San Melia Apartment Homes

Everything started off great — amazing pool, good apartment for the money spent, safe, quiet. As you slowly get into your lease, more and more issues turn up that ruin everything I just mentioned above.
1. The gate is ALWAYS broken and stuck open and has been that way for months. Why am i paying $ 5 per month for a gate access fob if the gate is stuck open all the time anyway? Not to mention anyone can come and go as they please. Great «security» and «gated» community.
2. Maintenance requests: ALWAYS an issue. The guys themselves are nice, but not for nothing, nothing they fixed remains fixed. I have at least 2 – 3 issues that are repeated issues and get a band aid put on them until the next time they have to come and fix them. Oh, and don’t bother checking the box «I want to be home for this request» or «call me before entering» because they don’t. They just come in when you’re not home regardless and again, nothing gets done. We like to be there to make sure the repairs are repairs, but that doesn’t seem to matter.
3. The pool: no one checks wristbands but they require you to have them. I’ve seen them check ONCE. Security is a joke. They don’t patrol during the nighttime, when its MOST needed due to teenagers going into the cabanas smoking, drinking and causing a ruckus. If your apartment faces the pool, good luck. SO loud at night and no one patrolling. Fights as well between drunken teenagers will really spice up your Saturday night. (Sense the sarcasm).
4. Leasing office: Staff is rude and next to useless. SO much turnover. You never see any of the same faces when you go in there from one week to the next except for one person. I’ve went in to get a package from them before and they just stare at you, never ask if you actually need any help. And when you approach them, they act like you’re bothering them even if they are not helping anyone and their job is to help you. Packages also magically go missing and they don’t care. Their response is always «contact Leslie at our corporate office» but she rarely answers either. Customer service is a joke. Also, don’t go by their posted hours for the office. They close early all the time which is lovely for people like me who don’t make it home until 6pm.
5. BBQ’s never work. We have emailed and called letting them know and no one comes to fix them.
6. They just raised parking to $ 15 a month for all spots. I didn’t realize the land I was parking on was made of gold. Ridiculous fees all around.
It’s a shame this place has gone downhill since its in a great area and all looks so promising when you first move in.

This place is beautiful and very safe. Its in a prime location and sort of like living in a resort. My only complaint is now that the weather has cooled off so has the pool. The pool is supposed to be heated and it’s not. I’ve asked about it and they said it’s up to corporate so I really cant hold San Melia responsible. But as for Aimco, Come on guys… its time to turn the heater on it’s getting down to the 40s and 50s at night which means the pool is unusable now. Other than that this place is top notch. That is all.

San Melia in Ahwatukee is by far the BEST place to live!!! The staff is always friendly and helpful and the service requests are always taken care of in a timely manner! And nothing compares to the sandy beach at the pool… definitely recommend!

A very safe and well kept community. The amenities are great and you could not ask for a nicer place.
Unfortunately the apartments are not very efficient and the electricity bill is ridiculous for an apartment. Also, the walls are thin, so neighbors can be heard at times.

I recently moved into the San Melia Apartment complex, and my experience here has been hit and miss.
I’ll start with the positives.
The grounds are beautiful. It feels like a park and is very well maintained though there is some trash floating over parts of the lawn next to the 50^th Street side gate walking path. Putting a garbage can in that area would probably alleviate that problem because it is obvious no one cleans up that area too often since it has been there for a while now.
The pool is exquisite and makes you feel like you are living at a resort.
The people here are all so friendly and polite.
Ahwatukee is a great, unexpected place to live, and feels like Phoenix’s best kept secret. It is so convenient and has tons of stores and restaurants. It is just a great area, so no issues in that respect, but it is when you are in the apartment that all the issues seem to arise.
I live in a three bedroom, premier apt, and though, the layout and storage is wonderful, and the newly renovated kitchen and bathroom vanities are so pretty, everything else is and was extremely half-​assed.
It’s as if no routine maintenance has ever been done in this apartment, from an A/​C filter that looks as though it hadn’t been changed in years to running, dirty filthy toilets, a broken bathroom exhaust fan and very, very used, downgraded, cheap appliances.
It does not fit the «luxury» apartment living as described.
The wood like floors, though a nice upgrade from carpet, were installed very sloppy with waves throughout the floor.
The bathtubs in both bathrooms have been re-​glazed with drip marks and peeling and chipping everywhere, and they even re-​glazed the shower drain with hair left in it, and the shower doors are so caked on with dirt and mineral deposits that the shower doors stick and don’t roll easily. It looks like a cheap, dirty hotel. It has loose tiles on the bathroom and kitchen floors, leaky pipes in the bathrooms, clogged garbage disposal, broken blinds on almost all windows, paint spots on the brand new granite countertops.
The list is endless.
It seems to me, it would have been much more beneficial and cost effective to have installed one piece fiberglass showers and bathtubs and taken out the shower doors and replaced it with a shower curtain rod because the shower doors and glazing are gross and poorly done.
There was just no attention to detail, and besides being upgraded, I don’t think this apartment was ever serviced for routine things after the last tenants moved out.
Eric, the maintenance supervisor from Denver, has been quite helpful in getting most of these issues rectified, as it is our understanding they are short staffed here and are having issues with their maintenance staff.
It just seems as though we no sooner get one thing repaired, and another 3 things go wrong. It is very frustrating, especially after moving here from another Aimco property where you could literally eat off the floors it was so clean when we moved in, and the maintenance staff was so timely and efficient, and the appliances were beautiful and upgraded, unlike this cheap oven that doesn’t even have a self-​cleaning feature and the tiny refrigerator.
I hate to be the complaining tenant, especially after my last experience with Aimco was so positive, but we are paying quite a bit of money to live in a luxury apartment to be having so many issues with it, and I hope management addresses these issues and hires a more efficient maintenance staff.
All in all, it isn’t a terrible place to live even with these minor gripes, and I look forward to better days.

Pros: Beautiful community, nice apartments, close to Sprouts, Target, CVS, hospitals, restaurants, movie theatre; pool, Jacuzzi, sand beach, play area — perfect for kids
Cons: bad management, rude staff, pricing is not appropriate, no referrals, no schemes. Security might be a concern for few.

The complex is kept up beautifully. The pool area is perfection and the rest of the amenities are tip top. When there is an issue, maintenance is quick to resolve. A little pricey, but expected with the location and quality.

Overall, I’d give this place 4 stars. One big pro that is really important to me and my husband (I’m in medical school and he’s a PhD student) is that it is really a quiet complex. We have lived other places and noise was such a huge issue. We have lived here for 1.5 years and have never had an issue with noise at all. Another big plus is that the complex is smoke free and offers units with laminate in the living areas. Hard to find in AZ, but smoke free with hard surfaces is a huge help with allergies and asthma.
Some of the cons noted are accurate, however. The front office staff generally aren’t friendly. We avoid the office like the plague because the staff tend to act like you’re a nuisance to them. We have even had one staff member complain (to our faces!) that we came in to ask him for assistance and he told us how much he hated it.
However, the maintenance staff are actually incredibly friendly. We have found that it does take longer than we are used to with other complexes to get things fixed, but the staff who does fix things are really nice, leave things clean, and do a great job. They could improve things by increasing communication. For example, when we had an issue that required them to call an outside plumber in, there was a delay in getting the plumber because their schedule was full. We submitted a work request and didn’t hear back over a week later until we called. We would have appreciated them calling to say that the request was received and to update us on why it had not been fixed, with the anticipated timeline. We understand that things happen, but would like the courtesy of communication.
The good news about it is that the Community Manager Leslie seems genuinely interested in correcting things where needed. When things have come up that we were displeased with, she took action to turn the situation around and rectify it as much as possible.
To be honest, the rent is definitely high and the fees can be crazy. Like being charged 10.00 per month per parking spot (even for uncovered parking). Then you add on a fee for the access key (which didn’t even work for our first year here), and the other fees, and it’s suddenly a hundred bucks tacked onto rent. However, it is worth it to us because of the quiet, safe neighborhood that is smoke free and has hard surfaces in the apartments. We don’t plan on leaving unless rent goes up too much!

Pros: San Melia is a great community if you are looking for a beautiful, well groomed, safe place to live. It is a gated resort style community with lots of bonuses. First, the apartments alone have a ton of storage space. Master has a huge walk in closet and each bathroom has a very large linen closet. The bathrooms are very big. The kitchen is beautiful and again a lot of space. They tray ceilings are also a nice touch. The floors are also really nice — no carpet. Leasing office hours are good and the staff is excellent and very helpful. Maintenance staff is also great as well. The grounds are truly perfect. I have been told that they management there is somewhat new which would make sense to me why there are some negative reviews. I can honestly tell you that this is a great place to live.
Cons: My move in day was a bit disappointing as the place wasn’t really ready for me to move into as the floors weren’t cleaned and definitely had some finishing touches to do. It was ok as I wasn’t planning on moving until the following Monday. But even Monday the floors had not been cleaned. The rent isn’t as stated on the website as there are a lot of fees and so you need to count on another $ 100 or more to cover them. However in my experience my leasing agent told me this up front way before I was finalizing things so it wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was getting into before I signed the lease. I could have easily backed out if I wanted to. It can be hard to get anyone at the leasing office over the phone it is better to just go to the office.
Overall: All in all I am very pleased. I think you get what you pay for. I am willing to spend more money to get a safe, beautiful place to live and I have that.

This place may LOOK PRETTY but worst customer service ever. You would think for such high prices you would be guaranteed parking. But that is not the case. My car was towed because I HAD to park in a handicap spot at 1230am due to every parking spot being taken up by guest playing basketball. Sorry but as a female I am not walking to my apartment alone at night from the other side of the property. This has been going on for months and never has a car been towed. When I went to the office, they didn’t even know which company had my car!!! I thought it had been stolen!!! When I finally did get answers, they refused to pay for the tow because we hadn’t brought the issue to them sooner. It wasn’t a major issue until my car was towed out of the blue!!! Maybe there should be guest parking so paying residents can park after long days at work. Maybe residents should have parking passes so we dont get towed. Maybe the basketball court should close at a decent time so kids can sleep. However the blame was placed on us. Customer service at it’s worst. Lease will NOT be resigned.

Worst example of luxury apartments ever. And because they are so bad they are way over priced. I wish you could choose no stars.

I like San Melia app. It is safe, family-​friendly with nice green areas and pool. Thanks

I’m only giving this place 2 stars b/​c I know it could be worse.
Pros: Safe area, well maintained (more on this), friendly neighbors.
Cons: Waaaaaaay overpriced, worthless gym equipment, faulty gates/​keys, actually I’m just going to start writing since the list is so long.
I don’t normally bash companies, businesses, etc. but tonight was it. Pulled up at the gate and wouldn’t open with the gate chip so thought I should let the world know why you should avoid this complex. When I first moved in we were promised a fireplace (one of the main reasons I chose the spot over another. about a day in after moving and settling down noticed no fireplace. Talked to the staff and not much there. Let it go since the leasing agent was really helpful, liked her a lot so really not a big deal were in Arizona after all. (BTW she quit shortly after along with a lot of the staff, always a new face when I walk into the office a lot of turnover, which should be the first indicator not to sign.)
So they charge $ 5.00 a month to have a gym key, like $ 20 for monthly parking, $ 90 a month for my two dogs, $ 700 NONREFUNDABLE fee for having dogs. THAT DOESNT COVER YOU IF YOU DO HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL DAMAGES, FROM THE DOGS AFTER YOU MOVE OUT, THATS EXTRA THIS IS JUST A STANDARD FEE TO HAVE THEM LIVE THER EON TOP OF THE $ 45/​MONTH YOU PAY FOR EACH PET.
One thing i liked about san Melia is that they have a 24 hour help line incase of emergencies. couple weeks ago I was locked out of my apartment. No, I didn’t lose my keys, no I didn’t lock my self out, when I say locked out I mean their piece of shit lock was jammed. Called the emergency help line 15 times maybe, left a voicemail every time. Nobody called back, nobody followed up the next day. I have two small dogs I need to take care of had to break in the door (I admit was a bad choice) had to get the entire door replaced, $ 400 thank you very much, again I admit it was a bad decision but ultimately i shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place. 24 hour emergency and no one picked up over the span of an hour and half and the thing is I didn’t lock myself out or lose my keys. Their lock was busted now I’m obligated to pay for this replacement because they fucked up.
Now, on the plus side the place is always maintained, someones always either cutting the grass or watering or trimming the palms but I promise you they’re not dipping into their own pocket to cover those costs they’re coming out our sky high rent.
Pools nice, but your definitely paying for the amenities. its a joke. machine sin the weight room are always busted, so i was forced to get a gym membership elsewhere.
Just do yourself a favor and avoid this place. It’s nice on the surface but a headache once you dive in.

Hidden fees… or more like fees they tell you about up front but it doesn’t hit home until your in your locked lease. It’s very nice but VERY expensive. I’d look elsewhere like in Biltmore, Arcadia, Scottsdale or Tempe for the same price. I have one parking spot but my neighbor apparently doesn’t know how to park, her alarm goes off every single time I leave or arrive but the management did nothing about the noise complaint. And you pay for parking whether you use it or not; same goes with the fitness center. The «security» gate has been broken 12 out of the 14 month lease I signed. When it did work, my name/​number were never to be found on the call box despite my 10 attempts at given them my info. Maintenance has always been great. Staff are very friendly. OH! And you only have three people to use the pool with you, or however many residents in your unit plus two; then a $ 150 fee goes into effect for each additional wrist band you need. And the pool Nazi police are serious about kicking people out.

I have to agree with others that the apartment complex is nicer looking compared to adjacent communities. However, for all the 5 months of my residency here, the front security gate remains open at all time without any security officer on duty. I thought we paid for gated security community??? During the summer time, you can see that people from outside pulled up in their cars and used the swimming pool facility. They drank and smoked in the pool area around kids whereas we signed our lease to a non-​smoking community. The way this place is managed definitely needs to be improved.

When he moved to Phoenix my husband did a thorough search of all apartment rentals in Southeast Phoenix and the Chandler area. I commend him for the meticulous job that he did in picking out this lovely gated community for us.
Although it looks the same as a San Brisas or a San Montego it is still much better that any of these places. One of the reasons could be because San Melia charges a premium for the same floorspace. Besides, the neighbourhood is good, in fact a little bit of research on the internet revealed that it falls under the ‘low-​crime’ zone of Phoenix police.
During the summer months the pool gets a little crowded with the residents and their acquaintances but recently the office sent out a communiqué limiting the number of guests that can be brought in.
I have read mixed reviews about the office staff at San Melia on different websites … to be honest I have never had a bad encounter. Living by the 48^th street or next to the tot-​lot might get a little noisy at times but apart from that this place is convenient, safe and enjoyable.

I moved in here right when they first opened and moved out in early 2002. The place was SOOOOOO nice.
When I was there they keep the place in top notch shape, had a concierge service, fax and mailing from the front office, and served food and drinks at the pool (which you could charge to your bill!).
Really nice gym, two tennis courts and a bunch of common areas with grills and water fountains.
This place truly was «resort living» …
After ⁹⁄₁₁ I decided to get back to the basics and moved out to get a Golden Retriever.
I miss San Melia!

Good apartments
Nice atmosphere
Safe environment
Lots of cranky old folks, but I just ignore them
And the sand beach pool is a plus!