Why don't holiday cottage companies do these things? AIBU?

[TheStroppyFeminist]

I have been searching for a holiday cottage for next year and so far haven't found the right one but FGS, why don't cottage companies:

1. Show you a floor plan? I want to see where each bedroom is in relation to other bedrooms because of snoring etc
2. Show you the bathrooms properly? I want a huge walk in shower and I want a separate attachment as well but you can hardly ever see whether there is one
3. Insist on a 10am checkout and a 4pm or later check in? It's annoying and we sometimes leave the day before to avoid getting up early

I also won't empty bins or strip beds, I'm on holiday! AIBU? What are your self catering hates?

YABU, understandable, they CBA
YANBU, they really should provide this info

This.
All the "arty" shots of vases/glasses/lamps.
Always makes me wonder what are they hiding 🤣🤣🤣

I totally agree with your last point about the cleaning. After getting a bad review off owners off air b and b, I've realised some expect you to fit in several hours cleaning before you leave at 10. Can't be doing with that, so will be sticking to hotels in future.

Our latest Airbnb had check in at 4pm checkout ay 9am - and yes beds had to be stripped, bedding and towels bagged separately, bins emptied and recycling sorted.
Many properties changed their check in and out times during Covid pandemic - supposedly for extra cleaning measures and seem to have decided it's convenient for them not to change back. I think it's a total rip off.

I hate the 10 a.m check outs, given they expect cleaning. It is always stressful. I don't remember it being so early before covid. The fact that you can't check in before 4 makes it worse.

I would like to be given details on check in and out times before booking so I could avoid early check out.

The timing is all about getting it cleaned and prepped for the next guests, so that’s unreasonable (although 4pm seems a bit much).
I agree, the arty-farty photos are useless and annoying! If it’s air bnb you can message the owners and ask about shower etc If it’s through a holiday rental company, you can ring them and ask. If they’re not helpful I’d be looking elsewhere.
As far as stripping beds etc. I think it’s a cheek too.

We have a timeshare U.K.
been coming for 20+ years. They just ask for used towels in bath. Dishwasher loaded but not on (fire hazard while empty) bed sheets left on so they can inspect them.

Anything broken we notify them during our stay.

Check in 4pm but will let you know if it’s ready before (happens often) check out 10am. But if no one coming in you can ask for later checkout.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief

9am check out is totally ridiculous.

We'd not been in a holiday let since 2019 and our most recent stay was a return to a cottage we'd been to before. Nothing has changed since Covid in that stripping the beds and putting towels in the shower have always been politely requested.

Obviously some people are taking the proverbial

I rent out through Airbnb. But I use a professional host who manages about 15 properties locally and she looks after absolutely everything for me beautifully. I dread her deciding to stop as I don't know what I would do! I couldn't do it myself and I don't think the large companies would be the same. She has her own website, but in fact the bookings are all through airbnb. The good thing for me starting out was that she already had a very high rating as a host, so that made up for having no reviews to get started.

Started in Jan 2022 and now have 111 reviews, 4.95 average. Pretty high occupation rate all year. It's in a popular tourist/university city so demand isn't very seasonal. My original plan was to use it myself too as I have quite a long commute. But it's so popular that it's tricky!

My own experience with Airbnb has been very good. There's always some luck involved I guess. But that's going to be true for any holiday accommodation?

PS - I'm cringing slightly as my airbnb listing is guilty of a few "arty" close up shots of a bottle of prosecco and flutes on the table etc. I blame our hosting company that did the photos.

I think the "arty" shots are nice in addition to, although not as a replacement for, the main pictures. What I want to see in the main pictures is bedroom set-ups, bathrooms, kitchen and living-room, especially the seating.

We have young children so I rule out places with glass tables with sharp corners, very steep or unsafe stairs, fabric dining-chairs or carpets under the table. Also lots of "stuff"!

Not always the point of self catering, we go self catering because we want privacy and space (so generally book a 3 bed, 3 bath apartment or house) - I don't cook at all other than possibly breakfast, we eat out all week / holiday.

We've never done several hours of cleaning, always got the deposit back and have even had comments about how tidy places have been left. That must be over at least 20 different places/companies in the last 15 years. Considering we don't do much beyond washing up and a quick wipe down it makes me wonder how places get left sometimes.

Well assuming it's not a property that can only be used for holiday lets, there's an easy solution - either rent out the house for residential use, or sell it!

But no, they want the status symbol of their second home/holiday home in Cornwall.

No sympathy from me at all.

I think some people are turds and leave a horrible mess, especially when you see the threads on here where people who've worked in hotels talk about some of the awful things they've encountered in hotel bedrooms.

But most people will leave a floor to hoover, a bin to empty and a pile of damp towels and used sheets to wash. It really won't take a cleaner that long unless it's a really big property. But then the rent will still cover the cost as the rent for a cottage that say sleeps 8 people will be huge.

You’re paying your hosting company so you could ask them not to do them? Personally I find them useless and even wonder if they’re trying to hide something.

I have sometimes asked her to change photos or wording. But she has much more experience than I do, so I tend towards trusting her judgement and knowledge of the market more than my own personal tastes. She seems to be doing an excellent job.

Sykes have a well deserved poor reputation. They visit the property when they take it on and then never again so there is no quality control.

They also have complete control over the reviews they publish or choose not to publish!

it really does take that long to clean a property to guest standard. Every floor has to be hoovered then mopped. Drawers need to be checked and cleaned if hairy. Kitchen cupboards & drawers may need a wipe out for crumbs as does the fridge freezer (and a 2nd fridge). Under beds and behind beds need a wipe, skirtings need a wipe. Door switches, tops of door frames, internal glass doors etc etc.
I offer 2 rooms of zip and link beds and that adds another 20 mins to change mattress protectors, duvets etc.
If I say my 4 bed takes 2 of us 4 to 5 1/2 hrs to turn round - it really does. 4 hrs is an absolute minimum if the previous guests haven't used all the bedrooms and have eaten out.

It can be surprisingly hard to identify the thief and then you have to be 100% sure too.

Normally we notice things "missing" but can't say for definite whether it was there at the last changeover or not. I wouldn't necessarily notice a missing corkscrew or bowl immediately but obviously would miss the TV and the Sonos devices are on the checklist to check they are present...

Yes guests do get away with the petty theft most of the time unfortunately. GDPR has made it impossible for owners to share details of bad guests amongst themselves as well but I have an excellent memory and have refused repeat bookings on more than one occasion.

Don't worry about the broken glass - we wouldn't expect you to pay for or replace it. I like all my glasses to match and we keep good stocks in the spares cupboard as we know they are vulnerable. It's just another consumables expense. After the state mine was left on Saturday a broken glass doesn't even register.

Not in my experience. I have also been using holiday cottages for decades and I had never been asked to strip beds until Covid.

Agree with pp it is often difficult to spot the thefts immediately - the person who stole all the LEDs replaced them with cheaper non LED bulbs which burnt out - so it was only then we noticed.

The only option you have is to try and claim from guests - but the type that steal don't respond to demands, so then you have small claims but the cost and time spent issuing a small claims proceeding often outweighs the cost of the items stolen.

Regulations now also mean you cannot refuse bookings from all female/all male groups - as it is discrimination. So you can end up hosting stag and hen dos - one of which smashed a hole in a wall.

We have suggested that our agents take a deposit but we were strongly discouraged - saying it would halve our bookings.

Thabk you. Yes the clue is in the stay bit of the word.

Obviously I have stayed in far inferior establishments as I have been stripping beds and cleaning since DD2 who is now 30 was a toddler

Yes there are lots of different holidays cottages at different price ranges. I wouldn’t now or in the past 20 years, go to one where I had to take my own bedding and make up beds.

I know this has been done on a different thread and we all had a lovely argument about how long it takes to strip beds but that’s not the point. The main point is on holiday, and especially the last morning, I don’t want to be stripping beds. It’s just another bloody task to do on holiday.

@SnaggingaSalmon not being able to refuse all female or all make groups are because they could be a group of lesbian or gay male couples. So if you would take a group of mixed sex couples, then turning down a single sex gay group would be discrimination and you could be sued.