple of the old style ones and a UK adaptor (allowing several plugs to go in one socket) so we were OK. (I didn't try putting our adaptor into their adaptor plug.) We would have been a bit sunk otherwise. The nearest place for milk, if you need it quickly, is out of the front door, ahead into the square, and left, opposite the corner of the church.||We were extremely happy in this apartment, though next time I'd like to try one of the other ones, just to ring...

Our stay in Bubu 8, a duplex apartment, was excellent from start to finish. We arranged to be met at the airport and taken directly to the apartment (many thanks Reno!), where the owner was waiting for us. Check in was quick and efficient, and we were given lots of useful advice on the local area and wider city. ||||The apartment block is in a great location in the heart of Valencia old town, only 5-10 minute's walk from virtually everywhere we wanted to go, and our 3rd floor apartment was accessed via a small lift from the building's hallway (we did attempt the stairs on one occasion, but found the low ceilings to be - literally - a pain). The apartment entrance led into a superbly equipped kitchen-dining area, with all the basics available, plus a capsule coffee maker, kettle, toaster & microwave, as well as a dishwasher and washing machine. This led to the main living area, with a sofa-bed, lounger, TV and doors opening onto a small balcony. There was also a downstairs shower room and a magnificent spiral staircase leading to the upper floor. Upstairs has two bedrooms (1 x double, 1 x bunks), a second WC plus shower room, and the doors to a magnificent terrace with views over the old town. The terrace offered plenty of room for a large table and chairs plus a comfortable settee and was partially covered by a sail awning. Wifi performance was excellent throughout the property.||||On the down side, with larger numbers of guests, clothes storage is a bit limited (only the double bedroom had wardrobes) and, while offering plenty of living space for 2-4 guests, 6 adults sharing could find it a little cramped in the main living room. Also, while excellent, the shower rooms and WC are on the small side and again lack storage space.||||However, we found the apartment to be ideal for our needs and absolutely loved our stay. The terrace was a great place for sun downers and watching life in the nearby square, and the surprising comfortable bed ensured a great night's sleep. Overall, we would highly recommend the apartments for anyone...

Avoid this place at all costs! The apartment layout is absolutely terrible – it’s extremely small but stretched across three floors with steep spiral stairs, making it uncomfortable and impractical to move between rooms.

On top of that, the air conditioning was broken and leaking water from the ceiling during a heatwave of nearly 40°C. The host’s “solution” was to turn it off and on and just be patient – as if anyone can survive even 30 minutes in those conditions, let alone a full day! Clearly this was a serious problem that couldn’t be fixed quickly, but instead of helping, the host brushed it off.

When we asked for an alternative accommodation (none was offered) or a refund so we could book elsewhere, the manager was incredibly rude and flat-out denied any refund, claiming this was “normal” and could happen anywhere. Apparently, in their world, customers should just pay a high price to suffer through broken facilities and ruined vacations.

To make things worse, in a pathetic attempt to protect themselves, the host even lied to Booking.com claiming we never arrived at the property – even though we had already stayed one night before the disaster happened.

We ended up leaving anyway and had to go through a formal chargeback with the bank to get our money back – which of course we won, because the place was a complete disaster.

In short: ugly apartment, uncomfortable layout, broken AC, dishonest and rude management. They only care about taking your money, not about providing even the basics for a proper stay. Stay far, far away from this...