“We would like to share this feedback with your so that you can improve your service.”
Cleanliness: - On our arrival, the downstairs toilet was unflushed and there remained faeces in the bowl. - Although the surfaces in the kitchen were wiped down, other surfaces throughout the property were not and remained dusty and had flies on them - windowsills, skirting, etc. There were cobwebs in the corners of the rooms, and the place had not been adequately vacuumed as there were dust and hairballs under the side tables and sofa in the lounge. There was also some scum marks left in the shower. The 'clean' between guests had clearly been a swift one. - There was no toilet roll in downstairs toilet. - The towels that were left for three of the five guests were hand towels and were therefore too small. Customer Service: - It was disappointing that there was no feeling of welcome or follow up as to how our stay was going at any point during our week long holiday. Although there was tea/coffee/sugar/milk as a 'see you in pack', the biscuits that were in the box were not a new pack (one set was missing). - It was unclear about who to contact when there was an issue. (The water to the property stopped mid-way through our stay. We eventually found a number by googling Sykes Cottages on the internet and calling them that way.) - The water to the property is likely to be an ongoing problem - as mentioned above, we had no water at one point in our stay. This was influenced to a combination of factors, including use by ourselves (family of 4) and the guests in the house next door (who share the water tank) which was at full occupancy throughout our stay. The tank is too small for the demand when the properties are at full occupancy. - As a result of the water issue, we were drinking water with sediment in for about 24hours until the filter and water levels were resolved. The swift resolution was mostly due to a kind builder (Terry Jones) who happened to be working next door, and who is known to the owner. They should get special thanks as they were able to identify the issue and advise the maintenance man what was the issue later on that day. Other: - We think the danger of the road needs to be highlighted in the listing. It is a very difficult exit from the property either by foot or by car in either direction. The mirror helps, however, the property location is not advisable for families with young children. - The layout of the property is awkward, particularly the configuration at the rear. Despite the weather being amenable to using the outside area, it did not feel appropriate with only one bench. Perhaps if there was a second bench or outdoor furniture in the separated spaces, it might feel better to use. - The wheelie bin set up out the front was confusing, as it did not match the description in the welcome guide to the property (no blue food waste bin, for example) and the majority of the bins were removed part way through the stay, leaving us no where to put any recycling or rubbish for the last three days of our stay. - A washing machine would enhance the property facilities no end. This could be plumbed in at the back of the downstairs toilet, especially if the shelter was made more weather-proof. - The property would also be improved with hooks for coats, both inside the house and out the back of the property. We hope you and the owner find this feedback useful and feel able to act on some of it.
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We're truly sorry that your experience fell short. We've since made big improvements to our cleaning checks so everything is spotless for arrival, and we now ensure plenty of fresh towels, toilet rolls, and a new welcome pack are always ready. The water system has been upgraded to better meet demand when both cottages are full, and we've updated our guest information so it's much clearer who to contact if anything comes up. We've also added extra outdoor seating, clearer bin instructions, and are looking into further upgrades like coat hooks and a washing machine to make stays more comfortable. We're committed to making the cottage warm, clean, and welcoming, and we're confident new guests will have a much smoother and more enjoyable stay.
Property Owner