what would make the best ever holiday cottage holiday?

[Sooperswooper]

A bit of advice.. saw a brilliant 2009 thread that I've nicked all the ideas from about this, but wanted any updated ideas if you'd be so kind to oblige. A lucky, lucky relative of mine is in the process of buying a beautiful 6 bed house for holidays in wales- will be half for family use (buying in a place that we, our parents, uncles, aunts AND our grandparents & great grandparents all went to on holiday so it's very dear to us and our extended family) and then will be let out when we're not using it.

She wants to make it as wonderful and child/toddler friendly as possible. Also as appealing to adults too so really what would make going on holiday better and easier adult wise (list of local babysitters perhaps along with local recommendations?) kitchen stuff (sharp knives! A welcome pack of food bits?), toiletries (necessary?) honesty bar (are people really that honest?), sheets and bedding (or bring your own?) what do people want to see in terms of luxury/value for money, what would be useful in the utility area, little herb garden in the courtyard? Any wet weather ideas as to what might be useful (it is in the UK... )

For children- first from a parents point of view (cutlery sets, highchair, cot, bumbo, travel stair gate etc etc) and then from a child’s point of view (books, toys, kites, board games, little welcome pack?) I think it's sometimes easy to forget you're on holiday sometimes when you're self catering and so really want to make sure people actually feel as if they've had a lovely, value for money holiday. not just for when we are all there!

Any thoughts about the best (and worst) experiences you've had when self catering with babies/ toddlers and children would be fab. So excited to be helping her, but don't want to just suggest things I'd like in case, having experienced them, they just wouldn't work

Most things have been covered. I would like to add a kingsize bed without a footboard. OH is tall and likes to stretch out.

More than one bathroom/loo. A shower and a bath in the bathroom.
Enough power outlets to charge phones/iPads etc.
Some form of heating, but not storage heaters.

Dogs welcome.

We rented a place in Devon that ticked all the boxes.

It had luxurious bathrooms with great showers, good quality towels and linens, comfortable beds and a high spec kitchen with washer/dryer and dishwasher. Also it has free Wifi, Sky TV on a big TV (kids liked this).

Nice extra touches were chocolates, biscuits & wine plus nice toiletries and fresh flowers in all the rooms.

Most importantly - it was spotlessly clean.

JamJimJam, sounds fab! I've just sent you a DM, hope you don't mind

Bed linen, towels and tea towels included in price. Some spares would he good as would sets for changing them mid way if staying for two weeks. We probably wouldn't but nice to know we could.

Oh and rubbish.
The owners of the cottage we have rented for a number of years arrange for someone to come and put the wheelie bin or recycling bin out at the crack of dawn on the appropriate days.

Definitely decent comfortable mattresses and beds made up on arrival.

A dishwasher.

A powerful, warm, clean shower.

A cooker/grill that is easy to operate.

Wifi.

Towels, tea towels and loo roll (of decent quality) provided.

More than one plate, cup, bowl per person so that we don't have to spend the entire time washing up/putting the dishwasher on.

More than two dishwasher tablets so we don't have to go and buy loads as we've not brought any with us.

Things like foil, kitchen roll, plastic boxes etc so we can make up picnics.

Kids' cutlery, plates, bowls and cups.

Easy to operate heating system that can be put on when we want it rather than being restricted to two hours a day when it's freezing cold.

Nicely decorated, luxury or at least a touch of luxury rather than needing some tlc and clean from top to bottom!

These are the bare essentials I would expect and are based on the best and worst experiences we've had in holiday cottages!

Web site including full details of what is included.
Things that I always take, but never sure if needed are:

Salt and pepper
Mixed herbs
Cooking oil
DW tabs
Washing up liquid
Dish washing cloth
Tea towels
Toilet rolls
Pegs
Bin bags
Fire lighters and initial supply of wood if needed
Iron And ironing board

Rucksack and ice blocks would be a bonus, as would a local TV guide and radio.

Everything else I would expect to take. The stuff above is usually there, but as I can't guarantee it will I take it every time! Would love to leave home knowing I don't have to pack the above.

Home made cake, bottle of wine, bread milk and eggs go down very well, but aren't strictly necessary.

I hate the outdated and duplicated leaflets that often infest drawers. An organised folder with one of each would be great.

Also, one folder with instructions for all appliances would be good. Esp for the TV. Don't assume I have a clue which button to press 'cause I don't!

A bookcase with paperbacks and dvds for adults and children - lovely
Shelves full of jigsaws and games with bits bits missing, not so good.

I once stayed at a cottage that had three cruet sets, four toast racks and fifteen egg cups! They only had two wine glasses however

I really don't want the the owner being too obvious, esp if they are next door.

Hope that helps

maxmissie - what would make it lean towards the best- or what would you love to see over & above basic? It's so useful seeing what consensus points (or not) are though and such a lot of food for thought & helpful advice that I'd never even have thought of!

We live in Wales.
There is no decent high speed wifi ( near us anyway )

But
No dogs
Comfy bed , with white sheets , duvets , towels etc
Out door seating area
Salt for cooking in the welcome pack ( also milk , wine , bread , bacon , eggs , coffee , tea )
DVD library somewhere with free borrowing
Swimmimg pool

Just a point , most people don't have small children , so don't go mad on making the place toddler proof

Friedsprout- thank you! (I would namecheck everyone but I can barely see anything on this phone- let alone scroll up mid writing

Would it be helpful to see all of those things/ absolutely every detail before you book on the website so you're absolutely clear on what's to be expected, or would a welcome bottle of wine be a nice surprise rather than an expectation, say?

A BBQ in the garden would be nice.

I would add some nice comfortable garden chairs with reclining seats, that you can snooze on.

Scopers, I'd prefer to see everything on the website before hand! Though a home made cake as surprise would be rather nice (but maybe a note added with the list of ingredients? Coming from someone dealing with allergies )

Think bottle of wine or any other kind of welcome pack is a lovely surprise and a bonus. Maybe I don't do posh enough places (we're lucky if they leave a key), so don't normally get this. The few times we have it's been lovely. So leave it as surprise if you do it. The nicest, was fresh scones, homemade jam and pretty tea service laid out ready.

No, don't think you have to list everything. You can get around lack of a garlic press for example. But we have been using cottages for our holiday for years, and my list above is generally things you can't do without but sometimes are included and sometimes not.

A Maxmissie mentioned up thread, foil and kitchen roll would be good, also matches. All things that people tend to overlook when packing.

We went somewhere once where they left little drawing packs for each DC and on the last day they left a small book for each to have in car on way home. That was really sweet. Nice beds are a must and definitely provide linen - hate having to take that and make up beds when you get in.

On these threads, if you let them run for a while, you always end up with a whole heap of people with opposing opinions though

• dogs - no dogs
• worth paying an extra £300 for egyptian cotton linen / fancy coffee maching vs keeping the price down to affordable level *shelf of books / games / packs of cards to borrow vs minimalistic nothing on view.

The thing being, you have to decide who your market is (are? ) and then be really clear on the website.

In terms of advertising - I am much more likely to book when I can filter the search by date, than those sites that make you open up each individual cottage only to find it's fully booked... I get really fed up after the first dozen or so and move to a different website.

I'm not going to choose a cottage on if it's got a line to hang stuff to dry or not / pegs provided or not / hairdryer provided or not / washing up liquid provided or not / etc.,etc.etc. but once you've booked, that stuff is actually quite useful to know, so perhaps could be on a document to arrive before you start packing the car?

When my kids were toddling our favourite place had a small raised flower bed with no flowers-just soil. And some toy diggers/tractors/largish pebbles/ small garden fork etc. it was a really lovely "kids/please dig here" spot! And they did. For hours!!!

Highchair - ikea cheaply with tray and baby insert is perfect. Actually maybe 2, a six bed cottage could attract more than one child.

Toddler table booster seat - for older babies

Plastic crockery and child size cutlery and plastic cups and sippy cups- the rainbow plates/bowls/cutlery from ikea would be perfect. Maybe some small size metal cutlery too as the plastic stuff goes blunt (fork prongs bend) easily and would not be noticed in a holiday let.

Bike storage

Wifi

Proper cot????

Nice towels

Nice bed linen

DVD collection and player - box sets for grown ups; Pixar, Disney, Peppa Pig, Thomas etc for children

Some Orchard Games, and others for older dc.

Washing machine and dryer.

Steriliser

Blackout blinds on room likely to be used for children

Back makes good points, what is essential to some of us is off-putting to others.

I would hate a tv in the bedroom or a 'pet friendly' cottage the smell but if there is no decent coffee maker I would be very disappointed (although I always take my own now - even camping ).

Enough coat hooks / hall storage for everyone's coats, walking boots, outdoor/ beach stuff.

Dishwasher and WM plus tablets.

Wifi.

Beds ready made - I don't want to do them myself. Sheets washed with unfragranced detergent, nothing worse than having to sleep in a fug of fabric conditioner.

Plenty of towels and rails to hang them on to dry, no need to change during the week for me.

Proper appliance instructions

Store cupboard basics

Decent local info and lots of leaflets

I agree with identifying your market, clearly a room decorated specifically for children as identified above is hugely restrictive, a place full of bumbos and sterilisers too. Small children are only small for a short time and are pretty flexible and adaptable. I don't think you need up overdo the kid stuff

Clean towels every day? So you'd either need the is er coming in every day or a cupboard with about 32 towels in - its just not realistic

Dietary requirements? Fully stocked fridges and cupboards - wine, homemade cakes, bacon? this is self catering y'know? With a pretty small profit margin easily eroded by sky subscriptions and replacing Tampax and lemsip

It does need to be clean, comfortable and in a good location

Yes, make sure all the stairgates, highchairs etc are out of the way for guests that don't need these things.

And yes, I'd be thinking I'm paying extra for things I don't need if there were a fully stocked fridge, sky subscription, Nespresso machine etc.

I would love in an ideal world (and have had a mix of but not all of in various cottages)...

For kids: a travel cot, highchair, stair gate, cutlery and plastic cups/bowl/plate, a few books, board games, some duplo or other cheap washable toys, a couple of outdoor toys if there's a garden, blackout blinds.

For adults: wifi, a few books and DVDs, cushions, nice bedding and fluffy towels, washing machine and dishwasher, cleaning products, a small homemade guide book of recommended restaurants, places to visit, taxis etc. salt and pepper, a welcome few tea bags and coffee bags. A lovely big range type cooker because I covet one at home but don't have the space and a decent range of dishes, pots, utensils etc. Umbrellas.

I wouldn't have an honesty bar but I've been to a couple of places that have had a small welcome bottle of some local booze such as homemade sloe gin or the last had rhubarb schnapps (amazing).

Neutral decor, nothing too much to personal taste. White bed linens and towels.

Cleanliness. If the high chair etc are mucky it's your holiday taken up with cleaning before putting your child in them.