Holiday cottage equipment....

[1hamwich4]

Just want a second opinion here. There is no drama, no outrage, no tragedy. We will not be complaining or anything. Yes, it is a first world issue.

We have just arrived at our holiday cottage. It is in the middle of a National Park, first week of the school hols, so not particularly cheap.

Which of these items would you expect to find in your cottage?

1. A few Tea bags
2. Pint of milk
3. Toilet roll
4. Guest soap
5. Washing up liquid/few dishwasher tablets
6. WiFi

If you can be bothered please tell me the order of likelihood that you might expect these in. I'm curious to know whether my reaction on arrival was reasonable or not...

I would only expect wifi if that was one of the features in the listing when I booked.

The only thing to expect would be a loo roll or two, although I'd expect to then buy more for the week. It's self catering, not a hotel, so unless wifi or a welcome pack has been specified, anything more than loo roll is a bonus.

That said, the last place I rented came with a vase of flowers, chocolates, a bottle of sparkling wine , bottled water, lemonade and chocolate cakes for the kids, milk, croissants, washing up liquid, a bag of ice cubes, teabags and coffee. It was a lovely surprise.

Loo rolls
Guest soap
Washing up liquid
Kitchen towels
Tea towels
Scourer
Tea bags
Milk
Sachets of coffee
Salt and Pepper
Surface cleaner

Just returned from expensive villa in Spain. Lots of loo roll and handsome but not even a bottle of water for when we arrived. I turned down the very expensive welcome pack as have been caught out by the hideous wine cheap ham sliced bread scenario before. But water!!?!?

The only thing I wouldn't expect would be the wifi unless it was specifically stated. Most cottages I've stayed in have had a welcome pack and lots have had left-over shampoos & condiments to use like cooking oil/salt pepper vinegar etc etc

Loo roll. That's it.

When staying at a place I've rented myself, I'd only expect toilet roll from that list, unless a welcome pack was specifically mentioned, in which case I'd definitely expect a couple of dishwasher tablets, some milk and bread, some tea, coffee and sugar, maybe some chocs or a cake. I'd also expect towels and linen to be included!

We have our own holiday let and in it we provide;
Towels, bedlinen, tea towels
Toilet roll
Handwash
Tea
Coffee
Sugar
Flour
Oil
Wine vinegar
Kitchen roll
Tin foil
Cling film
Gas BBQ (with gas!)

We also provide a selection of DVDs, books and games, plus binoculars and telescope (as our apartment overlooks an estuary and is directly opposite an RSPB coastal reserve so there are lots of birds to spot).

There is also a communal herb garden that people are welcome to snip herbs from if required, WiFi and a complimentary (temporary) membership for all guests to use at a local MacDonald hotel health club.

All of this is stated on our website though so I think the key to finding a holiday let is to fully read the terms and conditions and if there's any doubt then ring/email and ask what will be provided for you? However, as you have said there was supposed to be a welcome pack then I'd be pretty hacked off at finding nothing in it!!

All of those things would be lovely however from experience it's not often the case. Most of the time you just get loo rolls. I think some owners have bad experiences of guests taking liquid soaps and dishwasher tabs home with them which ruins it for everyone. I stayed in a lovely barn in Suffolk this year and they left a lovely complimentary hamper with local cider, stollen (it was the festive period) and jams and a pint of milk in the fridge. All soaps and dishwasher tabs and washing up liquid were left too. It's one thing to go self catering, i.e buy your own food but to have to stock up on cleaning products can be a low point at the start of your hard earned holiday.

In our cottage we provide
Loo rolls
Liquid soap
Washing up liquid
Dishwasher tabs
Surface cleaner
Tea towels
scourer,
kitchen towel ,
cling film and foil
In our welcome pack we provide
Sachets of coffee , sugar and teabags
Posh biscuits
Posh crisps
Couple of apples
Small bottle of wine
We ask if visitors have milk , and if they would like some , provide it

Health and safety issues with soap and fairy liquid ?
The worlds gone mad

singingsandwich sounds lovely, got a website??

The best supplied place we stayed in was an English owned villa in Spain which had everything - it was like staying in a home, the cupboards had loads of dry goods in, rice, pasta, tea, coffee, herbs, olive oil, sugar, etc and there was loads of cleaning stuff, loo roll, tea towels, cling film, dw tablets, bin bags. There was a big welcome pack with bread, wine, biscuits, & milk and a note asking you to replace any thing you used and finished. It was so nice not to have to faff about buying the small stuff and we were happy to buy and leave stuff - the whole place had such a welcoming feel to it. It was crammed with books, DVDs, paper & pens, games, pool kit & pretty much everything you could think of - we have found very few others that have matched it!

Ultimately I think as long as what you get is clearly described in the details then that's ok, I wouldn't expect WIFI if it's not mentioned, but yes loo roll, even if it's not a whole one, to get you through until you shop should be included.

Health and safety issues with soap and fairy liquid ? .Doilook - this is the exact reason that Villa Plus gave for not supplying us with anything - soap, washing up liquid, dishwasher tables, salt, bin bags - nada. Apparently providing one toilet roll per bathroom may also be a H&S issue as well. I don't expect stocks for the week, but when a small child goes to the bathroom in an expensive luxury villa, after a long journey you don't expect to be feeding toilet paper under the door to them as there isn't any there.

I think perhaps we are spoilt as the villas/apartments we rent privately usually provide these things and a couple of bottles of wine as well.

I know that it's a luxury and you have to do a supermarket shop anyway, but for the buttons it would cost to leave these things it gives a very inhospitable impression to renters. My favourite rental was a condo in Whistler where previous items had been left, so I got to have delicious maple syrup on my porridge for a few days.

There is a very exclusive holiday cottage (well 3 bed house really) to let near to where I am. beautiful balcony with barbecue to take in the sea views etc. Only problem is, it's overlooking a building site next door with work going on from 8am to 6pm 6 days a week. I wouldn't be happy if I'd just parted with £1k for a week of that!

Added to our list ( 😀)
Cooking salt and a pepper grinder ( full of peppercorns )

One roll of toilet roll per toilet. Wifi if mentioned in the description. It is self-catering.

I think it pays to read the descriptions in full to see what is/isn't included.

Wifi isn't something all owners would consider, especially if it's not something they'd use themselves.

Tea towels and bath/hand towels are not always included, so I check carefully (it's one less item to pack if they supply), although, I always take a couple of rough towels for beach use, I'd never use those from the property.

I've been to one place where pretty much all dry goods included, just replacing what you use, and others where all I found was some salt and pepper in a cupboard.

So just on case, I take a few teabags, a tea towel, some coffee and some sugar pending that initial shop.

We have never had wine left for us. OH is a wine enthusiast and I suspect that any wine that was left might not meet his expectations anyway.

We've stayed in places where only loo roll was supplied and some where there was a cream tea and lots of useful stuff provided. It does irritate me when things like the dishwasher tablets appear to be rationed - but I understand that they've possibly had someone nick the pack at some point in the past.

If the place was advertised as providing a welcome pack, I'd be tempted to check just what you could have expected to find. It's possible someone is helping themselves to what is meant for the renters.

I don't see why someone taking liquid soap or a handful of dishwasher tablets (how do they know they've been taken rather than used? ) makes it impossible to provide them on an ongoing basis. The soap is £1.50 a bottle, the tablets are £3 a box at Aldi. Not a huge outlay when you're getting 1k plus for a week.
I discussed this thread with the owner of our place (a Sawdays one in South Devon for those interested) and she said her aim was to provide enough stuff that people arriving after a long drive didn't have to go out again that evening. Sounds fair enough to me.

We provide:-

Loo rolls (3 in each loo)
Hand soap
Mini shower gel
Mini shampoo
Towels (hand towel, medium sized towel and bath sheet per person)
Dish towels (7)
Dish washer tablets
Washing up liquid
Anti bac spray
Cloths
Scourers
Bin bags
Cling film
Tin foil
Sachets of tea, fruit tea, coffee, sugar, sweetener, mini packs of biscuits
A basket of bread, fresh farm eggs, milk, bacon, butter, cheese, jam pots (the mini ones) or home made if they prefer, crisps and a bottle of wine.
Logs for the log burner
Gas for the BBQ
Basic condiments (sauces, mustards, salt and pepper)

Our cottages are very near our house and I'm around in the summer holidays if anyone needs anything else. We often have people join us for BBQ's or dinner too. We don't mention on our cottage website but they're welcome to use our indoor pool as well.

I think I'd expect everything except WiFi. Lots of rural areas have real trouble getting an internet connection.

The best cottage we every stayed in had a welcome pack which included half a dozen freshly laid eggs from the farm and a homemade cake filled with cream and jam made with fruit from the farm.

I would only expect loo roll, but now always take some since one memorable occasion: was bursting for a wee when we arrived and there was no loo roll in either of two loos! Luckily the place was in the centre of Lyme Regis and there was a shop across the road - dh was dispatched forthwith.

Last place did leave teabags. milk and some nice biscuits, but I would never expect any of it.

Within UK if it's a longish drive I stick a plastic bottle of milk, slightly emptied, in the freezer the night before. It then serves as a cooler for any other food, and will be thawed enough for tea/coffee once we arrive.

I take soap, towels, tea towels, washing up liquid, sponge wipes for kitchen, salt, pepper, cooking oil, tea, coffee, sugar, and food for first breakfast.
Would only expect wifi if it's specified.
Have just booked somewhere for September, but the place I would have liked best had no wifi. Would have thought it'd be standard nowadays TBH.

We've stayed in many cottages and they vary greatly in what they provide - anything from the very splendid list provided at bods place to pretty much naff all. I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere that didn't have at least one roll of toilet paper, but even that, they're not obliged to provide so I always bring some, just in case. I think the only thing you could reasonably complain about would be the WiFi, so long it states in the details that it's provided, because not everywhere does.

I know it's annoying when they haven't even left the basics like soap, but try not to let it set the mood for the rest of your holiday. Hope the cottage itself and area are nice and you have a lovely stay!