“I returned (a day early) from my stay in Church View 7a Lucker Road, Bamburgh, and would like to register a complaint about the complete lack of any 'welcome' pack at the the property.”
When I arrived there was not even a carton of milk in the fridge, let alone anything to eat, which, as the booking terms had expressly stated that no arrival before four pm would be allowed, and there were no shops open in Bamburgh after 2 pm, I found very 'unwelcoming' indeed. On my attempt to go out to LOOK for something to eat I found that I could not lock the front door either from inside or outside. I have to say at this point that your call centre staff were very good, as was the local manager, and that the locksmith arrived within half an hour to sort the problem for me - I was VERY grateful to him. He also told me that I could get a good breakfast in the Victoria Hotel the next morning (my worry since there was no food in the flat was what I would eat the next morning - it being Sunday). I took his advice and did have an excellent breakfast at the hotel (at a price!) but this was not what I'd expected to have to do at the start of a self catering holiday. Not only was there nothing to eat (unless you count a box of packet tea, coffee, milk sachets and biscuits which were on the kitchen windowsill), the sofas in the sitting room were old, saggy and uncomfortablle, and there wasn't even any soap in the bathroom. I'd expected to bring my own shampoo, but soap? I had to buy a pack of soap (and essential food) in Seahouses on the Monday morning, (I left an unused bar as I didn't want the next people to be in the position I was). The shower was VERY difficult to get in and out of, having a swinging glass pane that moved inwards, meaning I had to climb out of the sloping end of the bath - after one try I decided the risk of falling was too great and washed at the sink (hair included) to avoid it. I have stayed in two other cottages from your company, both in Seahouses (where there ARE shops) and both of which had milk in the fridge, a cake, or a basket of goodies to make you feel you were expected. It was just as well that Church View hadn't been my first experience of your company, or it would have been my last. I DID enjoy my holiday, I enjoyed Bamburgh very much, and the flat was actually very well located for what I wanted to do and see, but from a facilities point of view it was very disappointing. I decided on the Monday that I would leave on the Friday, as the idea of another evening in that uncomfortable sitting room was not appealing. It is a shame, I have had some lovely holiday accommodation from you, but this one was just a let down. Sorry. (ps this is a copy and paste of the complaint I submitted to NCCC on my return home on Friday)
