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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

This holiday cottage is rubbish

146 replies

champagnesocialist11 · 25/06/2022 00:55

Can anyone sympathise? I will be asking for a full refund.

We came here for our honeymoon 8 years ago, it was absolutely lovely.

Haven't been on holiday since 2017 for various reasons.

Anyway! We've booked the same 'lovely' cottage In Northumberland; when we booked it it was owned by the same owner who really cared for it, since then she's sold it and now it's honestly awful. ( we booked before Covid)

It has an Aga, no oven glove or tea towel to get anything out of the damn thing, we have an Aga and I'd have bloody brought our own if I'd known; the 'flat screen tv' doesn't have a picture; just sound so that's nice, the garden is sold as enclosed but the fence has fallen over so it's not at all.

The smoke alarm keeps beeping because it needs new batteries. If we'd known I'd have bought one before hand. There is 1 non cracked glass, so we're drinking champagne out of mugs. There is no kettle or toaster. We had a kettle in the car by a lucky accident because i bought a new one for our Aga and forgot to get it out of the car before coming away but wtf???

It's a first world issue I know that, but I just feel cheated. It cost us £300 to rent this for the weekend.

OP posts:
Solonge · 26/06/2022 20:19

Take photo’s of everything…little videos…send to the company you booked it via, the owner and if no joy….after rating it with a 1 on trip advisor…start tweeting about it.

Neverendingdust · 26/06/2022 20:21

I sympathise OP because earlier this year we had a cottage in St Ives that was absolutely filthy, hadn’t been deep cleaned for a long time and the previous occupants left the rubbish bin full and the ‘cleaners’ hadn’t checked either! It took a good few hours of cleaning to be able to stay there. The letting agent couldn’t have been any less bothered which was infuriating, certainly a company we’d avoid using again.

We made the most of a crappy start and ended up having a great holiday but the last thing you want to do upon arrival is to have to clean your accommodation yourself.

antelopevalley · 26/06/2022 20:41

What letting agent had you used?

Strangeways19 · 26/06/2022 20:43

I'd email them anyway to complain straight away with photos. While you're there don't delay it

champagnesocialist11 · 26/06/2022 20:50

@antelopevalley I originally booked it direct through the owner but they sold it to Stay North Yorkshire.

OP posts:
gabagoulghost · 26/06/2022 21:10

Ha! Someone complained in 2021 about the lack of oven gloves 😂

This holiday cottage is rubbish
champagnesocialist11 · 26/06/2022 21:15

@gabagoulghost hahah! Ffs I will be scrutinising reviews next time!!!

OP posts:
bloodyunicorns · 26/06/2022 21:25

The website should have included a list of what's in each room, so should have mentioned Aga, kettle, toaster... if it did, complain.

But these are not luxuries, they are essentials!!

Holiday cottages should do much better.

Snoken · 26/06/2022 21:38

On Tripadvisor it says it should have a toaster and kettle under ameneties: www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g1517129-d23998104-Host_Stay_Madera_Cottage-Hedley_on_the_Hill_Northumberland_England.html

Naunet · 26/06/2022 21:44

rookiemere · 25/06/2022 17:51

TBH I don't think the issues are worthy of a full refund. The cottage is still usable albeit not the standard OP was expecting. I'd want something like 20-30% back but number of bog rolls is never standard so don't mention that.

It’s not to a LEGAL standard, I think that deserves more.

bellac11 · 26/06/2022 21:49

In the pictures on tripadvisor it has a tea towel and oven glove!

No handrail on the stairs, is that legal?

OutDamnedSpot · 26/06/2022 21:50

Reviews on Booking.com are awful. The alarm was beeping in APRIL!!

olympicsrock · 26/06/2022 21:58

Aga toast is amazing! Wouldn’t use anything else!

champagnesocialist11 · 26/06/2022 22:55

@olympicsrock I agree! However when I posted I hadn't found the Aga toast tennis bat thing! We did complain.

In fairness i booked this 2 years ago direct with the owner and then she sold to another bloke who uses Stay North Yorkshire, and all the shitty reviews are after she sold but i didn't know she had. It's really sad actually

OP posts:
PerfectlyQuiet · 26/06/2022 23:10

Oh dear. The air B and B reviews aren't promising at all

champagnesocialist11 · 26/06/2022 23:24

@PerfectlyQuiet it's on air bnb?

Flipping heck! I'm never doing self catering again

OP posts:
Ineke · 27/06/2022 01:17

The holiday cottage company I use is open everyday, kettles and toasters and oven gloves are the basics and should be provided. TVs can stop working suddenly for no apparent reason. Register your complaint immediately .

Ineke · 27/06/2022 01:18

What is Aga toast tennis bat thing please?

Ineke · 27/06/2022 01:31

@cricketwidoww thank you for that,

Buttonjugs · 27/06/2022 12:49

FlorianImogen · 25/06/2022 13:03

Wired in alarms still have batteries in them

Yes, they do. Mine still beep when the battery needs changing.

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