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?

I would definitely expect basic cleaning supplies at that price, and have had them at half the price.

It's not even a our the money, it's the inconvenience of having to go to a supermarket or corner shop and find all the things you need.

That’s really stingy. Our last cottage was about 1000 a week and all cleaning stuff was provided - including enough dishwasher tabs for a week and a generous amount of coffee pods to get us started. I wouldn’t expect laundry tabs as people have strong personal preferences. This was great as we were travelling light.

Normally I travel with my own supplies when self catering - even my own tin opener… there’s no consistency at all.

I prefer if when the cottage leaves the offerings of previous guests - it’s so much nicer to have a supply of condiments etc

For that price I’d expect unlimited supplies of everything plus the moon on a stick! Definitely contact the owner.
I do find it varies enormously though. I now bring a bag of essentials on every SC holiday, but I’m disappointed if I actually have to use it.
I think reviews are selected to include only 100% positive ones.
In future if there’s any uncertainty you can always email the owner beforehand and ask what’s included.

I’m guessing you haven’t booked a week’s cottage in a popular tourist area during summer school holidays for a long time

I don't know why you bother going SC. I have never done that and stayed in SC places loads of times.

@BlackeyedSusan wtf? This sounds… shit. Half the car must be taken up with supplies.

Have you ever considered getting a place that provides these? Most so! Well certainly not one single one have I ever visited hasn’t provided some of this in the UK

or are you talking about places abroad?

If I’m staying in a holiday cottage I always take all the essentials (fairy liquid, cloth, tea towel, kitchen roll, loo rolls, dishwasher tabs, tea/coffee/sugar, hand soap, bin bags etc). I find they vary a lot as to what is included but I’ve rarely found more than one loo roll in each toilet and more than a couple of bin bags. There’s usually a few dishwasher tabs!

I would expect some coffee pods, a few bin bags and some dishwasher tablets.

I'm in process of buying a holiday let situated on a promenade overlooking the sea. Once I've upgraded decor and bought furniture I'm planning on leaving a welcome basket for guests including toilet roll, milk, bread, 6 x eggs, carton of fresh orange juice tea bags, cake and coffee beans. I'd also leave a couple of black bin bags, dishwasher tablets for however many days they were staying. I'd also leave salt, pepper, a few herbs and spices including chilli flakes and olive oil. Nobody wants to buy a whole jar of herbs if they are staying for 2-3 nights. Obviously all utensils including tin opener, bottle opener and corkscrew. I wouldn't leave washing tablets or fabric conditioner as people like different brands. Do you think that sounds reasonable or is anything else needed? No idea on pricing as Sykes are doing all of that for me.

Sounds great. Maybe some tomato sauce or vinegar for the fish and chips?

A holiday let on a promenade overlooking the sea please send me the details!

Honestly I think that’s too much. A bottle of wine or some biscuits is fine. T bags too. I always use the washing powder provided as I don’t want to take my own.

Have you considered your profit margin if you’re providing this for every guest?

The last place we stayed in had half a dozen pods for the coffee machine, dishwasher tabs, laundry supplies in the laundry room and lots of cleaning stuff in a cupboard.
Couldn't fault it.
I don't think we've ever stayed somewhere that had no supplies at all, even in commercially managed places.

Its annoying but normal. The good places have a few bin bags and dishwasher tablets for the duration, but they are few and far between. I pack the bin bags, loo roll and coffee from home automatically now.

The very best welcome basket we've ever had was in a cottage in the Dordogne, many years ago.
Along with basics it included a bottle of wine from the owner's vineyard, a melon and French beans from the garden and apricots from their tree. All totally delicious.
There was also a resident cat and a tortoise, much to the delight of 2 yr-old DS.

I would expect enough supplies to start off, hopefully to last the whole stay but possibly not. One problem is relying on housekeeper/cleaner to top up supplies if other guests have used them up and, if you’re not doing it yourself, you never know

Away with dh, dd and SiL plus their toddler and baby, I was once seriously pissed off when a family-sized seaside property had no wherewithal for drying beach towels - we’d have been happy with a heated airer, but there wasn’t even that.

There was a small outside space with a washing line, but it was late September with the odd shower, and misty drizzle more than once at night.

It was a pretty expensive place, too. You’d think that at least a heated airer would be standard,

I’ve come to the sad conclusion that far too many holiday let owners are just downright sodding stingy!

The one you choose to go to

back very recently from a coastal air BnB. And there was a tumble dryer and a hanging rail over the bathroom and one outside too!

That’s really poor. We went to a holiday Cottage and had a welcome pack of wine, biscuits, cereal, milk in fridge, butter, tea bags, coffee and, amazingly, they provided a spider catcher which we definitely needed.

There were loads of cleaning supplies too. £2000 is a piss take and they are mean. Make sure you leave a review. If there isn’t a deposit, don’t clean it before you leave. CFs.

They do vary massively. I have found that the likes of Sykes must specify that certain things are provided - we always get milk and chocolates and there are always cleaning products. I think independents are more varied.

Only once did we stay somewhere with nothing. Of course it was the most expensive cottage we ever booked!

Gently, you'll stop doing that pretty quickly.

People will complain about the eggs - unless you buy organic.
People will complain about orange juice - they'll want apple juice.
People will complain about tea bags - whatever you get, will be wrong.
People will complain about cake - unless you plan on going gluten, dairy and sugar free (so many people have allergies these days that you risk actually leaving something no one can eat and thus wasting food).
People will damage your coffee machine if it's bean to cup - because they won't clean it and will not use it carefully. At least with Nespresso ones it can take a few months at a time of not being cleaned. Bean to cup should be cleaned daily...particularly if there is a milk wand.

Honestly, unless you plan on charging a lot and having a 'damage deposit' you're going to find yourself really struggling. You'd be really surprised what people will steal from holiday cottages and how much they damage the property and how much 'routine' produce that you provide as standard adds up.

Being completely brutal, unless you are charging top whack for your property (and it is nice enough to justify the cost) you cannot afford the above. Not with the costs involved in running a property - people do not treat holidays cottages as they would their houses. They run the dishwasher more, the tumble drier more, have more showers etc. It doesn't sound like much but it really adds up.

And, as a holiday cottage owner, I wouldn't use Sykes if you paid me!

If I arrived somewhere and there were no toilet rolls I’d be absolutely furious. It’s absolutely basic.also if no bin bags, I certainly wouldn’t be buying them. One bin bag is usually enough for a week anyway.

Yip

Next year stay home and save yourself 4k

@LandSharksAnonymous can I ask why you would not use Sykes? I've had a few holiday brakes with them in Scotland and Wales and really enjoyed the accommodation. They do a fully managed service with advertising, booking, cleaning service and high quality laundry and linen rental service they use included. As it's over 100 miles from our home we thought it would be best to use their fully managed service. Have you had a bad experience with them?

@caringcarer

Look at your bottom line first before thinking you’ll be providing eggs and fresh on etc etc