To Connerlevismom,
Boy oh boy, you sure got a lot of exposure on this thread regarding your supposed horrid time at Windsor Hills. I would have to say that you did better here than on Trip Advisor for sure!
You are what I would like to classify, as the guest from hell.... the ones who find fault in pretty much everything and then try to benefit back from it. I do not say this lightly... I have gone through your reviews on Trip Advisor, and also many of your posts on here, and I actually have to search to find a positive report from you. Troubling most though is how you draw others in; those who have not been there, witnessed and go by your word without doing a bit of background checking. Interesting that, as I stated on the Trip Advisor Board (my goodness, was there a review site you missed??) you have either profited by or been offered compensation for half the complaints you lodged, not a bad track record... what was it I called folks who do this on a regular basis? Holiday Hounds? No, that wasn't it, will have to go back and reread the post I guess. But have seen folks who do this, in action all over the world (look me up on Trip Advisor, been to a LOT of countries in my 38 years of traveling so I do not speak out of turn.... of folks who book a lower resort, for example, then go running to the rep. loudly complaining and the only way to shut them up is to upscale them to another resort, usually the one they wanted to book but didn't want to pay the price in the first place! I have even heard folks laugh and tel others about their scam!
But back to the problem at hand.
I stayed at Dsnys Retreat last year in December for a week. Place was spotless, inviting, great location, easy to find, amenities were amazing, beds comfortable, showers incredible, decorating was as if I was at a friend's home, not a rental home... pool was great, water clean... and I could go on and on.
I also stayed there this year, RIGHT AFTER YOU... and my question would be.... what on earth did you do to the microwave that the glass popped right out of the frame??? I had to call the management company and within 4 hours it was replaced with new. And I did NOT ask the owners for a discount due to not being able to heat up my coffee cup!
I was as thrilled this time around as last time... and yes, I saw a bug in the lanai... oh my god!! and this one was alive!! Fancy that! Also saw one (thankfully dead) in our bedroom one morning... we gave it a proper burial, down the toilet! What we love about this property is it is easy to find in Windsor Hills, great location with no snoopy neighbours looking in from the back yard, house is very roomy, has everything you would need.... I want to be a kid again to sleep in the bunk beds... and my friends drool when I post my photos on Facebook!
Your biggest complaint was no BBQ. Did you not notice immediately that it was missing? If so, did you make an inquiry to the owners? If the BBQ was so important to you, why didn't you just rent one from the management company as I know for a fact that they rent them for a very reasonable rate, full tank of propane and all! Might have cost you an additional $45 at most! Big deal when you are on a Disney Vacation.... $45 doesn't even buy you LUNCH on site for two people!!
Game units - if MY children were excited about these game units I would most definitely inquire as to what games are available, and if nothing was to my children's fancy I would have gone to my local rental store and rented ones they would like. With the ages of your children, Precious Ponies and Barbie games might not have been much interest. Would you have complained if those two games or similar were all that were available or would you have gone to a rental store and get some of more interest?
As for cleanliness.... I do find it hard to believe that the owners would have left "remnants" of themselves all over the carpeting knowing that guests were coming in right afterwards. My goodness how close DID you get to check out which supposed hair was which??
Bugs.... come to Eastern Ontario in June - August and if you do NOT see bugs... well, Florida is a tropical area, there are bugs... BIG BUGS... BIG FLYING BUGS.... and I know that these resort areas spray the areas to death, however some last longer than they were supposed to, and end up dying in many inconvenient places... up here it is usually in my coffee cup! So IF you did see bugs, just sweep them up, voila, end of drama!
Home owners who live far rely on their management company to care for the house. Only with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism can they improve their services, their homes, for their guests. No one place is perfect, even high end resorts have issues. It just depends on the guests ATTITUDES as to how they will choose to deal with it. Noisy air conditioners, cracked tiles, marks on the wall, lamps with light bulbs which do not work, outlets which do not work, coded door batteries die, and the list can go on forever. If I were to pick apart every place I have ever stayed in, well, I could always find something wrong.... but why bother. Because I focus on the good parts... and there is always good parts... and while I have reviewed many properties, I have never ever thought to demand compensation... I just "learn my lesson" and move on... well, except for a horrid hole in the wall in Paris we stayed in 2010~!! haha
Anyway, I think, before everyone gets on the band wagon, it might be wise to look into it yourself. I noticed that over 10,000 views are on this topic. All by the word of one guest. Scary to think that a business can be ruined by one disgruntled guest who makes claims that no one can back up (aside from the missing BBQ worth about $45 for a week). Even the alleged "bugs" were not in evidence when inspected.
So please, we all have the right to review be it a restaurant, hotel, resort, facility, whatever, but please keep in mind, those who read them that this might be ONE person's opinion and ONE person's perception.
Cheers
Kathy Gingras
Ontario, Canada
225 Cities and counting...