“On the whole the property is a characterful, beautiful and historic cottage, it has ample outside space and the setting is fantastic.”
Unfortunately on arrival, we thought that the property was not cleaned to an acceptable standard. Whilst areas had been cleaned, much of the homes carpets and upholstery were not clean, dusty corners, cobwebs, and just a general feeling of uncleanliness was evident throughout all rooms, the kitchen floor in need of a scrub and polish, in addition to a lingering odour that bestows homes of dusty and slightly dirty nature.
At 6pm following a full days travelling, we really did not intend to contact the holiday agent to commence a dispute, so we spent the first hour of our holiday hoovering and cleaning. We are practical and down to earth people, so it wasn't the end of the world to us. However, with a baby who would be crawling on the floors we needed to get it sorted there and then.
We called into the Salcombe agents office for the property to inform them as we were passing by. We are not expecting action, we were just informing them of our experience. They suggested that we should have contacted them straight away and sent photos so that they could send cleaners out. This just wouldn't have been workable at 6pm on a Friday evening when we are knackered and need to get the kids down.
Sending cleaners for a quick spruce up wouldn't have helped much, it's not necessarily the regular cleaning, but that the property needs a serious deep clean, the vac is a 25 year old Henry, so unless there's some emotional attachment to it, he probably needs replacing.
The only mattress that seems fit for purpose is a single in the middle room, the rest, along with the pillows have the ability to reshape your back and neck into arrangements only a qualified chiropractor can sort out.
A special mention to the fridge, whose noise became so loud at one point we thought it might be trying to communicate. A minor issue.
Many areas were good however, the new cooker and hob were fantastic. The Amazon TV stick worked great for the kids. The single child's room decor was really fun. The house is of an age where you expect the quirks, and much of the decor fits well with that character and helps you disconnect from life back home.
A side note, the nearest pub didn't do any food, although was welcoming. The Royal Oak further round was pretty bad, the bar lady served me whilst on her phone, empty glasses littered the place, with areas caked in dust. I love a dive bar now and again but this place took to a new level.
We had fantastic weather with some brilliant visits to local villages and towns. We've made some wonderful memories and the cottage played a good part in that. The areas mentioned let it down, so I'm not sure we would return. I think the areas mentioned are fairly easy to address though.
Thanks for the positive comments and so pleased you had such a wonderful stay with good weather in Rose Thatch.
Sad to hear you felt the cleaning fell short; I investigated this and was pleased to hear that Coast and Country (Sykes) immediately responded when they found out you had a concern, and had done their pre-stay inspection which showed the cottage was clean, tidy and ready for you. The cleaners we use bring their own vacuum cleaners so the one in the cottage is just a light one if guests feel the urge. Henry is a very popular make and is easy to use. I’m so pleased you appreciated the new hob and oven, I must say we’ve never had a comment on the fridge making any noticeable noise. The mattresses are new, high quality and many guests (and indeed us as owners) have reported how much they like them and get great sleep in the cottage. Mattresses are a matter of personal preference of course. The property is thatched and four hundred years old - it has its own unique ambience. The pubs in the village present choice, it’s unfortunate that the Old Inn is between landlords and food service has paused whilst that happens. The Royal Oak is ancient and quirky, many guests enjoy the pool table, regular music sessions, eclectic ornaments and characterful landlord and staff. I can’t comment on your finding that establishment dusty. Glad you found so many positives about your stay, we take great pride in Rose Thatch, appreciate feedback and love that so many great memories are made by our guests staying there.
Property Owner