I was very underwhelmed with the stay at The Beach Cottage. The listing and cleaning fee was expensive considering the size, which I grant could be attributable to the late nature of the booking, however, I still consider the property overpriced.
Myself and my partner were planning a quiet weekend away, and were greeted to find that the cottage had no privacy whatsoever from the main house, which was occupied by other guests. The noise from the main house carried straight into the cottage. This was even more considerable if the main house guests were using the outdoor area (which we were unable to enjoy at all).
The back yard of the property was completely littered in plant debris, old fencing panels and random gym equipment. No yard maintenance had been done for quite some time.
The interior of the cottage is pleasant, however, we found the following:
- The bedroom window opens straight onto the outdoor area of the main house. No privacy whatsoever. This was not stipulated at all in the listing. Had it been, I would not have booked the accommodation.
- There were stains on the dining room chairs.
- The occasional chair in the bedroom was absolutely filthy and stained. The couch on the patio was filthy.
- The shower head would not maintain a height above that of my chest. Very frustrating.
- The lock to the main door of the cottage would not function. Furthermore, the external door to the bathroom did not have a key or lock at all. Considering the presence of strangers in such close proximity, this is not appropriate, nor safe.
- There were a lot of personal toiletries, medications and cosmetics stored in the bathroom.
- No bin liners in the bin.
Considering the fact that the cleaning fee was astronomical, the cottage was not in a completely clean state. Furthermore, as I'm sure most guests do, the cottage was left exactly as it was found, causing further frustration regarding this fee.
On a positive note - Megs was easy to communicate with, and offered us a late checkout. The position is great.