M

Mar 8, 2023

Worst of the worst

Let me just start by saying that I’ve never written a review for a trip in my life. But I feel so mistreated, misled, and generally aggrieved about our experience with Rental Escapes that I feel a duty to protect others who might potentially be swindled by this joke of a company. Here’s a rundown of my experience with them... Just three weeks before our trip in Punta Cana, I received an email from Rental Escapes informing us that the house we had booked six months prior had been damaged in a hurricane, and that staying there would no longer be possible for us. After further pressing for details, they revealed that the damage had been done several months earlier. When we expressed extreme frustration with these circumstances (especially since we'd already paid a down payment for half our stay), the company said they would find us a new place to stay. Rental Escapes then relayed “through their connections” they were able to locate one house that had just had a cancellation. This house was reportedly “fantastic” and only about 25 minutes away from our original booking. We were assured that this new house was one they knew well and "by far the best option available in DR."The Rental Escapes team assured us (in writing and over the phone) we'd have exclusive access to the beach and facilities of the fanciest hotel on the island — Eden Roc. With no other options and our trip quickly approaching, we decided to go ahead with renting the new house. Upon landing in Punta Cana, we were driven to the rental gate, where we were then told we needed a QR code to enter. We were never informed or given this, and had to sit in the car with our children for 30 minutes we tried calling every contact we had at the company, none of whom were reachable. Upon entering the house, we were informed that the house staff had never been made aware of our arrival plans and that the house was still being made up, that the host wasn’t on premises, and that no food was available for lunch, even though we'd communicated our check-in plans countless times. We were later informed by the staff at the house that they had been trying to get in touch with us since the day of the booking, but Rental Escapes never told us this. Nor did they give our contact information to the house. The house staff also shared they'd never previously worked with Rental Escapes, despite the company saying this was a house they had a "strong relationship" with. The next day, our group headed for the Eden Roc beach club, with its accessibility being the main selling point for why we accepted this backup option. As we arrived, we were told by a manager we could not access the area under any circumstances. After relaying this to Rental Escapes, they came back to us only to say there was nothing they could do and that we should head to the public beach, 25 minutes away. Throughout the week, we continued to experience a multitude of issues with the house itself, as it was in no way, shape, or form as advertised. There were even rooms pictured in the materials that Rental Escapes sent us for the house that did not seem to exist. After taking some time to reflect on what was an incredibly stressful and disappointing trip, I can say with confidence that I have never dealt with such dishonest, incompetent, and flat-out rude people in my entire life. There is no company I’ve interacted with, personally or in business, that I would recommend less than Rental Escapes — you could not do worse than booking with them. Lastly, not surprisingly our original rental property, the "hurricane-damaged" Corales 123, is still being listed on their website as available to book. How ironic that the Rental Escapes email signature dons the Maya Angelou quote, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." No, Rental Escapes, we certainly will not.