Safe booking of an apartment

[micky]

Hi,
Please could I check that it is normal procedure to pick up keys at a local hotel as I'm abit concerned that I will have payed my money up front and arrived in Majorca hoping that the accommodation exists.
Thank-you for any advice given.

[pollensa]

Dear Micky,

welcome to the forum. If you have booked the apartment via this site, please do send an email to info@puertopollensa.com Whilst we cannot guarantee any of the properties, we often do know the owners & can give you more info.

As for collecting keys at a hotel, I know of at least one of the property management companies who do arrange for keys to be collected at the Daina hotel & this procedure works very well.

[Joanne]

We had to pick up our keys one year from the Daina apartment was booked through an English company, the keys were waiting for us when we arrived at the Daina

[eleanor]

We have often arranged for our housekeeper to supply keys on arrival. It is surprising how many people 'forget' to post the keys back once they return from their holiday. This means there is obviously a limited supply to keep sending out. You may find it is the owners preference do have the keys collected and returned locally.

[Baron de Lay]

If you're renting from a private individual, it's always worth getting a telephone number and having a chat to the owner in advance. Also, if you arrange to pay by cheque, then you'll have a bona fide address that you know the owner can be contacted at. I have an apartment that I rent out and I always ensure that I do the same in case of any problems / damage to the place. Luckily enough I've never had a problem of that kind, but I always like to check that my tenants are who they say they are.

If you're booking with a company that you don't know, a quick trawl around of their name on the web will usually highlight a cowboy firm.

Met a young couple last summer, who had paid by bank transfer for the rental of a property that wasn't for rent. The address and 'phone number they'd been given were bogus, so you're wise to be cautious.

As has been mentioned previously, I have an arrangement for the keys to be collected / dropped off at the reception of the Daina Hotel. I find this is a particularly satisfactory arrangement, as the reception is open 24 hours a day - therefore if your plane should be delayed and you don't arrive until say 4am, then there's no problem picking up the keys.... Not always the case if you're relying on someone's housekeeper!



Wishing you a great holiday in PP

[joelise80]

I have collected and dropped keys off at Eolo and the Galleon, also at Hotel Mollins in CSV. It has always worked well as there is no post to worry about and when we had a problem in an apartment the owner, who was in Scotland, directed us back to the hotel reception who sorted us out so it was reassuring to have that back up.

[marilyn]

We too collected keys from the Galleon Hotel when we rented from Bellamar. No problems.

[CathB]

We also used to rent from Bellamar and also Sol..if we were arriving after office hours then we collected the key from Galleon and also Flora Park..so I think this is a common practice

[eleanor]

[QUOTE=Baron de Lay;53047]

As has been mentioned previously, I have an arrangement for the keys to be collected / dropped off at the reception of the Daina Hotel. I find this is a particularly satisfactory arrangement, as the reception is open 24 hours a day - therefore if your plane should be delayed and you don't arrive until say 4am, then there's no problem picking up the keys.... Not always the case if you're relying on someone's housekeeper!



Ouch Baron - that comment was a little biting! For the record, we do send out keys directly as often as we can but sometimes for various reasons it isn't always possible. As stated sometimes keys are not returned quickly enough or at all. With the best will in the World, it doesn't matter how many sets of keys are cut each year there never seems to be enough.

Also if it is a short notice booking it again isn't always possible to send keys in time. As for your comment re our housekeeper - We are blessed with someone who is extremely professional and goes way and beyond what would be considered a good service to us and our renters. We always speak with our renters prior to any arrival and we know the flight number and time of arrival. Should there be delays then on the few occasions that keys are to be collected locally, there is a plan of action. Our housekeeper has often gone out during the night to ensure renters are suited including times when renters have actually gone out and left keys inside the villa. A service which perhaps a reception desk at a hotel would not be pleased to offer!

[Baron de Lay]

Originally Posted by eleanor

[



Ouch Baron - that comment was a little biting! For the record, we do send out keys directly as often as we can but sometimes for various reasons it isn't always possible. As stated sometimes keys are not returned quickly enough or at all. With the best will in the World, it doesn't matter how many sets of keys are cut each year there never seems to be enough.

Also if it is a short notice booking it again isn't always possible to send keys in time. As for your comment re our housekeeper - We are blessed with someone who is extremely professional and goes way and beyond what would be considered a good service to us and our renters. We always speak with our renters prior to any arrival and we know the flight number and time of arrival. Should there be delays then on the few occasions that keys are to be collected locally, there is a plan of action. Our housekeeper has often gone out during the night to ensure renters are suited including times when renters have actually gone out and left keys inside the villa. A service which perhaps a reception desk at a hotel would not be pleased to offer!

My apologies Eleanor, my comment may have been a little flippant and certainly wasn't directed at your housekeeper personally, who I'm sure as you say, is very professional and prepared to go 'beyond the call of duty' as it were.

However, having spoken to countless apartment renters over the years, I'm aware that not everyone's 'key trustees' are quite so accommodating!

[eleanor]

No worries Baron. Me being sensitive - again!

Totally agree with you with regards to knowing about the renter and building a relationship prior to arrival. Trust does work both ways. If allowing someone into your property it is only fair to know something about them. I wonder how many times a family of four turns into a family of 14!! Luckily our housekeeper is very good and in a previous life was probably a detective! lol

[micky]

Thank-you for all your information and help. I feel a lot more reassured now and agree with Baron that having a name and address and talking to the person you are renting from makes a difference. Also having read Eleanor's posts, I appreciate the difficulties that owners must have renting out their properties. I now look forward to finding a suitable accommodation in Pollensa.

[pansy potter]

Hi !!

Has anyone renting their apartment out used safety key boxes that are fitted with combination locks, we are thinking of this as when we were in Florida this year it seemed quite common

thank you for any advice

Pansy

[JMD40]

There are a fair number of people using them for villas and to a lesser extent for apartments. The system works fairly well, providing the instructions as to how to open them are clear to clients and there is sufficient light to see what they are doing!! It does however advertise to outsiders that your property is being rented out and dependant where you are going to place the box you may need permission of the community. I hope that this helps.

[Spstoneys]

We have used key boxes on two occasions when staying at Catalina Apartment on the Pine Walk, with no problems at all. Good idea to have a torch or similar if arriving at night time, as other messages.