Holiday cottage - right to feel annoyed

[Liciaflorrick]

We like lots of people have not had a holiday for 3 years. Booked a holiday cottage (through big company). Am disappointed but am not sure if I need to simply get a grip over the following. We haven’t done a cottage holiday before but even though it was £2000 for a week it was actually cheaper than our normal Haven type holiday (school hols, decent lodge etc)

• arrived and key box instructions not correct (wrong key code) meaning out of hours call to holiday company to sort- took half an hour to fix with hungry kids etc


• House was reasonably clean but not spotless, crumbs underneath sofa and dust in corners, chopping boards with crumbs on, cutlery drawer dirty. I am not a clean freak so for me to notice must in the words of my teen mean it’s quite bad.


• one toilet out of three not working (but town house so means where floor with kids bedrooms don’t have a working toilet. To be fair cottage company tried to sort this but couldn’t and it will have to wait until changeover.


• Clothes left in a drawer with unmarked tablets in one of the children bedroom’s drawers

I don’t know if it is reasonable to be irritated about these small things but have never had the dirt issue etc with other holidays mainly mobile homes etc) . I do feel let down, that having spent £2k (saved hard all year) that it isn’t perfect. Is this simply not possible within this budget?

That’s grim! I’d be ringing them now and telling them to get a cleaner in that will clean, and asking why it was left in such a filthy state.

I’d take photos and complain now. I’d expect a partial refund. I’d assume not cleaned at all (perhaps cleaner couldn’t get in due to same code issue)

Wow I just paid £250 for our haven break in school holidays. Yours is definitely not cheaper. Yes you need to complain. At £2k I'd expect a palace with

crazy seeing as you can go from london to a nice sunny location all inclusive Accomodation and flights for £300 PP

Key code thing is annoying but a presumably just a mistake so never mind. Loo thing is annoying but things do break and you have an alternative loo so I would let that one slide too.
But the tablets I wouldn't be happy about, good job you checked the drawers! Why would there even be someone else's clothes and tablets in the drawer?!
And the crumbs, especially the ones on the chopping board... Makes me feel a bit ill! I would have expected the place cleaned and things like chopping boards put away. If it's a big one that stays on the side, it certainly should have been cleaned. How long have the crumbs been there? You have no idea. So gross. I would be kicking up a fuss about those 2 issues.

I would expect a discount of 25%

Appalling.

I would be disgusted.

The pills being left is unbelievable.

Have you taken photos?

2k? I would be kicking up a huge fuss.

Last holiday before Covid we arrived to a non functioning only toilet. Fortunately we managed by throwing buckets of water down it to flush and the owner got someone out the next morning - and we got a nice cheque in recompense.

I'm by no means a clean freak but that doesn't sound reasonably clean to me

They’ve taken the cleaning fee from the previous renters. They’re not going to bother with the broken toilet (that would piss me off, excuse the pun), they’re going to leave that. Nothing was cleaned thoroughly.
Paying £2k, I’d get a partial refund. I would not be happy paying for something I didn’t fully get.

Is it one of those Airbnb places I keep reading about on here, where they charge the guest a huge cleaning fee, but also get the guests to clean before leaving? Doesn't sound like it's had actual paid cleaners in. I'd be pretty annoyed and want a part refund.

I run a 3 bedroom holiday cottage and currently pay £160 for cleaning (costs have spiralled recently and finding staff is very tricky) and £50 for laundry. The cleaners are OK, certainly never perfect though. I'm on my fourth company and still have the same issues - not hoovering under beds or sofas, crumbs, oven not fully cleaned, lack of attention to detail, things left in drawers etc. Unfortunately agency staff, and private cleaners, will try to get away with as quick a clean as possible. I don't live nearby so find myself travelling there every other week to deep clean for hours. It's exhausting and I feel like selling up sometimes. However I haven't had any recent complaints, but that's probably because I'm always going over there and constantly replacing and fixing items . Any holiday cottage with a fully hands-off owner will nearly always be a bit grim unfortunately, unless they have an unusually good cleaner. The cleanest cottages are probably those cleaned by owners, no one else will take as much care over it. I once had a terrible review from a guest complaining about a bit of food on one spatula which I felt was unfair as it's almost impossible to check every piece of equipment in the kitchen each changeover. I do wish guests would wash up a little more carefully though! She also left the cottage in an absolutely disgusting state in any case. I'd rather guests contacted me in order to put things right or for compensation instead of leaving a bad review as they are so damaging to small businesses (unless it's terrible and then I suppose you have a duty to warn other potential guests). I don't think I've ever stayed in a spotless cottage and I always spray all surfaces on arrival as I am too aware of the shortcuts that cleaners take. I've only complained once in a really smelly Airbnb and she let me leave early and refunded the other nights (on the understanding that I didn't leave a review). All her reviews were five stars praising the quirky decor. No one mentioned the dirty fridge full of her food and cupboards and drawers full of her stuff and the doggy smelling throws and stained sofas! I have never booked dog friendly accommodation since then though.

all that just tellsme they didnt clean anything-as for the to0ilet they can send a plumber round doesnt have to wait till changeover thats crap

we had a broken toilet theres was another one upstairs but they still cam and fixed it whilst we were there

This happened to us some years ago, missing BBQ, broken bed and drawers, dirty pans , dirty dishwasher, crumbs and dust everywhere.
this is not to be expected, the property should be immaculate.
in our case we contacted the local person who wouldn’t even enter the cottage. We complained to the company the next and they moved us to any cottage in the same price band and the band above.

Youreeavinalaff

It's shocking how difficult it is to find good cleaners, I went through 3 professional agencies and it still wasn't good enough. Finally found a local lady and she's fantastic, does absolutely everything up to a very high standard each time, I love her.

At that price I would expect spotless and show home attention to detail. I've stayed in several holiday cottages in the past few years including last summer and they have all been spotless.

@Lipsandlashes I paid £565 last year (Scotland) and am paying £610 this year (Italy) it's possible away from tourist traps

I rented a van at a haven site this month it cost £1350 which in itself is outrageous for 4 nights it was meant to be one of the nice vans anyway ours had a used Condom inside the kettle I couldn’t believe it complained and was refunded 25% of my booking but not without a fuss initially was only offered to move vans at more cost to myself as our grade was all sold out so we’d of had to upgraded even more

Holiday cottage owner here - no most of that is not good enough. All drawers and cupboards should be checked on each changeover for forgotten items and the kitchen/bathrooms should be close to spotless. I'd certainly notice a shoddy vacuuming job too.

Decent cleaners are hard to get and we spot check with unannounced visits every so often.

One loo broken out of 3 though I would probably forgive. They do break occasionally and in rural areas plumbers can't always appear at the drop of a hat. They often need to make 2 visits, especially if the problem is a broken part which then has to be sourced. It would only have to wait til changeover however if guests are unwilling to allow our tradesman in whilst they are there.

Aaaand this is why I always follow the protocol in hotel rooms and holiday accommodation of boiling the kettle and emptying out the water three times before I make a cup of tea.

@ArcheryAnnie I too shall follow your protocol after that experience 🤣

Why are you looking under the sofa? To be able to find crumbs 🫣

Loads of reasons you might move a sofa, better view, better view of the tv, nearer the aircon, Childs/dogs toy gone underneath etc etc.

Make sure you complain ASAP. Holiday Cottage companies never take complaints as seriously if you wait until you get home to make them. I think you should be getting a much higher standard than you have described, regardless of what you have paid.

I come from the midlands and live in a seaside town in Devon. £2k a week? Now I understand why we are so popular in the summer. Taking us out for a meal and buying me flowers is a bargain isn't it.