Zenith Blue Traditional Houses

Nothing about Zenith Blue's Agoda listing matched reality, apart from its location in the centre of Imerovigli. Rated 4 stars on Agoda, Zenith Blue sold us a "70 sqm, 2-BEDROOM CAVE APARTMENT WITH HOT TUB." Two bedrooms and a hot tub with a caldera view were our non-negotiables for Santorini. We were travelling with a young child and wanted him safe with us while still having our own space, and it's not a proper Santorini experience without a soak in the jacuzzi over the caldera. That's why we booked here. On arrival, it was clear the listing photos were outdated by at least a decade. The property is dilapidated and barely qualifies for 2 stars, let alone 4. We only stay in 4 or 5 star properties on holiday, so this misrepresentation was unacceptable. The place was very old, worn and tired, well beyond reasonable wear and tear. The smell of sewage greeted us as soon as we opened the door and was strongest whenever the toilets were flushed. The owners tried to mask it with an automatic air freshener, producing what my child described as "farts and fake flowers," which kept us up that first night. What looked like wastewater was running down the wall right beside the entrance. That is where the hot tub appears in the listing photos, but there is now only a void of weeds and dead plants. The tub had been moved above the rooms to a random spot beside a public walking path, with no connection to the apartment and no way to enjoy it properly. The "2 Bedroom Apartment" is also not one unit with two bedrooms and shared living space, as the title suggests. It is two small apartments, each with its own entrance and no internal connection. Both open directly onto a public footpath that anyone can access. That was not workable for us, and I doubt it would be for any parents unwilling to gamble with their child's safety. Our safety concerns were compounded by constant "flying dress" photoshoots from sunrise to sunset: at least half a dozen models every hour, with crew members walking into what was meant to be our private yard without permission and constantly blocking our view. While regular tourists taking snaps were expected, staged photoshoots were not. Beyond the shabby furniture, cheap appliances, threadbare bedding and faded towels, basic maintenance and hygiene were clearly lacking: • Fabric headboards covered in what looked like mildew • Gritty floors with spots resembling mould • Corroded bathroom fittings covered in verdigris • Tiles and walls heavily discoloured by limescale • Mirrors heavily desilvered Together, this points to a possible damp problem compounded by severe neglect. We raised these concerns with Agoda that same evening. Agoda's own Reservation Guarantee states: "If your reservation...cannot be honored by the property...Our Agoda Customer Support Specialists will seek alternative accommodation at a convenient and comparable property, for your approval." Instead, they sat on our relocation request for 13 hours, then at the last minute said they wouldn't help. When we asked for a refund, since we now had to find somewhere else to stay at short notice, we were told to wait 72 hours, which was all the time we had left on our holiday. When we tried to follow up, we were locked out of the chat, and were then told through a call that Zenith Blue had refused a refund and that was the end of it. In what universe is it acceptable to take someone's money without delivering what was described? Agoda seems happy to just let Zenith Blue misrepresent their property and then keep the money of guests who refuse accommodation materially different from what was sold on its page. How is that fair? Beyond the stress of finding accommodation at the last minute, we lost the caldera experience that was the whole reason we came to Santorini in the first place. It was never just about a misrepresented property and money taken unfairly. It was also about the enjoyment of a holiday we will never get back. As a VIP member w