Sojo Stay Reviews 

Absolutely terrible, please avoid. They will cancel on you last mintue on the day of the booking and will refuse to refund you the money. Daylight robbery avoid at all cost and please read and consider all reviews before booking.

Zero stars if I could. Terrible company, wish I had seen the reviews beforehand. Stayed with them end of February and still haven't heard back about my deposit refund. The agents are incompetent over the phone when we were stuck outside in the rain and then some other guest let us in, didn't get anything solved until over an hour later when a employee helped us in. We had no code, didn't even know which room we were staying in. And you can't get into the building without a code!! We were late for an event. Asking for a full refund now and making sure their listing is removed from booking.com Also making sure no one books with them again. I bet you I'll have a quicker response on here than the email i sent. I would like my refund back now please.

Awful service, awful people. Spoke with the apartment guest manager who seems about as concerned about guest experience as one of the dead flies in the bed.

Could hear people laughing in the back ground.

She almost blamed me.

Embarrassing service from some people who should be ashamed of themselves. Does anyone know the owner? They need to be told!

Booked 2 apartment in Brighton months ago .. just received a msg via booking.com they've been cancelled due to a management problem ... won't recommend won't use ever ...b

Would give zero stars if I could. Took £200 off me then cancelled the booking leaving my 18 year old son stranded in another city hours from home. Stay away do not book, bad business practices, bad customer service, awful experience. They should be removed from all reputable booking websites the owners are clearly charlatans.

We stayed for a NYE get together (not a party) with 2 friends who live upcountry. The first evening, we had some hot water which was used for ONE short shower. The next day, we had absolutely no hot water. We instantly phoned customer service who said, as it's NYE, no one will be able to come out but they can contact the Apartments management team and get back to us: perfect.
No one ever contacted us regarding this issue and we were left without hot water all morning and early afternoon until the boiler heated back up...from the night before.

On top of that, the utensils and kitchen supplies were filthy and evidently hadn't been cleaned properly or checked. As well as this, there was a cracked glass ready for us to use in the cupboard, good job we saw before someone drank out of it.

The beds were uncomfortable and the patio door didn't lock 👍.

On the surface, this looked like a great, high-end apartment to stay in for a few nights in a great location, whereas in reality it was a cheap, shoddy, poorly put together apartment that was severely overpriced. I really wish I had seen this review page before booking.

I have tried to get compensation for my stay but only been offered 5% off my next stay with them...which is definitely not happening.

FYI this was in Torquay, Devon.

Stayed in an apartment with friends for new years, over £100 each for 3 people was steep for a two night stay, but we figured this was just down to it being new years weekend. We woke up to no hot water on day two, called to enquire and were told they don’t have the relevant information and would get back to us, only to hear nothing from them for the remainder of the stay. Went to cook breakfast and all the pans were dirty, oily and still had food burnt into the bottom. Both nights were filled with music and noise from the upstairs apartment, going on until the early hours. Company are refusing to offer anything other than a 5% off offer for our next stay, as if we’d stay with them again and so that’s £350 for no hot water, unusable pans and a rave above us.

Response to reply:
It would have been nice to have been told that hot water could potentially only be enough for 2 people when we booked for 3. This was not communicated before our stay. We were not informed on the boiler and when we called to report the issue, we received no information and no call back. If this information was readily available, why did no one at your offices know how to proceed? Not to mention that it took a full day to be able to shower again after one person showered the night before, not an hour and a half. It is not as if we could not use the apartment after arriving from Bristol, and offering a 5% discount on our next stay, which we clearly will not be doing, after such poor communication is a substandard offer. Bad customer service and a bad attitude from representatives.

Usually I'm not the type of person to make a negative review for place I've stayed at unless it is extremely bad + customer service was appalling (to a point where they ended/closed my complaints chat with them) + the property we stayed was in London and wasn’t cheap at all.

As soon as my family and I walked into the apartment we were met with sharp tools/building material scattered all over the lobby entrance floor (where we could barley open the front door). As we walked up the stairs of the town house there was transparent safety sheets all over the floor which looked like like we’ve come into an apartment which was currently being renovated and not ready for stay. We proceeded upstairs and along the way there were electrical switches which were exposed/not covered safely + half hanging wall art of nails + exposed screws on walls.

We thought this would be the enough damage + disaster walking into our apartment, but then we walked to the room on the highest floor and found the whole bathroom was covered with wires+sheets+brown boxes+bags of cement+paint+broken tiles seat + a terrible whif of wet paint. It almost seemed like the property owners new about this and tried to hide this all on the top floor of the apartment.

We were 5 people occupying the apartment with only 2 bathrooms available (1 was not fit for human use as explained) and the other was on the 2nd floor. Huge health and safety hazard + dangerous environment for anybody to be in, let alone line in for 2 nights.

We immediately complained to the property owners and they told us to send them pictures (which we have many of proof - once you seem them you’ll be shocked). After that we didn’t hear back from them to shift us to another apartment or provide us with any compensation. We moved in on 6thOct and 2 months later we have been chasing nearly every 2 days but no fair solution was provided, to which we heard the same line “we’re checking with the higher management team and will be back to you shortly”. The property owners did tell us they would give us some money off, but it didn’t come anywhere close to the health & safety hazardous apartment we were given. Mid Dec23 our complaints chat was closed; now it is Jan24 and we haven’t heard a single word back from the property owners.

I don’t think we can express the experience we had until you see it for yourself. We are so disappointed with the quality of apartment this company have provided to us and on-top of that the terrible customer service. We would like to immediately hear back from the property managers to find a solution to what we have experienced.

I must express my profound disappointment and frustration with the utterly appalling service provided by Sojo. My recent experience with them during the New Year's Eve period was nothing short of a nightmare.

To start, I was shockingly fleeced of a total of £380 before I even set foot in the accommodation. Despite paying an early check-in fee, the apartment I arrived at was in a deplorable state - it looked like a disaster zone. To add insult to injury, Class A drugs were scattered throughout the premises, rendering it not only uninhabitable but also illegal and dangerous.

Attempting to rectify the situation, it took an agonising 45 minutes to get through to someone on New Year's Eve, only to be met with utter incompetence. The representative claimed they were unable to assist me and nonchalantly informed me that I had to find alternative accommodation myself. This, despite their promise of a refund, which, when processed, was shockingly incomplete.

I am currently embroiled in a battle to retrieve the remainder of my money, and my requests for compensation have been blatantly ignored. To make matters worse, their communication lacks basic respect, as they can't even address me by my correct name.

My New Year's Eve, a time meant for joy and celebration, was utterly ruined by the gross negligence and incompetence of you. I implore anyone considering their services to steer clear to avoid the financial loss, emotional distress, and potential legal ramifications associated with this disgraceful company.

these incompetent landlords cancelled booking for 6 persons too, only last minute, never trust them

Be aware! Although I booked the apartment long before I got the last-minute cancelation by the supplier due to a "pricing error" with no further explanation nor alternative. This as a result cost me a lot of money as I had to book on the day of arrival in the city of London where apartments are highly expensive. I'm dissatisfied with the process as well as the fact that as a client I was left with no alternative which as a result cost me a lot of money. Don't recommend it.

Do not book with this company!
Just hours before our booking for 2 nights, they cancelled on us without any explanation other than they ‘can’t disclose.’ There was no offer to help us find somewhere else. We had to force them to work with booking.com to find us another place but they were still useless and we ended up doing the work ourselves. We seemed to be speaking to a call centre somewhere overseas and it was extremely frustrating.

Do not stay at this property unless you want to pay £100 more than advertised! We had our safety deposit kept by the company due to ‘damaged items’?! These items were, I quote; ‘stains on sheets, marks on headboard and residue liquid on sideboard’.
But, there were no ‘damaged’ items whatsoever, simply the normal washable marks you’d expect from a couple spending the weekend away! We actually cleaned the apartment well and as we were left no cleaning products at all, including washing up liquid, it was left remarkably clean. We were unaware that we were expected to wash the bedsheets after we had used them too!

We purchased a ‘deluxe’ apartment for 2 nights, seems all we had for the extra cost was a coffee machine with 2 pods that made espresso only! No cleaning packs or washing up liquid that you normally expect when paying for a deluxe apartment were available. Something you’d usually expect for £222. Well, £322 including this unnecessary charge!

To elaborate on what we was deemed ‘damaged’ and charged £100 for:

1 - I fell asleep with my makeup on, some rubbed off onto the sheet covers (which should be washed after use) and easily cleaned off in the washing machine.

2 - I had to pick up the headboard which was broken when we arrived. I had just got out of the shower and noticed the headboard slipping down. As I grabbed it to lift it up, some cream from my hands rubbed off onto it. This could have easily been wiped off with some washing up liquid (had this been provided; we would have happily wiped it ourselves). Also, had the already broken headboard not fallen right before we were getting into bed, I wouldn’t have had to lift it! The broken headboard was unsafe, and should have been fixed before allowing people to stay.

3 - Also, mentioned was some residual liquid’ left on the bedside, which was minimal. Again, had there been any products to clean at all, this would have been used. It would take a simple wipe of a cloth with soap!

We cleaned and vacuumed the entire apartment when we left. How we now wish we did not bother. I also would have purchased some cleaning products and dry cleaned the sheets for a few pounds. Even though it should be done after guests leave anyway!! This charge is completely unjustified and is clearly how they make extra money from guests and pay the cleaning staff, and keep the profit.

As well as having our £100 retained:

- WiFi was intermittent and more off than on. We could not watch one programme without it constantly buffering.

- There was no extractor fan in the bathroom which was strange as there was no window. It became stuffy and damp quite quickly.

- The broken headboard was a clear safety issue and are either not checked prior to the arrival of guests, or the owners are aware but guests are expected to accept the risk.

This has ruined what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend away without the children. I have never had my deposit withheld before as we are a very clean and sensible couple.

The reasons our money was withheld is completely unacceptable and unjustified. I will not be using this company again.

Unless you are willing to pay £100 more that is stated, steer well clear

Wonderful hotel rooms and good staff behaviour. Highly recommended.

Amazing experience. Neat and clean room. Thanks!

Dangerous and unhygienic. Awful property.
1. A few hours before we arrived, we were told there would be no TV as it was broken. We were offered no compensation. This was a big inconvenience given the ages of our children (2 & 5) and the lack of notice meaning we could not make alternate plans (ie bring an ipad etc).
2. When we arrived at after 7pm, we discovered human faeces in the bath tub!! The hosts were quick to respond and accept how disgusting, unhygienic and unacceptable this was. However they could not provide cleaners until 10am earliest the next day. This means we could not bathe our children and felt disgusted whilst using the toilet/bathroom. Given our arrival time, we had no alternative but to stay and await the cleaners the next day, but this really soured our stay and ruined what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. It also made us question how clean the rest of the apartment was. The cleaners eventually arrived at 10.15 the following day. This meant we couldn't all get showered and leave for the day until after 11.30, and had lost the morning already.
3. Our 5 year old daughter leant against the back of the dining chair, which instantly fell backwards by about 6 inches and she fell to the floor. Fortunately it was not our 2 year old, or an elderly person, as they would probably have suffered a nasty injury. When we pulled the dining table away from the wall to let her sit on one of the two other chairs, both backs flopped back instantly. It was obvious they had been leant against the wall to hide the fact the were broken. Likewise, the one my daughter fell off, had clearly just been propped back up. This was dangerous and deliberately concealed.
3 weeks on, and we have been in communication to try and resolve these issues. We have been offered a derisory 10% refund, would have been adequate only for the lack of tv.
DO NOT STAY HERE. Unhygienic, hazardous, & the hosts don't care about safety.

SOJO Stay have fully accepted my complaint and posted the following response on booking.com...

"Hello, Ruth!
We are deeply sorry for the extremely unpleasant experience you had during your stay, and we sincerely apologize for the multiple issues you encountered. Your feedback is crucial in helping us address these serious concerns and prevent such incidents from happening in the future. The lack of a working TV and the late notice of its condition is indeed an inconvenience, especially when traveling with children. We understand your frustration and acknowledge that we should have offered a more suitable solution. The presence of human waste in the bathtub is completely unacceptable, and we agree that it is not only unhygienic but also a severe health and safety concern. We apologize for the delay in addressing this issue and understand how it could have soured your entire stay. However, our staff is on an on-call basis and it was the earliest we could attend to. The condition of the dining chairs is a serious safety hazard, and we deeply regret that this happened to you. Rest assured we have reported this to the management. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are taking immediate steps to address these issues and prevent them from happening again. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we hope you will consider giving us another chance to provide you with a safe and comfortable stay in the future."

What they fail to address, is that they KNEW the furniture was broken (this is clear from reviews that had been posted before mine, that raised the same concerns) and they did absolutely nothing about it, apart from try and conceal the fact they were broken. Absolutely appalling and unethical company, and not at all in-line with their so called mission statement of offering high-end accommodation, and caring about their customers experiences!

I cannot stress enough how much you should avoid this company!
I booked through hotels.com and paid in full - Sojo then contacted me for payment details of the £50 cleaning fee which would need to be paid when I checked out. I gave them my details and then when I checked out they charged me the cleaning fee plus the cost of the two night stay, which I had already paid via hotels.com
I contact them and was told on several phone calls that it was being sent to the finance team to refund but they couldn’t tell me when that would be - 2 weeks and I am still waiting for a refund on something that I shouldn’t have been charged for in the first place.
I have also contacted hotels.com who are saying that they are unable to contact company - suggesting something is not right with the business.
Like I said at the start please avoid this company - they are clearly dodgy and are happy to take money out of your account that they are not entitled to and then not want to refund it.
PLEASE AVOID!!!!

Very nice customer support and management, rooms were also clean.

I will totally recommend this homestay as my experience was really good!