色 - おとぎ話の設定、温水プールと屋根付きプール、Apartment Yellow

Dear Habiba, apologies for the late reply, but covid took a real strain on us and it's only now we're picking up the pieces. It was also our pleasure to have you and your wonderful family as our guests, and we hope that you are all well and safe. Thank you.

These guests missed their evening flight and it was only after our driver had been dispatched that we got to know. We made arrangements to again send our driver the next day to meet them and also arranged to postpone their car hire so as not to be charged for the extra day, making an exception for the car delivery to Yellow even on a Sunday. I do not only provide a product but also a service and yet the review is solely based on the apartment without considering the other facilities at this complex or the services received. While the guest acknowledges the latter, I am confused as to why the review is then regaled with 1 star. Despite the many pluses, the guest preferred to concentrate on the one thing she decided to admonish. Admittedly, Yellow is not 5 star; I have never said it was, but many others before you have all enjoyed their stay with us. I do not expect everyone to like what I offer and assumed that the photos on the website, the description, and previous reviews would certainly best describe Yellow. The contentment of our guests has always been my prime goal, even if this may mean having to sometimes lose business (my integrity goes well beyond my financial expectations); on hearing that you were not happy, I unreservedly offered you assistance (wifi to look for another place, taxi to take you there, also helping yourselves to the complimentary food pack, etc.) + a full refund of your payment. I don’t expect guests to glorify the apartment, but then neither do I expect for someone who I treated with dignity to write the worst review I have ever received. Please allow me to put things into perspective; on arrival you immediately informed us that you now decided you did NOT want the car hire; you also said that you would now prefer to stay in Gozo instead of Malta, mainly because it was more rural. You also apologized, profusely, for the constant change of mind, and this saddens me, not only because you failed to appreciate the kindness offered you, but also because it seemed to me that you had made other plans during the complimentary ride over from the airport. To your queries, Yellow was not only cleaned but also white washed in the 3 vacant days before your arrival; sofas are only 2 years old so I totally disagree with poor quality description; cooker was replaced the next day as planned; pond is equipped with 2 pumps, filter and UV filtration so I really can't understand what odour you refer to. Please be guided by correctness!

We would first of all like to thank these guests for having stayed with us and also for their lovely review. It is always our prerogative to make sure that our guests not only feel at home but also feel that they are getting the best for their money's worth. It is often the case that on arrival we make sure to send a driver to collect our guests, thus giving these the peace of mind of reaching the apartment without getting lost along the way or to having to pay for these fringe services immediately upon arrival. A quick tour of the surrounding area, especially at the Colours apartments in Madliena, helps our guests better understand where the shops, bus stops, restaurants, etc. are located (it only takes us a few extra minutes, but goes miles in our initial relationship with our new guests). Admittedly, our apartments at Colours are not 5-star, and although these still offer all the amenities that one would expect while on holiday, it is what our gardens and pool area offer that really makes this place quite unique. We will certainly have to use your description of a fairytale setting because of all the different coloured lights, our own 'blue grotto', the setting, etc. something we never really thought of, but it is very true, and we thank you for this eye-opener. We believe in renovation and change, and despite the fact that the gardens are already something out of the ordinary, we are already working on further developments for next year (where we hope that our guests will also be able to use the pool year-round .... under a retractable cover). Rosie and our other guests at the time of your stay certainly made good use of the pool, and with the weather being kind to us, the dedicated pool solar heating system did the rest to make sure that this could still be used, even at this late stage of the year (we are still trying to come to terms with how some of our guests could swim at night in late October, although we must admit, the pool is always quite inviting when lit up at night). We often have return guests staying with us, and it would be our pleasure to have these same guests returning back to Malta again in the future. Once again, a big thank you and hugs from the three of us. Paul, Josanne & Nathaniel xxx

Hello Kerry, Thank you for staying with us and we are sorry that the weather was exceptionally wet during your stay with us (we remember you also wished to swim). These apartments are infact advertized as being 'out of the way' (an escape to a serene and peaceful hamlet) and that a car is recommended, thus our perhaps ridiculously cheap price during the winter months, especially for the Orange apartment (we are forbidden to quote prices but one can still look at the website to view our tariffs). Notwithstanding this, we still supply our guests with a full complimentary food pack, and at the end of the day, there is really not much profit left, but we do this out of love and the passion that comes along with welcoming new guests staying with us. We are sorry that we had not realized that the kettle was broken - unless we are told about certain things we may not be able to know. With living above the apartment, we were not far away and we would have been glad to oblige and immediately replace it with a working one. We do like to leave our guests enjoy their privacy and so we prefer not to intrude on their holiday unless of course we are requested to do so to assist them. On the day of your arrival, which had been understandably postponed a couple of times, we also had another arrival later that afternoon. As we realized that your flight had arrived late morning, we expected that at maximum you would be at the apartment around 13:00 hrs. We infact had made other plans for the afternoon (an arrival in another apartment) and so we were restricted for time. Unfortunately had we been advised earlier of your intention to go for lunch before visiting us, we would have tried to make alternative arrangements, and it was only after we called your mobile that we realized what your plans were. Thank you for loving Toby, he is a wonderful dog, but our cat must have become over-accustomed to being fostered because we found a whole school of them (presumably its friends) in the apartment, having gone through the garbage, and making a mess on the beds, for which we have also had to throw away the mattresses, and to strip down the place completely - apparently the door must have been left open when you left the apartment on your departure. Should you visit Malta again and wish to use us for your holiday, we can then recommend more central areas for our other apartments located in St. Julians, Sliema and St. Paul's Bay. Regards Josanne

It is always difficult to please everybody and even if we try our best it is not always possible. We have had many guests who enjoyed their stay with us and although the apartment is admittedly not 5 star, it does offer all the comfort that one would seek during a holiday. As our guests immediately expressed disregard on their arrival, we promptly offered to help them find alternative accommodation. It is our policy to ensure that our guests feel that their holiday money is well spent, something we expressed to them in consenting to their demands. We thus produced an extensive list of other apartments from which they could choose. Although we allowed them the space to decide for themselves in their own time, our guests did not inform us about any preference, and instead continued to stay with us. Our guests often enjoyed dinners in the gazebo or lounged on the swing and so we had no intention of disturbing their peace. They actually stated, at the end of their stay, that our property was very centrally located and this was one of the reasons why they continued to stay with us. Also the children seemed to love it here. During no time during their stay did we ask for the balance and this was only paid to us on the last night as we did not want to impose in any way. Unfortunately the weather was wet, cold and windy, further increasing the humidity factor; it is for this reason that we equip all apartments with heaters and dehumidifiers to help control the ambience and make our apartments more comfortable. Guests are always invited to freely use these when and if they feel they need them. During their stay we exchanged gifts (toys and pocket money for kids, cactus plant from our garden, and desert rose from the Sahara), supervised the grandchildren as they played with our pets and even sat and talked with them on several occasions. What is however hurtful are not the adverse (and in some cases exaggerated) aspects, but the fact that our offer for alternative accommodation was neither confirmed nor refused, only for our guests to then hit out at us in her review. We find it hard to comprehend why she continued to stay with us when initially she expressed her feelings differently. Although we too enjoy pleasantries and wish the world to our guests, we too have our standards. Please note this reply has been written in English as we are afraid that a Google translation to German could misinterpret some of our meanings.

Thank you Roger and Caroline for recognizing and mentioning our hospitality. As these preferred not to hire a car, I often took this retired couple to the shops, provided them with a tour of of our locality on their arrival to better acquaint them with Malta, also showing them our other apartment in St.George's Bay, and provided free transport to and from airport for arrival and departure dates. Although we often crossed paths (my house is exactly above Sky Blue) no complaints were ever mentioned to me. Infact, all our previous guests have spoken highly on our properties as indicated in their reviews (paradise in Malta - Sian, London; Sky Blue is a secluded piece of heaven - Wenzel, Scotland; absolutely beyond all expectations, all exactly as described - Rich, Kent; better than the photos - Jim, Birmingham; a little treasure - Spoony, Germany). If our hospitality was as described, then surely a little indication would have helped solve matters there and then. Sky Blue, and all our other apartments, are well described in our adverts and the pictures are explicit, showing a south facing front patio, and as such it (and the lounge/kitchen/dining) receive the early morning sun until late afternoon. It is then contradictory to say that the apartment was as described and very comfortable. Winter months can however bring dull days which unfortunately do not help to brighten up any apartment, irrelevant of its location. In winter, the bedding used are flannel sheets, and although not as stunning as silk, they served their purpose well. Our pets are also mentioned in our adverts. Our dogs are continually taken care of, pampered, and cleaned on a daily basis, by us or our staff. It is most unfair to hit on these in the way described because we would otherwise certainly be unpopular with neighbours and mostly our other guests. Our dogs are gentle, playful and disciplined - some of our guests describe these big softies as follows (safe for children - couple with one child, Belgium; we walked the dogs with them - Wenzel, Scotland; the dogs are also not allowed to roam so kids are extremely safe - Richard, Manchester; dogs are great and friendly - Rich, Kent; the dogs although big were very well behaved - Jan, Stoke-On-Trent; we could even take the dogs on a walk with them - Lily aged 8, Rochdale). We also fail to understand why the kitchen was not fully equipped for a month's stay (did they mean a dough making machine for their bread baking hobby?) Regards, Josanne