Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Dear holiday cottage owners
SylHellais · 06/05/2021 23:20
We’re in one, and I felt the need to post a note to all holiday cottage owners as the following issues appear to be inherent.
- for the love of god, just buy a whole set of matching cutlery, plates and glasses. They are not expensive and it’s massively annoying to see a cupboard full of random glasses and bits of crockery you don’t want in your own house.
- sharpen your fucking knives.
- buy a set of three non stick saucepans and two non stock frying pans, one small and one large. They don’t have to be expensive.
- when women wash their hair, they need an additional bath towel.
- a plug socket, near a mirror. Thank you please.
- bin bags. And tell guests which bin is for what.
- can you please fix all the small things like the seal around the wood burner which fills the cottage with smoke, or the pedal bin which doesn’t pedal, or the radiator which is stuck on full chat because the valve is broken, or the oven which is impossible to work out how to operate.
Your guests will thank you.
Isittimenow · 06/05/2021 23:21
Cutlery/dishes etc most of the time I presume they had more (perhaps not the ideal quality or quantity) and people took or broke them and they never replaced.
Anonmousse · 06/05/2021 23:27
Not at all bothered about crockery as long as its useable, but 100% yes to sharp knives.we have various sharp knives (and potato peelers!) as holiday souvenirs 
as most places dont seem to have suitable knives.
And my most frequent complaint is no full length mirror.just because I'm on holiday doesnt mean I dont give a shit about what I look like want to check my appearance before going out.
ichundich · 06/05/2021 23:27
We now always take our own frying pan, chopping board and knives after finding the same in most holiday lets we've stayed in. Maybe they don't provide decent homeware because it gets nicked?
mrsmacmc · 06/05/2021 23:30
Oven glove too please and a couple of trays!! Added these to the bag we take with us now
TyneTeas · 06/05/2021 23:31
Ideally let us know the standard inventory in advance (both permanent and disposable) so we know whether we need to bring a particular size of oven dish or washing powder with us
LivingMyBestLife2020 · 06/05/2021 23:32
A decent vacuum. The last cottage I stayed in had an old, crap vacuum. I have a toddler and I did my best to vacuum up after my stay. I was left a “friendly” review saying I was great, but did leave the floor not vacuumed 🙄
BackforGood · 06/05/2021 23:34
for the love of god, just buy a whole set of matching cutlery, plates and glasses. They are not expensive and it’s massively annoying to see a cupboard full of random glasses and bits of crockery you don’t want in your own house.
Totally disagree with this. I am not offended my a collection of different things - much better chance of finding the type of glass you are after, and I'd also much rather pay less for the rental than having to cover the owners buying a new set everytime one item gets broken / lost / stolen
sharpen your fucking knives a good sharp knife is useful, it is true, but again, in 50 odd years of self catering, I've only found this to be an issue once or twice - it's hardly inherent
buy a set of three non stick saucepans and two non stock frying pans, one small and one large. They don’t have to be expensive.
Not sure why you would want this many things. Don't most people eat out / get take aways / put something quick and simple in the oven when on holiday, rather than preparing complicated feasts for the thousands ?
when women wash their hair, they need an additional bath towel.
No, we really don't. If you use an excessive amount of large towels, then take them with you (see point above about not raising prices to cover unnecessary purchase - and in this case, washing)
a plug socket, near a mirror. Thank you please.
I don't need one myslef, but don't feel strongly about this one
bin bags. And tell guests which bin is for what. Now I do agree with this. Recycling is completely different in every County. It would really help to have a laminated guide somewhere
can you please fix all the small things like the seal around the wood burner which fills the cottage with smoke, or the pedal bin which doesn’t pedal, or the radiator which is stuck on full chat because the valve is broken, or the oven which is impossible to work out how to operate
Good point
Quincejam · 06/05/2021 23:34
And some hooks to hang things up and a chest of drawers to put clothes in, not just a wardrobe with loads of hanging space you don't need.
MusicMenu · 06/05/2021 23:35
I don't want non stick pans, but yes a kitchen that has what you need. Reasonable knives, working tin opener, corkscrew and bottle opener. Most do though (except the knives).
Mostly I want them not to put out all the ornaments they don't like enough to have at home.
Dogmum40 · 06/05/2021 23:36
We own a lodge on a holiday park and I’m forever buying teaspoons , is there a black market for them? Do people et them ? I have absolutely no idea why happens to them but I must get through 10 - 15 a year, every year!!
Luckily everything else matches and there’s full sets of everything but as an owner the teaspoon things drives me insane 🤣
MusicMenu · 06/05/2021 23:37
@Dogmum40
Luckily everything else matches and there’s full sets of everything but as an owner the teaspoon things drives me insane 🤣
I don't know but teaspoons disappear at home too.
DramaAlpaca · 06/05/2021 23:38
If you are going to provide a bagged vacuum cleaner in the property, please make sure there is actually a bag in it. Thank you.
Quincejam · 06/05/2021 23:39
@Dogmum40 I used to do cricket teas and the teaspoons always disappeared and had to be replaced several times during the season!
Neolara · 06/05/2021 23:39
And if your house is advertised as sleeping 6, have a saucepan big enough to cook potatoes or pasta for 6 not just a load of teeny-tiny pans. And yes to sharp knives. (I now take my own).
BlairWarner · 06/05/2021 23:41
Agree to all of those, OP! Where do they even find such blunt knives?
Dogmum40 · 06/05/2021 23:44
[quote Quincejam]@Dogmum40 I used to do cricket teas and the teaspoons always disappeared and had to be replaced several times during the season! [/quote]
Maybe we should set up an investigation agency to find all the missing teaspoons, they might be with lost socks and Tupperware lids 😉🤷♀️😍
TyneTeas · 06/05/2021 23:44
Yes also sharp knives. Need to be able to at least slice an uncut loaf, chop an onion finely and carve a chicken. Happy with a knife sharpener
fizzycokezero · 06/05/2021 23:46
But honestly as a holiday let owner I am astonished by the amount of things that get broken. I don't break nearly so many things at home - how does it happen? This is why things are mismatched. You can't replace full sets every week!!
Dogmum40 · 06/05/2021 23:49
@fizzycokezero
At the end of every year we replace it all and yes you are correct every dinner plate, side plate, dish and mug looks like it’s been nibbled as part of the meal! Did I mention I lose teaspoons regularly too! 😆
Justajot · 06/05/2021 23:50
The blunt knives are usually because the chopping boards are glass not the plastic or wooden ones you would have at home. This is because plastic ones look tatty really quickly as the get scarred by knives. But instead glass ones are tougher than the knives so don't scar but do blunt knives.
We always take our own chopping board and knives as this is a problem in almost every cottage we've stayed in.
Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 06/05/2021 23:50
I have long thick hair and I don't need an extra towel.
Get out of shower. Dry hair with towel a. Then dry body with towel a.
CorianderBee · 06/05/2021 23:57
Coasters. Please. I don't want to worry I'm leaving ring marks on your stuff.
If there's a double bed please provide more than two pillows.
kittenkipping · 06/05/2021 23:59
Tea spoons are the kitchen equivalent of socks though right? You start with 8 and can hope for as many as 4. The crockery mis matching I can live with. The blunt knives? Awful. I'm not even as nice as others here, I don't want a sharpener. I want the host to do a 30 second turn and sharpen then between guests. It takes a good amount of time to sharpen a truely blunt knife, which I'm not happy to do on a holiday. Of course I now take my own knives, but only because blunt knives are the absolute norm in all holiday lets/ air bnb/ caravans
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