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Review 3589: Owner, Apartment Lessi

www.lessi.com.hr

Not Recommended
Review by teaberry from PA who is a SlowTrav Contributor

2bed/1bath apartment in Zagreb, Croatia

When

June 2008, 1 night, thank God

Location

The apartment is in an excellent location, just around the corner from the heart of the city, the square known as Trg Josip Jelacica. It was really an ideal location.

Nearby Amenities

Literally just a block off the pedestrian walk known as Tkalciceva, known for its many restaurants, bars, and Old World charm. Also just around the corner is the Dolac fruit and vegetable market. Across the street from several cafes and a bakery.

The House/Apartment

You find Apartment Lessi off a tiny street and enter into a courtyard area. The apartment is on the second floor of a building built in 1855, sitting directly over a very active bar. The steps up were curved, steep, and not very wide.

Garden

No outside sitting area or pool.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

We thought we were getting a living area with a kitchenette and small eating table, in addition to a separate bedroom. Since the owner was out of town, his mother showed us our room. She spoke no English, and we were given just a bedroom. It looked pretty shabby – two cots, a chair, a little cabinet, a flat screen TV. The room was about dorm-room size, very narrow, with some rough re-plastering still showing on the walls. It might have been clean, but didn’t feel that way at all.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

The two beds were more like cots. Pillows and linens uncomfortable. No soap or towels were provided – we had to ask for towels, the consistency of sandpaper. Bathing area (no separate bathroom) had a sink with a very narrow side shelf and a shower stall that appeared fairly new but did not drain. After five minutes in the shower, it was overflowing. The toilet was located outside the room in a tiny closet with exposed pipes and holes in the wall and parts of exposed unfinished bare foundation. If you closed the door while sitting on the “throne,” the door hit your knees. I've been in nicer bathrooms at gas stations.

Kitchen

There was a hot plate sitting on top of a small cabinet, and a small dorm-sized refrigerator crammed into this small room, neither of which we used.

Problems or Bonuses

This whole apartment came as a total surprise. It was completely misrepresented on the website as being an apartment, and a lovely one at that; instead it was smaller than most college dorm rooms, and very dingy. It had an unfinished feel to it, and seemed more appropriate for a backpacker or hosteller. As it was located over a bar, the noise continued well into the night. The toilet was totally gross and disgusting.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

The owner was out of town when we arrived (he knew when we were arriving several months in advance), and as his mother spoke no English, we were left with no options to register our complaints. We just bit the bullet for the night.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

NO. Stay away from Apartment Lessi. We were looking for a vacation rental in Zagreb, but it is well-documented that there are very few in this city. This one came recommended from the website CroatiaTraveler. They said that you're lucky if you can get this apartment. This was not our experience.