“Sadly this fell below the standard ...”
Sadly this fell below the standard of cottages that I have booked with Sykes. It is a shame as aesthetically it is full of character and in a wonderful location, I'm sure with some attention the shortfalls could be remedied. On arrival, I was met with a fridge freezer that had been switched off and defrosted. It was swimming with smelly water and I was left with the job of bailing it out and then cleaning it. The last thing I wanted to do after a long journey. Also, I bring food with me and rely on a working fridge, as everyone knows a fridge needs to be switched on for some time before it is sufficiently cool to look after food. In fact, the fridge wasn't working properly, I think due to a door to the freezer compartment that wouldn't shut properly. It took 48 hours plus before it reached a satisfactory temperature. The whole time I was there it was working overtime. I felt this was of particular concern as a previous guest mentioned the broken door in the visitors' book some time ago. My second main concern is that the central heating system is switched off during the May to September Summer months. I find this totally unacceptable in this country where the weather can be very changeable. The only heating I had was from an electric fire in the lounge. When I did try and put that on it didn't work. Batteries in the remote had run down and there were no replacement batteries. The proprietor does mention a problem with draining the batteries in the remote and yet there was no check made before I arrived that it was working and no replacement batteries. I bought some as soon as I could. The house has a musty damp smell. This has been pointed out by several previous guests. On arrival it wasn't noticeable as every window in the house had been left open. Also, I noticed several diffusers scattered around the house, presumably to cloak the smell. I would think that if the house had central heating during the Summer it would go a long way to alleviate this. The bathroom is downstairs and therefore the damp smell goes easily into the house. Because there is no heating it is impossible to dry towels or bath mats etc. On the evening I was chilly and couldn't get the fire working so I got a throw found in my bedroom wardrobe. I soon put it back when I realised there was a musty horrible smell coming on to my hands from touching it. It needs washing. The proprietor points out in his guide folder that the electrical system can overload depending on the appliances running. My main concern with this is that the fuse box is located in the lounge high up flush with the ceiling. The only way I could get up to it was by climbing on furniture - anything but safe. The cottage is advertised as having 'off the road' parking. It doesn't make clear that this is not at the cottage itself, rather, it is situated two lanes back. The proprietor estimates it is 75 yards away in his guidebook. This is through a narrow, very steep and uneven footpath. Not for the less agile, especially if carrying things. Several guests have left positive reviews for this cottage, and it was on the strength of those that I made this booking. All I can say is that I have had the experience of staying in four other cottages this year booked through Sykes and it is with those that I have compared this. On the positive side the cottage is well decorated and clean. The lounge was comfortable to sit in and the bed was very comfortable. It was particularly good to have the use of the garden during sunny spells and it is extremely atmospheric to hear the steam trains at the station.
********Owner Response************
I’m really sorry the cottage didn’t meet up to your expectations. Owners try really hard to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
If I can refer to a few of your relevant points. First the fridge. I’m sorry it wasn’t switched on and cold for your arrival. It normally always is. Unfortunately an earlier guest hadn’t shut the freezer compartment fully and it had iced up, meaning it couldn’t be shut. It had to be defrosted to allow this to happen. However, we have should have revisited before your arrival to mop up the extra water. As for the batteries for the electric fire we now have spares in the dresser drawer. The main solid fuel fire for central heating isn’t witched off in the summer, we just don’t light it in the summer months for arrivals. It can be lit and used at any time. Also thankyou for the good comments at the end. *******
I’m really sorry the cottage didn’t meet up to your expectations. Was owners try really hard to make to stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
If I can refer to a few of your relevant points. First the fridge. I’m sorry it wasn’t switched on and cold for your arrival. It normally always is. Unfortunately an earlier guest hadn’t shut the freezer compartment fully and it had iced up, meaning it couldn’t be shut. It had to be defrosted to allow this to happen. However, we have should have revisited before your arrival to mop up the extra water. As for the batteries for the electric fire we now have spares in the dresser drawer. The main solid fuel fire for central heating isn’t witched off in the summer, we just don’t light it in the summer months for arrivals. It can be lit and used at any time. Also thankyou for the good comments at the end.
- Sykes owner relations
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