Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business "St. Martin Blue, a Luxury Villa Connection" and charges luxury pricing. It boasts luxury villa rentals in *** Martin, using Sotheby's as a property manager. My family and I stayed at "***************************" Feb 2-16, 2025. It is advertised on their website (*************************************************************************************************************).The term/conditions of my contract: If at the time the guest is to begin occupancy of the property, the property owner, property manager, rental agency cannot provide the property in a fit and habitable condition St Martin Blue will assist in acquiring a substitute property of equal or superior standard for the consideration of the guest. If such property is not deemed acceptable, he owner/property manager shall refund to the guest all payments made.. . .St Martin ********* will act on behalf of the guest to obtain consideration of a refund when terms of use have been violated by the property manager/owner or property is inhabitable. . . . If such Grantee does not agree to the future rentals, guest will be notified in writing and will receive a refund of any payments made for said rental if a comparable accommodation is not acceptable to guest.----From the moment we checked in there were issues with this property. Multiple doors and windows did not lock, leaving us not secure in the property (including the front door) with our baby. We had hot water issue, the power went out daily. We also found mold and mildew in the first level area, which was causing obvious structural issues. This is not even to touch on the myriad of other issues including a broken window, leak in the roof, and broken appliances, to name a few. The manager of the property, Sotheby's did not offer any monetary compensation, and St. martin blue did not abide by its obligation to offer a separate villa to stay in despite my asking. They have also stopped answering me.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2025

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to this complaint. Guest satisfaction is a cornerstone of our company, and we are committed to providing attentive, professional service before, during, and after each stay.
  The client booked Villa La ********* for February 216, 2025, through our platform without requesting our guidance or recommendations. While we offer personalized support, the villa was selected solely at the client's discretion.
  We facilitated the rental, managed logistics, and provided complimentary concierge service. Upon receiving initial concerns during the stay, we promptly contacted the property manager, who addressed the issues. No further complaints were raised during the remainder of the two-week stay, which the client completed in full.
  We regret that the experience did not meet the client's expectations. However, the villa remained fit and habitable throughout the stay, and the circumstances did not warrant relocation or the 50% refund requested after departure. Per the rental agreement, relocation applies only when a property is deemed unfit for occupancy at the start of the stay.
  Nonetheless, we offered to contact the property manager post-stay to explore a goodwill gesture. The client then informed us they would cease communication and attempt to rescind payment if they did not get the 50% refund. This action is concerning, as it seeks to reverse a valid transaction after the services were rendered and the stay completed.
  Additionally, the photos submitted by the client depict a locked, non-accessible basement not included in the rental. Presenting these as part of the advertised space is misleading.
  Both our company and the property manager met all contractual obligations. We remain open to respectful communication and are happy to re-engage with the client should they choose to reach out.