Magic Box Vacation

“Our stay at Sonoma Resort in Kissimmee started off nice, but several issues made it disappointing. The first night, a bathtub wouldn’t drain and the refrigerator wouldn’t fully close, causing food to not stay cold. By day two, the fridge was leaking and the freezer wasn’t working. Maintenance came but did not fix the issue. By the third night, bed bugs were found in one bedroom. An exterminator was sent, and pool heating was provided, though we feel that should have been included given the $3,200 cost. There were also cleanliness concerns like dirty walls, doors, and poor shower grout. Later, we noticed signs of bed bugs in the theater room as well but chose not to report it since we were leaving. Overall, the property has potential, but the issues impacted our stay.”

“The house was adequate for our needs, plenty of space for 6 people. However, it really didn’t have that “we care” attitude I’ve seen elsewhere. For instance, the wall clock in the kitchen was stopped at 2:20 pm when we got there, a simple matter of changing a battery. Also (and this was scary), the sliding glass door from the pool to the house wouldn’t lock. We had three strong men and none of them could get it locked…. We ran out of toilet paper during our stay and had to run out and buy more on Easter Sunday which took time from Disney World. I realize the brochure said we would be provided a starter supply only, but there were 6 of us for 3 1/2 days, and all we got were the partial that was on the roll. At least give us a spare per bathroom or give us a fresh roll! I had a question when we first checked in; Diogo was very pleasant when he replied, but it took him almost a full day (21 hours) to get back to me. We would not recommend this Airbnb to others.”

“I arrived to this location around 10pm Thursday night, entering the home, there were broken blinds in multiple rooms, the pans and pots were really out dated. Light fixtures didn’t work, some bathrooms water did not work and on top of this we saw roaches. The communication with Magic Box and myself was bad. I have got rental properties many times from Air bnb and sometimes going on a trip you might forget a few essential things, so I always just get an Amazon order sent to the home I am staying in. Magic Box failed to tell me that packages will not be delivered right to the door but to the community where they will charge you $10 fee for every package you received. When I called customer service about the communication and that this is something that should be In detail, customer was super rude and did not care about my issues.”

“Very disappointed with this stay. The home was not clean inside or out—urine stains around toilets, rust and dirt on floors, stained counters, marked walls, and filthy baseboards. The worst issue was the pool: overgrown area, dead plants, moss, and what appeared to be black mold, making it unusable. The host called this “normal wear and tear” and delayed proper action. After contacting Airbnb, a man came with just bleach and a brush and said the pool needed proper equipment. A cleaner was also sent but could only handle minor items. We were allowed to leave early and received a 30% refund for one night. This property is not ready to be rented.”

“Diogo, my guests and I spent two nights and a day in a cold house. Where the temperature average 63 degrees doing that time. Plus the other issues that I brought to your attention. The stained carpet all over the house. No mention of any competition for the issues identified by me to you but you what me to write a Five Star Review of the property for you. I can’t see that happening!!”

“Diogo / Magic Box Vacations are the worst hosts I have ever dealt with on AB&B. Had an issue with smoke detectors going off with nuisance alarms for several hours / after finally getting someone to come the best they could do was remove all seven of the malfunctioning smoke detectors and leave the wires hanging. I requested they install new smoke detectors and was told by the host there was nothing wrong with the old ones and they would send someone back later that night to reinstall them, no one came back. I requested a refund for the rest the days I paid for so I could move my family to a place that had working smoke detectors and was refused. So the next day I called the local Fire Marshall and had him do an inspection. The smoke detectors were more than 20 years expired so the Fire Marshall required new detectors be installed, six other safety violations were found. I sent the Fire Marshall’s report to AB&B and got a partial refund from them. Be aware this host rents unsafe houses.”

“Worst experience I have had in 9 years with AirBnb . Getting in to the place every time we left it was not easy. Place is not clean , lots of rules, appliances did not work, old and scratched pans, and no resolution for the issues. Pool was not clean. Not worth the money.”

“Diogo was not a good host in our experience. We booked last minute (same day) after our return flight was canceled due to the snowstorm, and we were traveling with small kids. Our prior Airbnb was already booked, so we needed a clean, safe place to stay. The home was not properly cleaned at check-in we documented issues with photos (stained mattress covers, dirty air ducts, crumbs on the floor), plus other cleanliness concerns. Multiple bedrooms were affected, and since check-in was late and getting a hotel at that hour was difficult, we had to wash items at night just to be able to sleep. Despite the photos, Diogo insisted everything was clean and only offered to send cleaners, while refusing to allow an early departure. We had to escalate with Airbnb Support to resolve it. The house is well decorated and the backyard looks nice, but we would not stay again.”

“I tried to pay for pool heat for a week without success. Finally got a provision to pay however the hot tub heat never worked. The temp never exceeded the pool temp of 82°. Called throughout the week and was told a pool maintenance person said it was working ok. I guess their definition of hot tub is 82°. There are several little issues with the house. Black mold in the garage. Toilet valve sticking in the downstairs bathroom. All the chairs in the dining area have a paper thin vinyl covering that is peeling so bad we had to sweep up the pieces every day. Outside some of the stucco is so bad it appears ready to fall off. I can't in good conscious recommend this house.”

“From day 1, hockey table was not working, broken kitchen, outdated home. Star Wars room was not as shown online, nasal secretion on kitchen cabinet and dirty. Fluorescent lighting mixed with led warm lights in rooms and throughout. Smoke alarms went off through nights, furnace smoked and the entire fire alarm system went off on third night. No heat. Blood stained linens, dirty pillowcases with what I hope was spit. Every dresser top and nightstand in all rooms were not wiped down spring glass rings, residue, stickiness in all rooms. Garbage left behind. Although the hose was communicating that’s all that was done. We paid 5 days, no reimbursement or discount, only sent maintenance and offered cleaning the day after our first night. Restless trip until the final night Thursday where there was no alarm and heat finally worked in Florida’s 35 degree nights. Will never stay with any property under Diogo or at this neighborhood. Lazy cleaning company. Outdated, dirty, cold. Book elsewhere”