The house, briefly
explained.
Wi-Fi, the pool, the steam room, the oven, the sound system — and what to do when something doesn't do what you'd like. A short guide, kept open in the kitchen drawer.
§ 01Wi-Fi & access
There is one mesh network across the entire estate, including the gardens and pool.
§ 02Pool, Steam Room & Spa
The pool
- A private, indoor pool — swimmable through every season.
- Arrange before you arrive and we'll heat or cool it to the temperature you'd like.
- The pool lights are left on, on purpose, 24/7.
The pool swimming jet
- The jet is set into the wall at the shallow end of the pool.
- Two buttons sit beside it: the right (black) button turns the jet on and off; the left button sets the strength.
- With the jet off, you can swivel the nozzle to send the water in either of two directions, whichever you prefer.
The steam room
- The on/off control is a red plug on the shower beside the steam room — switch it on there.
- From a cold start (unused for a while) it takes about 45 minutes to reach temperature; if it has been used recently, about 15.
- Please switch it off at the same red plug once you've finished.
The private gym
- A bicycle, a treadmill and a pulley (cable) machine, plus a bench and dumbbells.
- A portable Sonos speaker sits in the gym — switch it on for music.
- There's a TV to keep you company while you exercise.
§ 03The kitchen
The coffee machines
- Built-in, bean-to-cup. Grinds whole beans. The bean container is on top to the right; the water is a removable tank on the left. To slide the unit out for filling, pull the lever below the drip tray — gently, no force, and it comes forward.
- Smeg, for pre-ground. Tip already-ground coffee into the top and press the on button.
- Capsule espresso. Needs the matching capsules (buy the correct type). Drop one in and press your coffee on top of the machine.
Sink garbage grinder
- Run cold water first, then flip the wall switch beside the sink to start the grinder.
- Feed soft food scraps in slowly; keep the water running a few seconds after.
- No bones, shells, fibrous peels, oil or anything non-food — those go in the caddy under the sink.
Dishwasher
- Pods are under the sink — one per drawer.
- It runs a fast eco mode or a longer mode — pick whichever suits the load.
- You can run just the bottom drawer, just the top drawer, or both together.
§ 04Televisions & sound
Every room has it. Every room hides it.
-
One remote per room
One Samsung remote runs everything in the room — power, volume, and the apps. That's the only one you need.
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Sign in, sign out
Every TV is a Samsung smart TV — Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV and more are built in. Sign in with your own accounts, and sign out before you leave. We never see your credentials.
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Sonos — house-wide
Twelve zones. Pull the Sonos app on any phone; the network appears as MatosGuest. The pool, terrace, and steam room have their own zones.
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Cinema sound
The main living room has cinema-grade speakers, and the family room downstairs has a Sonos TV speaker. Both are already connected — when you watch TV or play games, the sound comes through them automatically. Nothing to set up.
§ 05Xbox & play
The playroom is for whoever lays claim to it first — by age or by guile.
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Powering on
Press the Xbox button on the controller. The TV will switch to the right source automatically. A second controller is in the cabinet drawer.
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Your account
Sign in to your own Xbox account to reach your games library, and please sign out before you leave.
§ 06The iRobots
Two iRobot vacuums keep the floors clean.
Where they live
One downstairs, next to the laundry room; one upstairs, next to the guest shower — each on its charging dock.
To run one
Just press the CLEAN button on top. It sets off on its own and returns to its dock when it's finished.
If one gets stuck
Lift it back onto its charging dock; it will recharge and reset itself, ready for the next run.
§ 07Climate & comfort
Floor & ceiling heating
- Radiant heat runs through the floors and ceilings in the cooler months.
- The temperature is preset — it can't be changed from the room panels.
- Tell us the temperature you'd like before you arrive and we'll set it for your stay.
Floor & ceiling cooling
- In summer the same radiant system cools through the floors and ceilings.
- It's preset too — not adjusted from the room panels.
- Let us know your preferred temperature before arrival; for a quicker chill, use the air conditioning.
Air conditioning
- Air conditioning is in the living room and the main bedroom — set the temperature on the room's panel.
- The other bedrooms have fans for now; air conditioning is being added throughout.
- Please close the windows while the air conditioning is running.
§ 08Water & washrooms
Filtered water
- Filtered water comes from its own machine at the sink — not the ordinary tap.
- It pours room-temperature or boiling water on demand — no kettle needed.
The showers
- The master suite, the guest shower and the Quiet Suite each have a three-mode shower.
- The dial switches between the head from above, the rain shower, and the three body jets.
- The lever sets the temperature — run it a moment to settle and it holds steady.
§ 09If something is amiss
For anything mechanical — a flicker, a leak, a remote that won't — Minho's Guest, our management company, is your first call. For anything else, email me and I'll follow up by morning. The house is well-loved and well-maintained; it occasionally has its own opinions.