To Future Guests reading this negative review: **/////** Might I ask you this: please read some of our many reviews from other guests, who have always given us 5 stars (or occasionally 4 stars), and ask yourself - why has this guest left such a terrible 1 star review? Has our house changed from 5 stars to 1 star overnight, or is there something strange going on with the review from this guest? **/////** To The Guest who wrote this review: **/////** You have said many negative things, and so I can only respond to a few, with the true perspective and facts. **/////** Number 1. On day 2 and 3 of your stay, you emailed me about some things you were not happy with, such as a light bulb not working and a door squeaking. We also discussed by phone. **/////** Have you forgotten - that I arranged for a trusted local Austrian worker - who was already familiar with the house - to come to the house the next day? And that he stayed with you for the afternoon / evening, attending to the defects such as the light bulb (spare bulbs for all lights are kept in the entrance hall), until you were satisfied? And that you then reported: "It worked out with the worker on Friday. He is very personable, fixed things, and we had a nice chat. We wish you a nice Sunday." **/////** Number 2. On day 4 of your stay, you called me to say that you had blocked the drain, and that the toilet was overflowing. **/////** Have you forgotten - that, although this was a Sunday, I arranged for an emergency plumber to come to the house, within about 2 hours, and that he cleared the problem for you? **/////** Number 3. You complained: "Stacks of old magazines everywhere." That's not right. We leave 2 small collections of good quality magazines, one under the table in the sitting room, one in another room - magazines about nature, science, skiing (for our winter guests), light reading etc. We also leave 2 small bookshelves with books (English and German), and a selection of games. These things are for guests to use if they wish: we like our guests to feel at home. **/////** Have you remembered that you threw all our magazines away? **/////** Number 4. You complained that there is music on Thursday evenings (in July and August) at the farmhouse approximately 100 m from our house. (By the way, the musical evening finishes around midnight, not at 2 am.) **/////** Have you forgotten that you yourselves attended this musical evening, which is famous in Carinthia, multiple times, including Thursday evening 7 July? And that, on 8 July, you told my son that you had had a great time and very much enjoyed the evening? **/////** Number 5... well, I could respond in a similar way to every point you have raised. Every point (except one - a bit of mould in one shower, which is being completely renovated in 2 months' time) is either factually wrong or completely misrepresented, but it would get boring. I would ask only: have you been honest? **/////** And how exactly would you explain that you told me on day 2 that it was impossible for you to have a holiday in our house, because it was not a "holiday house", but on then day 3 - after I offered you a large discount (because whatever the situation, we seek to ensure happy guests) - you wrote that you were entirely happy to stay after all, for the whole month? **/////** To the wife of the guest, also staying at our house: **/////** I would say this. My son, who runs a small, local, organic market garden farm, brought you (free) a special box of fresh organic vegetables, and you left him a very kind and much appreciated note, which said: "Lieber (xxx), vielen Dank nochmals für die köstliche Gemüsekiste - wir haben uns sehr darüber gefreut. Überrascht hat uns das intensive Aroma der Produkte - beiden Karotten unglaublich! Mit besten Wünschen für Ihr Unternehmen (Frau & Mann)" or in English: "Dear (xxx), Thank you again for the delicious vegetable box - we were very pleased with it. We were surprised by the intense aroma of the products - both carrot types are unbelievable! With best wishes for your business (wife & husband)" Thank you for your kind words! We appreciate them! **/////** Could it be that your kind words give a truer impression than those of your husband, of the experience which you both had at our house in the Austrian Alm area? And of the care and attention we strive so hard to give to all our guests? It is our sincere desire simply to share some of the wonderful peaceful life that is to be found in the Austrian Alm area, which we are privileged to enjoy ourselves also.