Stay away, owner threatening because of blowfly infestation
Stay away, the guy is dangerous We could not stay at The Crossing Retreat Cabin because hundreds of blowflies made the small cabin uninhabitable and a health hazard. The extensive spraying of insecticide that followed made the conditions even more hazardous. We were then ordered to leave by the owner when I filmed the infestation as evidence for Booking.com and he said we were not allowed to film on his property. We arrived at approximately 7:15 pm, right around sunset. The key was in the door, the lights were off, and two windows were slightly open. Inside, we discovered a dense cluster of hundreds of blowflies behind the curtains. Almost as if there was some kind of big nest there. We realised the sheer number when opening the curtain fully and the flies started flying all over the room. I photographed the very few flies that remained clustered together, while hundreds of the others now swarmed throughout the small cabin. We immediately went to the main house for help. A female assistant returned with us carrying insecticide. On the way, we explained that this was a substantial infestation, far beyond a few ordinary flies. She was visibly shocked when she saw the room and began spraying heavily around the curtains and throughout the cabin. Flies started falling and dying around us, she was nice and apologetic, and understood fully that we could not stay. The assistant said that their other accommodation, The Barn, was unfortunately already occupied. She could not relocate us or help us find somewhere else to stay, and directed us to the owner. On entering, he appeared visibly surprised and became angry. He blamed his assistant for having the lights on and the windows open, speaking to her in a very unpleasant tone. To be clear, the lights had been off when we arrived. He told us to contact Booking.com, said it had nothing to do with him, and suggested that we simply wait for the flies to die. We explained that waiting would not resolve our concerns about sleeping in the small cabin after extensive insecticide spraying. He refused to take any action and became increasingly brusque and angry towards us. I began filming the infestation. Flies were swarming throughout the cabin and falling onto the bed, across the room and directly onto us, including our heads. Flies were falling across every square metre of the cabin and physically onto us while I filmed. Being inside was extremely distressing and unpleasant. He approached me and said I did not have permission to film on his property. I repeated that I was recording the flies and the conditions around us. He then raised his voice further, moved closer to me, and ordered us to leave his property immediately. His demeanour was threatening and unpleasant, and I felt unsafe. I did not want to risk filming any further, or to stay after he told us to leave. We collected our belongings and left. He is not willing to resolve the situation and refund. Booking.com is building a case, and I have made a claim with my credit card company to stop the payment.
By Britta T.