“We decided to pay a bit more than we wd usually do for a 2 bed holiday place as it was January (!”
)
- we were drawn by wood burner, accommodating our small well behaved dog, as well as the inviting write up, and good range of pics
We loved the location, the building layout, the lovely furniture, the welcome packs [the dog's was very comprehensive!] and the information folder was really good, The heating was as expected and comfy (we have underfloor H at home), loads of hot water, and v comfy beds - obviously a lot of thought had gone into setting the cottage up
However, my partner and I agree that the charge for the week wasn't reflected in the level of cleanliness and equipment that could have been expected
- Cleanliness : felt not a lot of focused care was expended into the 'corners' of the property [ change your cleaner ??!]
- Inside window frames needed a good clean, under beds were dusty [we didn't look under the sofa etc but met the dust under the bed when plugging in mobile chargers!] , and the doormat could do with a good shake as well as a vac
- Suggest the pile of newspapers is removed from the log basket and from the hallway presumably left by prev occupants [smacked at uncaring, poor attention to detail]
- Kitchen Equipment - generally good; quality good, [liked the cafetiere option] - lots of bowls and plates - but we would have greatly appreciated a salad bowl and other serving dishes - paddling full hot plates through to the living room was not what we could have anticipated - there were no dishwasher tablets as a starter pack
- Towels were very worn - newer ones would have been nice
- Woodburner - super ! But only 1 log and only 1 piece of firelighter and very few sticks [a starter pack of logs was expected from the write up, and we only found new pack of firelighters in kitchen drawer on day 6 !]
? add a section in the info folder on managing the wood burner inc let visitors know that opening the outside door in the living room stops the fire smoking for the most part until the fire takes hold
And - ensure there are firelighters in the log basket [or indicate where they are!] as well as a bunch of logs
By adding a small amount to the hire charge you could ensure more attention to detail .....and pay a bit more for a more effective cleaner who will prep the place as advertised !
Thank you for your feedback which we always welcome so we can consider it and where applicable make necessary improvements. We are sorry to read your review and wish you would have contacted us directly whilst you were there so any issues could have been rectified.
In relation to your comments on cleanliness. I’m sorry to read dust was found under the beds. I can assure you the carpets are hoovered and cleaned every turnaround with a full dust of each room. This is a large barn where dust unfortunately resettles. We were there this weekend and certainly did not see the dust you have described and I can assure you under the couch was spotless. The downstairs floor is also mopped at each turnaround.
A salad bowl has now been added to property (this has been there previously and we hadn’t realised it had gone missing) and the photos show that the dining table is separate to the kitchen area.
Dishwasher tablets and laundry tablets are left under the sink along with plenty of other products which are there to be used should guests wish to use them.
The towels are less than a year old and are hotel standard and deep washed after each visit. Again we apologise that these were not up to your standard.
We are glad you liked the log fire and we add a starter pack which we feel is sufficient for 2 nights. The firefighters were inside the wicker basket (spare ones in the kitchen) and full instructions of usage within the welcome pack. The pile of newspapers have been left so occupants can use them to fuel the fire. We have now removed those newspapers and store them in a safe location so no longer on view.
The welcome pack clearly asks guests to contact us if they are having any issues with the wood burner. Further logs can also be provided by the housekeeping team if required.
Our house keeping team have exceptional reviews and they will see these comments which will enable them to take the necessary action.
The cottage is currently undergoing a full repaint and decoration to add a freshness to the property, which had been rescheduled as part of the New Year anyway.
Once again we thank you for your feedback.
Property Owner