How much to expect to be included within a holiday cottage?

[luckysdadsway]

We are currently away for 7 nights in a beautiful holiday cottage. We paid £2000 for the week.

Little things have really irritated me. There is a dishwasher for example but not a single dishwasher tablet included, a washing machine but no wash tablet, a fancy coffee machine but not coffee pods for it. No washing up liquid, the only bin bag included was the one in the bin. For a family of 5 for the week, one bin bag wouldn't be enough!

The instructions clearly say leave as you found it. I'm happy to do that, but surely if they want me to clean then they'd at least provide a dish cloth and some surface spray? Perhaps I've been spoilt in the past, however I'm sure even a haven caravan we've stayed in had a little cleaning bundle with a dish cloth, washing up liquid etc.

What would you expect to be included at that price point?

That’s really tight.

We stay in holiday cottages all the time (paying much less than 2k) and if there’s a dishwasher they always leave a few tablets. I’ve rarely had one that didn’t supply washing up liquid. Wouldn’t expect coffee pods tbh.

So annoying. I hate when they don’t provide dishwasher tablets. See also washing up liquid, a cloth and a scrubber these are so cheap to provide. Washing pods are nice but not essential.

We arrived very late in France once and there wasn’t even a bottle of chilled water. I had to go out first thing for supplies.

I never do a “deep clean” I wipe surfaces, make sure loos are clean, sweep the floor and tidy up any mag / welcome packs, loosely make the beds and that’s it!

I can’t ever imagine a situation where I would be peeling a potato on holiday so I do r being knives or peelers!

Thank you for everyone's responses, pleased it wasn't just me!

Just to answer a few questions:

• I wouldn't usually expect coffee pods, it's just with there being a fancy machine it seems odd to not at least leave a couple to keep you going until you get to the shop.

• reviews for the cottage didn't have this mentioned at all. Which made me wonder if I was being unreasonable!

• it was booked through Hoseasons so not Air bnb although it isn't what I would say your average hoseasons accommodation. It's on an estate with a few cottages like an old coach house etc.

I will leave some gentle feedback to reception rather than a bad review.

I get big bags and cleaning supplies in our UK holiday house. We also get a hamper of snacks, a dozen coffee pods and tea bags alongside a pint of milk for arrival. There is also salt and pepper in the cupboard, possibly because I complained that I would not expect to bring my own salt to a seaside house when first night fish and chips is surely expected. I also expect oil for frying, although I don't count on it now. The dishwasher tablets are one for each day, which if we were eating out types would suffice.

I always think there's stuff that's easy to bring - or take home if you bought it there, like washing tablets, and stuff that's a pain to bring, like a whole bottle of washing up liquid. There's also things that I think the owners should provide on the basis that they would probably like you to use it during the week - cleaning spray and a cloth to wipe the surfaces in the kitchen and such like. I mean, I know I'm on holiday but am I really going to just brush toast crumbs onto the floor and let juice spills dry on the table for a week?

What really annoys me though is tea towels. Come on, you're providing bedding and towels, would it kill you to have half a dozen tea towels in a kitchen drawer?

When I have stayed self catering I have always taken a few dishwasher tabs, washing up liquid, bin bags etc. However I have often found a few left there I leave anything left over for the next people. The only exception would be the coffee as you would need the right brand so would expect some were left.

We've stayed in quite a few self catering places over the last few years and they've all provided some washing up liquid, enough dishwasher tablets for one a day, a toilet roll plus spare in each toilet. Not sure about washing powder as we generally don't do washing on holiday. Normally a new cloth and clean tea towel on the side and more tea towels available in a drawer.

Like others I would expect a welcome bundle, only because that was my experience when we went on a glamping holiday for fewer days. It was more like a little lodge than glamping as we had a wood burner hob to cook on and it heated up the hot water for a shower. So when we arrived they had provided- a basket of food, local butter, local cheese, fresh bread, some coffee and tea, some milk (as had fridge run on solar energy), some fruit, washing up liquid, dishcloth and loads of chopped logs for woodburner.

Oh yes, toilet roll and towels.

I would definitely expect washing up liquid, a few dw tablets, bin bags, couple of toilet rolls, tea towel, washcloth
Nice to haves- tea/coffee, bread, milk etc

I would automatically take dishwasher tabs, extra bin bags etc with me. We stay self catering a lot in the UK and abroad, what is provided varies a lot, and is not related to cost of the accommodation.
I asume there will be nothing provided and it's a bonus if is!

Just remembered, two bottles of wine, locally made carrot cake.

I'd expect things to keep you going for a day or two, not necessarily enough for a week. I'd also rather not be left random food like milk and cheese. People have different diets and what you consider basics for your family might not be eaten by another because of allergies etc.

We stay in very basic self-catering accommodation. We get a small bottle of washing up liquid and a sponge 😅The bins have a bag in them, but no extra bags. We start the holiday with a general shop for the week and pick up our own cleaning materials, bin bags, tea and coffee etc. as well as food, and whatever is left over just comes back home with us.

I don't think I'd expect the things you mention to be included. I don't wash my clothes on holiday, dirty laundry all goes into one big bag which goes into the boot of the car and straight out to the washing machine when we get home so it can be sorted and washed over a couple of days. My holiday is far too precious to spend doing laundry!

I agree with this but think it is to do with owners outsourcing the changeover to cleaning companies - they are expensive and some (not all) have a policy or removing anything left behind - a kind of staff ‘perks’ situation.
I have found cottage contents to be less predictable over time and take some dishwasher tabs /cleaning stuff etc just in case.

Yes, food isn't much use if it's not what the guests eat! We are veggie and don't really eat eggs or much dairy, so when we arrived to find the fridge stocked with 4 pints of cows milk, 6 battery eggs, and a pack each of value bacon and sausages it seemed a bit of a waste.

It does vary hugely what's provided though. Ideally at a minimum there would be a bin bag in each bin, washing up liquid and a sponge by the sink, salt and pepper in the cupboard, toilets roll plus spare in each toilet, and handwash by each basin. Oh and basic cleaning supplies including a dishwasher tablet per day if there's a dishwasher. If there's a weird coffee machine then maybe a couple of pods for the first morning but they're ££ so I wouldn't expect them to be provided for the full duration!

I had a similar experience earlier in the year. Two dishwasher tabs left for a week and one tiny bottle of washing up liquid. The only loo roll was the ones the holders, no spares. No kitchen roll, no wipes, not even a washing up sponge. Only one loo brush for three loos. Nothing like salt or pepper or anything like that. But then when we buy all these things we make sure we take every last bit home again, whereas if they weren’t so stingy I would leave things like spare loo roll behind for the next person.

We're in Devon at the moment. Ten of us in a cottage and there was toilet roll on each holder but no spares. No towels, no dishwasher tabs, no washing up liquid and so on. We brought everything with us.

I always bring everything we need and then it's a nice surprise if they've provided anything.

self catering is just that.
I wouldn't expect anything unless specified in the listing.

We expected a bit of food as the glamping place was very isolated, that was the selling point, it was just two huge tents (my brother and his family were in the other one) with kitchens and bathrooms in a field in the middle of nowhere. I think the food bundle pack was part of their selling point as made locally, organically. No electricity so it was a notion of digital detox (which the teenagers loved😬). All hot showers, all cooking could only be had if we used the wood burner- It was a massive faff and so to add food shopping to that would have been difficult in the first few days. That said, I drove to the local supermarket 40 minutes away as the DC had certain preferences. If it isn't isolated though, I wouldn't necessarily expect any food other than tea and coffee maybe but definitely expect cleaning stuff and towels, tea towels. I am surprised that at that price they would think that's acceptable.

8 years I’ve been on air BnB
multiple times I have hired a self catered apartment or house
and every experience has been so good
just back from one by the coast… loads of dishwasher tablets, cleaning materials and toilet rolls

I never ever book a property without lots of reviews over years and never less than overall rating of 4.9

That’s really tight of them.

I would like/expect one or two dishwasher tabs per day, enough coffee pods for two per adult per day, fresh milk in the fridge, kitchen roll and toilet roll enough for the week, tea towels one per day and a hand towel in kitchen and each bathroom.

I do now take all these things with me as lots of hosts are disappointing on this regard.

I'd expect toilet rolls on every holder, liners in every bin, but no spares.

I'd expect a tea towel and a dishcloth/sponge, plus washing up liquid. I'd also appreciate a dishwasher tablet or two being left, although I wouldn't expect a whole week's supply. I wouldn't expect washing powder or fabric conditioner to be left.

I'd hope for, but not expect, salt, pepper, vinegar and some cooking oil.

I'd leave the place generally clean and tidy, cleaning up after myself as we go, but I wouldn't be doing a deep clean/stripping the beds etc.

I don't mind owners squeezing a few more pounds out of their property if that's what they want to do, but I do slightly resent them not being up front about it and including mention of what's provided in the listing.

We don't have a dishwasher so can't just chuck a few tabs in a bag just in case and I'd prefer not to have to pack cleaning things that might not be needed just in case.

Not leaving a few pods for the coffee machine would annoy me unless they've got a cafetiere as well - I always bring ground coffee.

I kind of think fair enough when you're in the uk, the vest majority of people are travelling by car and could fit in a few dishwasher tabs or a bottle of washing up liquid. Were self catering abroad next week and there's no way im packing washing up liquid in my suitcase, or cleaning products (although I prob will take some laundry pods)
Luckily I think the company did provide a reasonable amount of basics last time although I think I did buy some travel wash.