Holiday-Velvet 

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

decent. bad service mostly. support sounds like incompetent but they got the job done

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The management of this origanization was spotty, cagey, unclear and difficult. The person who was supposed to let us into our apartment was not available when she was supposed to meet with us, kept t... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Booked a luxury apt in Chelsea, London for July 2014. Bought the insurance etc and paid 50% 800GBP as a down payment. Had a medical problem (hip replacement) in Dec 2014 and was promised the money... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have planned two holidays, with James from Holiday Velvet. I value his opinion, which is based on real experience. He is extraordinarily patient. The process is seamless--providing you with all the... See more

Company details

  1. Vacation Rental

Information provided by various external sources

Vacation rentals, holiday apartments accommodation and villas in Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Venice and worldwide. Book online or speak to us for luxury, short-term, beach rentals and city breaks.


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(120)

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Quality apartment with great Wi-fi

We had a fabulous time in Vancouver due to the location of our accommodation.
It was clean, comfortable and had all we needed to allow us to dine in or just visit one
of the many excellent eateries nearby. With only a short walk to the Sky Train
station we had a great time visiting all of the major sights. As a foodie just loved the Granville markets.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Not what we expected

We have mixed views on our stay in the New York apartment, The location was perfect, the apartment was described to have 2 bedrooms, which turned out to be 1 bedroom with a very thin divider which went across the main window so the bedrooms were not totally private or sound proof. The lounge area was small and cramped, not very comfortable and not suitable to sleep 3. The bathroom facilities were dated and the shower was antiquated also did not perform well. On arrival we met our housekeeper who upon leaving us found that we were all locked in as the main door locking mechanism had fallen apart, we had to seek assistance from another resident and the pub next door after being locked in for 2 hours and no one coming to assist, when we got out the housekeeper contacted the owner to get the door fixed and I emailed our representative to lodge our problem, it took 2 days to get the main door fixed, meanwhile we had poor security and the threat of being locked in again, what would have happened if there had been a fire? no other escape! The general cleanliness of the entrance hall was bad with rubbish bags left full of rubbish and electrical cables hanging out of the wall.
This was a special holiday for us so we made the best of it, but will most definitely not be going back.
p.s I still have some photo's of the problems if you are interested.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
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Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Dave

I'm very sorry for your experience and we have already stopped working with this management company. The experience you had was unacceptable and I can fully understand your disappointment.

I would be happy to offer you a very good discount if you ever try and booking with us again and I'll make sure you receive VIP treatment in the process. Just contact me directly at james@holiday-velvet.com anytime.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Apartment near Spanish steps in Rome

Our apartment in Rome was in a terrific location but the apartment was in poor condition and not what we had pictured for our vacation. The apartment was very dirty and the bathroom had lots of mold. The kitchen did not have the appliances that were promised. We would have to have climbed out the window to use the rooftop patio that was featured in their advertisement. We would stay in the same area but definitely in a different apartment.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unprofessional

They will give you whatever they can regardless of your booking, if you are lucky other ways you will sleep at the street when you arrive.

Avoid this company, it´s simply a light scam.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
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Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Cesar

I'm very sorry for what happened. As I explained at the time, we were told last minute by the owner that there was a problem and I understand your disappointment. We try and offer the best we can or a full refund but we will never leave you with no choice.

Please contact me directly at james@holiday-velvet.com if you'd like to discuss this further.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bad Stay in "Paradise"

Sorry to say our experience in Sorrento was less than stellar. The apartment was not clean, didn't have the basics like kitchen towels and the upstairs neighbors were fighting most of the time we were there. The booking process was confusing, involving three different agencies, who all had different reference numbers, so I had to back track my email to find out with whom I was corresponding. I would not recommend Holiday-Velvet to anyone.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
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Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Joe

Thanks for the feedback. I agree when you made the booking, there was some confusion regarding the booking process and I apologise for the confusion. For this particular property there was 3 companies involved and we have been working hard to make this seamless. We now hope that the process is much clearer.

Regarding the apartment itself. I've checked with our customer service team and we didn't receive any communication from you whilst you were there. We provide you with a contactable number of both the owner and our hotline for these types of problems. Had we known, we would have asked the property manager to clean the apartment and provide the items you needed.

If you decide to book with us again, I would be happy to help you personally and provide a nice discount for the experience. My email is james@holiday-velvet.com

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

More like Holiday Velcro -- not smooth

I feel like Holiday Velvet almost ruined our entire vacation. They DO NOT MANAGE the property you rent. This was a problem when our flight was delayed by a day. I had to alert the property manager about the delay and contacted Holiday Velvet -- who I believed to be the intermediary. They were completely unresponsive. When I contacted the property manager directly they had no knowledge of any Holiday Velvet personnel, which came as a bit of a surprise.

It seems Holiday Velvet just scours the Internet for available vacation properties and lists them all on their website. They have no real connections to the properties (at least in my case) so if anything goes wrong they are worse than no help at all. They just add a layer of confusion -- pretending to be a go-between when they're just making money by charging you extra for an apartment that you could have booked yourself online. I later found our apartment for a lower rate at the direct website. It was not easy to search for the apartment because it was a small, local European firm. This is where Holiday Velvet comes in. They seek out these websites and act as a front.

I thought they had gone out of business, but SURPRISE! They sent me an email asking for a review. Be careful what you wish for...

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Holiday-Velvet logo

Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Anne

Thank you for your feedback and it comes as a surprise to read it. We don't ever confess that we manage any property and once you booked, we gave you the full contact details of the person responsible for the apartment in Amsterdam so it was very transparent.

Unless the person you spoke to was new at the local office, I can't understand why they would say that they have no knowledge of us. We have been working with A-partments for 7 years and Guido who is one of their partners is a personal friend. Their properties are of the highest quality and we don't have unhappy customers staying with them.

I'd also like to add that we do not scour the internet looking for properties to list. We build up long lasting relationships with all of our owners and we do not list everyone. We also try to visit as many of the properties as we can and ask each new owner go through through a vacation rental test to ensure they understand the market and what customers require from staying in an apartment.

Lastly, you would not find this apartment cheaper anywhere else and if you can, send me the link at james@holiday-velvet.com and I'd be happy to refund you the difference. We get the rate directly from a-partments and we do not put layers of commission on top of any of our properties.

Feel free to send me any comments and I'm sorry that your experience of Holiday Velvet was just a negative one.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Home in Rome, amazing! AMAZING!

Summer trip to London for 4 days and then Rome for 6 days. We stayed just outside the Aurelian wall near the Piazza del Populo. Perfect location!! First, the apartment was spacious with three bedrooms, perfect for our family of 5. Got it for the same price as we have spent in the past for a single hotel room! But-- we had a washer, a full kitchen, a living space to hang out at night. It really improved our experience. Our landlady met us at the apartment. First we met her elderly mother, who spoke only Italian. Awesome experience for the kids! And then we met her daughter, the landlady, who spoke good enough English, and oriented us to food, shopping, trolley, and Metro, as well as home internet. She was great! We walked to the Pza del Populo, or could take the Metro anywhere. It was nice to leave the touristy center of Rome to go home in an area where more typical Romans lived,( Ok, at least less touristy). You got to try out your Italian, get cheaper snacks and meals, go to the Bakery in the morning to buy bread and cheese for breakfast at home. Shopping at the supermarket, and then making a dinner at home with the family was more difficult than you would think, and we all had to work together to make it happen. Those were some of my favorite parts of the trip!

Of course we spent most of our time seeing the sights in Rome, which was fantastic, and a daytrip to Venice by air.(Cheap flight!) This was my third trip to Italy, and the first with the kids, 15, 17, 20. By far it was the best because of the great accommodations and location. Renting an apartment is cheaper and far, far better than any other hotel I ever stayed in. Holiday Velvet was easy to use, and they are a big enough company that I knew I wouldn't be taken advantage of. I'm using them next time we travel overseas, absolutely!

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

When in Rome do as the Romans..

We rented a great apartment in Rome from Holiday Velvet. The apt. was spacious, a large 3 bdrm. 2 bathroom, centrally located and close to transportation and restaurants. We felt at home in this comfortable apt. The company was easy to deal with and very accommodating. I have recommended this apt. to friends and would rent it again next time we are in Rome. It definitely made our stay in Rome more comfortable.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Careful with these people, catchy and not worth it!

Very bad company. Moved us to another apartment in the last minute withouth giving us any choice or option. Quality of the apartment was not even close to what we had reserved online. On the booking said no deposit required. When we went there the guy askwd for a deposit in cash or credit card mumber. Thried to contact the company but no help from them....just among the many things that happened. Will not continue because it will take me an hour to list everything...Never rented with them again! Not worth it! If you decide to do so, watch out anx be prepared for surprises.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Holiday-Velvet logo

Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Desi

I'm very sorry for the last minute move. The owner contacted us saying there was a problem with the apartment you booked and you received the only option that was available. I appreciate that it can come as a shock but we do offer either an alternative or a full refund.

I'd be happy to hear your comments and you can send them to me directly at james@holiday-velvet.com. We are always trying to improve our service to our customers.

Thanks
James

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The Marguta Apartment stay was horrible!

Beware if you rent this apartment with five or more people! 1) make sure you have ONLY EUROS TO PAY FOR YOUR STAY. THEY DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS. This may be a problem for a you because U.S. banks usually don't give out more than 600 dollars a day overseas.
2: this apartment had only 2 beds and two uncomfortable side couches and your site told us that it would accommodate Six folks. Then when we arrived, he told us that we needed to rent an additional room.
3. No Internet the whole stay. He gave us a wireless password that didn't work. Because we this was a business trip, we relied on this apartment to have Internet. He Constantly said it was fixed then he disappeared !' After the second day he acted like we were interlopers and showed visible annoyance at out requests for more toilet paper, clean towels and soap.
As we left, he berated us calling us "filthy Americans" This was the worst stay on our 18 day trip filming throughout Europe!

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Holiday-Velvet logo

Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear John

I'm sorry your experience was so bad. However, we do state on the booking voucher that only cash is accepted on arrival and they don't take credit card.

We also list the apartment as being 50 sqm, it comes with one queen size bed, 1 sofa bed and two single couches.

I agree with you, you should have had internet and I'm not sure why it didn't work. I have already sent an email to the owner's asking what happened with this.

We've been working with Viviana and Miguel for 7 years and they are nothing but very nice and kind people so your comments do surprise me. I will speak to them myself and find out what happened and send you an email directly.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful condo, very helpful staff

Our family stayed in the apartment in Oct 2013. The unit is beautiful and well maintained and equipped. The location can't be beat as it is an easy walk to all the entertainment and dining at the V and A. The complex is very secure and there were no safety concerns. The only complaint we had was that the tile floors were fairly dirty-had only been lightly surface cleaned and the corners were completely missed. We did bring it to the attention of the management and were thanked and told that would definitely be corrected. I specifically told him he did not need to call a cleaner back in on a weekend, so I can only assume it was better for the next guests
Be aware that, although the apt does have a washer/dryer it is VERY small.
I would highly recommend this unit and the complex in general

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Appali g misrepresentation of an expensive apartment in Venice.

Three of us booked one of the most expensive apartments in venice because it looked beautiful and was very near the vaporetto stop. I am slightly disabled and find steep stairs difficult. For various reasons access to internet was essential and this apartment was said to have it. On our arrival we found the apartment on top of two extremely steep flights of stairs, two bedrooms but connected with a sliding door so you could only reach the second bedroon by passing through the first. Two tiny bathrooms next to each other, at the other end of the apartment. The furniture (which loked glorious and antique on the web) was tatty, untidy and covered wth throws of dubious cleanliness. Cutlery and crockery were old and mismatched, tables battered and arm chairs sagging. No internet, just a very old Tv set. We complained bitterly and were finally moved to another apartment- clean, beautifully furnished, overlooking a canal, only to discover that the rent was less than asked for the original appartment. I would never book anything with Holiday Velvet again, as I could not trust them.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
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Reply from Holiday-Velvet

Dear Milica

I'm very sorry about your experience and it was totally our responsibility to ensure you got what you booked. However I remember dealing with this myself and I realise you were taken to another apartment but I hope the situation was solved quickly.

Also, regarding the price, we put you into a 3 bedroom apartment which was a major upgrade and we paid extra for this so I'm not sure how this apartment was cheaper. Please send me details on this at james@holiday-velvet.com and I'll look into it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Holiday Velvet- smooth, silky and smart

We were met on time by the Rep who was considerate and helpful. The apartment was exactly right and we felt at home as soon as we entered. Both the booking in and out went smoothly. We have nothing but praise for the service of Holiday Velvet

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommended. Great experience, from beginning to end, quality rental. Will be the first place I look in future, thank you,

From booking the apartment, forgetting password several times and calling the UK office for help! To collecting keys and staying at the rental, was an easy smooth experience. The apartment was perfect for us, clean spacious and close to travel networks. There was a pub on the corner, which we all enjoyed, several times, not just because if the free internet connection, but because the staff were welcoming a fun.

If we had an issue, it was resolved very quickly, if we needed information, we were given it, And we were refunded our deposit, in the time specified.

We will be booking through Holiday Velvet again, as they were very professional and met our needs with no major issues.

Thank you for a very positive experience.

December 17, 2013
Unprompted review

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