“We holidayed at Harbottle Lodge for two weeks from 6 July 2022.”
I’ve given it 2 stars because the shower was excellent and the bed was comfortable. Unfortunately, apart from that, the standard of this property was very low: When we arrived we could get no hot water from the taps, only from the shower. We phoned the owner about this and found out that the hot tap had to be turned on full, splashing everything around the sink including us and eventually hot water would appear but you couldn’t turn down the volume or it went cold again. The owner arranged for a plumber to call and he fiddled with the very ancient boiler but the problem didn’t improve. There was very little storage space for clothes and we had to bring a lot because we were staying for 2 weeks and we knew there was no washing machine and previous reviews had stated that the on-site laundry was not very effective. There was no wardrobe but just a short rail in the hall above all the cleaning materials and bucket and all the drawers on one of the bedside tables stuck and were unusable. The settee was uncomfortable and gave us both back-ache, although we shifted cushions around many times in an attempt to improve it. However, the bed was very comfortable. We had to open the windows because we had some hot weather but they’re such a peculiar design that the slightest breeze made them move about or slam shut. Their frames were also very dirty and bits of dirt and cobwebs fell from them. The carpets were very stained and were sticky to the touch, especially the rug in the main room. The bathroom was fine apart from the lack of hot water from the taps and a heated towel rack would have been nice. However, the shower was excellent. The photos give the impression of a light and airy interior. This was not the case; it was gloomy and we needed a light on all the time. I’ve seen a response from the owner to a review in June, where the owner stated that they had resolved the hot water, cleaning and carpet problems but this was not the case when we arrived on 6 July. We did not phone them about the issues we had, apart from the hot water issue, because there was nothing they could have done about the furniture, the cleaning or the lack of storage space for our clothes. We’ve stayed in many self-catering cottages and I’ve never given a bad review before. I suppose the cheap price of the property should have made us wary when we booked it but even so, we were very disappointed. However cheap, we expected a certain level of comfort, cleanliness and facilities.
We spoke to you initially about the problem with the hot water and arranged
for a plumber to call as soon as possible, but despite calling and texting
numerous times, you did not reply to us and so we had to assume that the
boiler had been fixed, especially as the plumber told us it was fixed. We
would happily have got the plumber out again if it was still a problem and
unfortunately we are 250 miles away so we are very reliant on communication
from guests and tradespeople. We have been to the cabin ourselves this week
and a different plumber came out and fixed the hot water, so we apologise
that it was not actually fixed properly whilst you were there.
We are genuinely disappointed at your comments concerning the cleanliness
and comfort of the property. We have an excellent local cleaner who does a
very thorough job and always reports any issues to us. We have bought high
quality furniture and the vast majority of our guests say how comfortable
the cabin is, but its not possible to cater for every taste. It is a small
cabin, so its difficult to provide more storage facilities for clothes,
but we've found the walk in wardrobe area is adequate for most guests,
including ourselves when we stay there.
It is sad for us to hear that you did not enjoy your stay and we wish that
we had been able to address some of your issues whilst you were there. This
is our only property and we try our best to maintain a high standard for
our guests.
Property Owner
