safE712MR
August 2021
When we arrived the cottage seemed pretty perfect for our needs. We were 4 adults, 3 kids and 2 dogs. The set up was fab, plenty of room and a rough and ready garden for dogs and kids to tumble about in. Here's the however.......when we arrived at 7pm after a long drive our first stop was the loo. Unfortunately the loo was blocked to the brim with faeces from the previous guest/owner/cleaner - doesn't matter who, the point is it wasn't one of us! As it was 8pm on a Friday night we thought we'd try some bleach and close the lid and see if that would resolve - it didn't - it did also made me wonder if any proper cleaning had been done???? Sent 3 WhatsApp messages over 2 days to the owner because her 'welcome manual' says we should let her know about any issues within 24 hours of our arrival. Messages were read but not responded to. Called Sykes but they did absolutely nothing other than say they'd contact the elusive owner. Eventually on our 4th call to Sykes they said this is a common complaint about the property (!!!!!!!) and we should plug in the macerator. Cool, we eventually found the plug, did that and the poop went away. Not so cool was the fact it had been swimming about in our en suite for 2 days. On the last night of our week long stay the owner responded with a snippy email to Sykes to say the resolution should have been obvious to us. Yes it is.....the resolution is to ensure the toilet is clean and empty, the macerator is switched on and that instructions are left for those who may not be used to plugging in a toilet for it to function.
Finally, no instructions regarding rubbish collection, bins etc. When we arrived the bins were fit to burst so we had no option but to store our full bin bags in the hope that there would be a collection at some point. Unfortunately there was not and we had to put the bags into the brown and blue bins. Didn't see the point in contacting either the owner or Sykes since our more pressing problem had been cometely ignored. Total shame really because it could be a really brilliant place and probably one we would have returned to. Not nearly worth the money we paid and the owner clearly isn't interested in whether your stay is comfortable or helping to resolve any problems. Similar reviews on the Sykes web page suggest there have been previous similar issues. All in all we did have a great holiday, the area was lovely and if the issues with the house were resolved we probably would go back. Problems do arise in rentals but some resolution or even courtesy from the owner or rental company would have made a big difference.