“We booked a last-minute short break to Corner Cottage, the location was great, however we had some pretty serious issues with comfort and cleanlinesss.”
(1) The walk-in shower was completely blocked and could't be used for more than 2 mins without flooding the bathroom. We tried unblocking it ourselves but this didn't work, so we ended up putting a towel on the floor each day and rushing through a quick shower to manage the problem, then ringing the towel out after each shower. (2) The mattress was VERY old, had some large stains in it (including a large, dark brown stain) and had no sheet on. The 'mattress topper' was a piece of yellow foam with a sheet on it to try and mask the problem. Although clean, the sheets had not been dried properly so smelled of damp, especially 2 of the pillowcases. (3) General cleanliness throughtout was pretty poor, including crumbs and a sour 'off milk' smell in the fridge, crumbs in many places around the kitchen, cobwebs throughout the house (some pretty large), dirty cupboard doors and lightswitches. To summarise, the property needs a new mattress, the bathroom addressing and a thorough clean, not just a quick changeover bed-change. We reported these issues to Sykes on day 1, but did not get a reply until day 3 or 4 given that it was the beginning of the school holidays. Sykes eventually spoke to the owner, but we received no acknowledgement or apology and no reimburesment. Very disappointing indeed. I don't normally leave negative reviews as I'd much rather address the issues personally, but in this instance, I feel like the problems were pushed aside and we were dismissed.
I was both disappointed & upset to read your review of our lovely cottage. We pride ourselves on providing a comfortable, clean & welcoming property. Almost without exception our guests have been complimentary & appreciative about their holidays at Corner Cottage & we have received very positive comments, as we did on the weeks leading up to your stay. I feel your review gives a misleading picture of what our guests can expect. Of the photographs you forwarded to Sykes, one expanded one, taken through the window, was not in fact part of our property but of an out house belonging to next door. You allege cleaning deficiencies but failed to report your concerns to our cleaning company, whose contact details are clearly shown in our guest information folder. You would then have received immediate assistance. However, looking at most of your photos, it was quite difficult to ascertain where the minor problems you pointed out, were. I have personally run the shower for several minutes & cannot confirm any overflow. Again, had you contacted the number of our management team about the shower, you would have received assistance & so avoided any possible inconvenience each time you showered. Your point about the mark on the side of the mattress is cosmetic & is always covered by a clean fitted sheet & mattress cover which are always on the bed. I fail to recognise your description of damp sheets & pillow cases & I have not received any other comments to this effect. There has been no reimbursement as we feel you have been provided with excellent value for money, & I have replied promptly to your comments just published regarding your stay from 21st to 28th July.
Property Owner
