One here for holiday cottage owners (if you are renting them out.)

[NotonTheHighSt]

If you rent one out, do you ask for feedback from guests?

I've just had a week away in a lovely cottage - location great, etc etc - and it was 5*. BUT the mattresses were saggy and past their best. (The cottage was first rented out 10 years ago.)

It's a place we'd love to keep going back to but the beds really put me off. I hated going to bed each night as each side of the bed was soft compared to the middle!

It's hard to know if they were first bought as 'soft' mattresses or are just worn.

Is there any way to raise it with the owner on the basis we'd love to be regular guests but the beds need sorting out?

Airbnb do.

Contact the company you rented it through. Most owners would like feedback of this nature especially when you liked everything else and this is the only negative.

Not on Airbnb

Not through an agency. They have their own website - 5 cottages in total- so booking are direct. They are in the brochure Premier Cottages but it's owned by the 'cottage owners' and is merely a showcase, not a booking agency.

I leave a note for the owners when I leave. Or message them direct. Not sure what happens though to my comments

I am an owner of a holiday cottage (do private rentals and airb) and I would defintely appreciate feedback from a guest. I would email them and say how much you would love to return and whether its possible to bring a mattress topper next time with you as the bed was a little too squishy for your liking (or similar), would that work?

@puddlepoddle

I am an owner of a holiday cottage (do private rentals and airb) and I would defintely appreciate feedback from a guest. I would email them and say how much you would love to return and whether its possible to bring a mattress topper next time with you as the bed was a little too squishy for your liking (or similar), would that work?

Wouldn’t you rather potential return guests are just honest in their feedback? Why the need to dress it up as wanting to take a mattress topper? No one wants that sort of faff.

It's tricky!

One place we stay at regularly has a feedback form.

I just can't understand how anyone would not consider replacing a mattress regularly. A comfy bed is a basic requirement. They go as far as having wall mounted TVs in bedrooms, yet a new mattress is hard to come by

I suppose the owners inspect it and clean it regularly, but they never actually sleep in the beds, so they have no idea what they feel like.

Definitely give feedback, by email if possible. Be honest - tell them all the positives and that you’d like to return but the mattresses need replacing.

How is it tricky to email them with that bit of very mild feedback, @NotonTheHighSt?

What have you got to lose by telling them all you loved about the place, but pointing this out to them politely and asking them to let you know if they replace them, as you'd very much like to book again?

Presumably the beds are off-putting enough for you not to bother if they don't?

Just email them.
It's not a personal insult , it's a business .

I have a holiday let and get feedback regularly. We never take offence, it helps us improve our business.
I do have a personal policy though of waiting for two or three complaints that say the same thing ( if it is a matter of personal taste) before making changes.

ie if one person comments that the sofa is too deep and saggy I wouldn't change it until I heard that twice as typically the next guest says something like "I loved how squishy and cosy the sofa is!'

They need your feedback to improve. As a PP said - they probably don't sleep in the beds so your comments are valuable.

I’d definitely raise it.
I did raise exactly this once - an otherwise nice 3 bed property with just me and dh and my Dsis staying.
Her mattress was so hideously lumpy, springs protruding, etc., she had to pad it with the duvets from the twin beds in bedroom 3 (those mattresses were also ancient and lumpy).

I’m afraid some holiday let owners can be notoriously tight/stingy about replacing basics that have had their day.

Don’t make up stories about mattress toppers! It would make no difference to saggy mattress.

The owners don’t sleep in the beds so will have no idea. If they can’t take honest feedback they shouldn’t be in the holiday business.

Just tell them. Only fault is the poor mattress and part of a good holiday is having a sound sleep. If that could be sorted the cottage would be perfect.

Yes of course. I would far prefer you tell us than just leave a negative review without telling us.

We get various private reviews on things they would like. Some easy to change or we haven’t thought of.

Although one did complain that the 2 bedrooms with 4 beds, was only suitable for 4. They wondered if we could fit another 4 beds in so they could come with friends next time… not entirely sure how to magic up extra expanding bedrooms.

We also had a negative review on booking once that they came in July for a summer holiday but it rained. Not sure how I can change the weather either.

Certainly raise it. You can mention what you liked too.

‘Loved the location and X, Y and Z. Think mattresses are probably getting old and need replacing - felt saggy and not quite what you’d expect in a 5* cottage’

Yes, some guests leave barmy feedback. Owners can just ignore this. Some will also ignore sensible and useful feedback….but that’s up to them. All you can do is give it.

You could say ‘would love to return but found the mattresses very saggy. As a good nights sleep is such a key part of a holiday, we could only return if they had been replaced’

And then at the point if looking for another holiday, you can simply ask if the mattresses have been replaced. If it’s a ‘no’ then you simply don’t re-book. Customers do have to vote with their feet, but owners aren’t mind-readers and need to be told what the issues are.

Feedback is always good, but mattresses are tricky, such a personal choice for the best comfort. But of course if a mattress is sagging, it needs replacement.

I rent a flat in a family location fairly regularly to give me some space while visiting relatives. Penultimate time I was there I noticed some annoying niggles - bedside lamp not working. Bathroom door lock faulty.

I emailed the owner and said - look these are minor issues. I'm not sure if you know about them but they were irritating as a guest & won't cost much to fix.

She thanked me and fixed them. And let me rent again. so obv not too annoying!

Just tell them honestly

I own a holiday house and the king size mattress are both 10 years old and they are perfect! But they were not cheap rubbish! I provide batters toppers and they are comfortable beds. As the two singles are!

I do appreciate issues being raised but frankly I rarely get any. I don’t have a crap house. Unfortunately 5* is a level of equipment and not quality.

I’ve just come back from renting a 4* for 4 people with 2 uncomfortable (awful) lounge chairs, no lidded casserole, one tiny frying pan, one set of 4 bowls for soup/cereals, deserts, no mixing bowls, (so not equipped for winter self catering, no smart tv, no coffee machine, no music system, a muddy parking space and tiny bath towels. Some things matter, and some don’t so much, but a little bit of upgrading would go a long way! Otherwise it was great. Big comfy beds and a great barn conversion. I have my house so I can live in it fully. Some people never stay in these cottages and spend the minimum on them! But it’s best to say something via feedback.

But Premier Inn replace all their mattresses every 6-12 months! @TizerorFizz

There were a couple of other small niggles, like having to buy loo rolls (they left 2-half -used ones and 2 spares). Never ever experienced half-used rolls as in other houses they are removed and replaced with a new one. Ditto washing up liquid- was provided but less than 1/4 in the bottle so had to be careful with it (yes, there was a dishwasher too.) Likewise, only a tiny amount of bleach in the bottle.

No kitchen hand towel .

I also noticed a faded small blood stain on the edge of the mattress cover where the sheet was slightly untucked. Sure, it was laundered but I'd not have reused that if I was renting out a property.

I'd let all of that go, if the beds were great!

Please don’t leave a public review with these niggles - message them separately via email (if you have a way of contacting them directly). If not then don’t feedback. Public feedback will just infuriate them. I have a luxury cottage which is 150 years old and occasionally get ridiculous comments from people who clearly aren’t familiar with old properties. Luckily they are private so I can raise my eyebrows and have a laugh. If someone found the beds uncomfortable then I would want to know. It’s one of my selling points to have exceptionally comfy beds - but no I would not be replacing mattresses all the time like premier inn. Ditto loo rolls - I would want to know and this wouldn’t be acceptable in my place, this may be down to the cleaners and the owners aren’t aware. Re washing up liquid and bleach - again could be down to cleaners - personally I provide it BUT you are in self catering accommodation - you should not expect bleach or washing up liquid as standard. Do be wary of being too picky, they may not want you back!!

We stayed in the most perfect air BnB recently, apart from the bed was extremely squeaky and noisy when we 'moved around' in it (got gently jiggy). We left them feedback saying how excellent the place / stay was, and I privately messaged the owners about the squeaky bed, especially as there was another room directly under ours.

I agree that people need to distinguish between things that are for public review and those which should go direct to the owner.

Some things are ridiculous to put in a public review.

That said, we are in an age of public review and people find comments useful when choosing things like holiday properties…..but the trouble is people can’t seem to discern what is worth saying and what isn’t.

In my view, beds and mattresses are important and people want to know and owners too. Lack of kitchen roll is piddly and trivial and in self catering, you should expect to provide your own consumables and just see it as a bonus if some are provided.

But as an owner, none of it is worth getting furious about. It’s a business and public reviews and nit-picky holiday makers are all oar for the course and part of the package. It’s not the business for you if you get cross about petty or unfair comments….that’s what customers are often like.

We stayed at a lovely holiday cottage in the summer and I had some feedback (constructive) that I wanted to give. We were sent a feedback form online but it was all multiple choice and nowhere to add comments, and I scoured the website for ages looking for an email address!

None of my issues were complaints, more small improvements eg it was near the beach and I thought a broom would have been a good idea to sweep the inevitable sand. We took shoes off but I still noticed sand from bags/rugs etc that we took in. Also it was at the top of an incredibly steep hill. We have in the past taken elderly parents on holiday , all of them would have struggled/not been able to walk up the hill (even though it was easy walking distance to pubs/shops etc) i felt that maybe that should have been mentioned.