Mr Salmon
January 2019
We have just returned from a week at Hall End Barn, Earl Sterndale which has been extremely disappointing due to a combination of false description and poor presentation.. Firstly the major problem was the main bedroom which you describe as 'king-sized'. This frankly is a gross misrepresentation and had we realised the bed is only a standard double (4ft6" x 6ft3") we would never have booked this cottage. Apart from the size of mattress, it was extremely uncomfortable plus due to the bed frame having been broken and held together with black adhesive tape, any movement resulted in loud creaking. We have attached photos showing the measurements and taped 'repair". Having endured one sleepless night we had to resort to using the remaining single beds in the cottage.
The second major problem was what can only be described as the stench from the downstairs toilet. This had been mentioned by others in the visitor's book and was obviously well known due to the attempt to mask the smell by air fresheners. On arrival and first opening the door the smell was nauseous to the extent of not using the facility and whilst regular flushing and leaving the extractor fan on 24 hours a day prevented the smell permeating the rest of the cottage it felt most unhealthy. It appeared that either there is no soil venting or it is blocked making the use of the toilet and washing machine most undesirable.
Whilst we have detailed these two problems, further factors also detracted from our stay:
1. On arrival at 3 pm, the cottage was bitterly cold due to the heating being timed to be off until later in the day. It did however warm up quickly once the heating was put on.
2. Light bulbs in the lounge, hall, landing and third bedroom (see photos) were not working, and whilst spares were supplied, we only replaced what was absolutely necessary as it is not our idea of a holiday to carry out basic maintenance that should surely have been checked before our arrival.
3. On our second morning we were disturbed by the arrival of three vans containing decorators and bathroom fitters for the cottage next door. The photos attached show a totally different picture of the parking/outside table area to that in your details. The noise of sawing, drilling and hammering continued throughout the week and was not what one expects when choosing a quiet secluded spot for a holiday in the middle of winter.
4. General cleanliness .... not something we would mention had everything else been good as we know that wooden beams do attract cobwebs, and splashes on walls can be missed as can dust and hair under sideboards. As previously mentioned in the visitors book, cleaning is obviously not a priority.
We feel that what should have been a quiet, relaxing week in a beautiful cottage in an astounding part of the country was completely ruined by firstly inaccurate marketing (by the way, the nearest shop is over 2 miles away not under one, and the local pub doesn't allow dogs) and secondly poor presentation and maintenance.
We regularly rent holiday cottages in different parts of the country (4 times a year on average) and believe we know what is reasonable to expect. This cottage and its owners are being let down if what we have experienced continues.