“The cottage is generally clean, pleasant and comfortable.”
We had some niggles (such as no wifi for the week, the vacuum cleaner falls to pieces every time you use it and the hot water being off on arrival meaning cold showers on the first morning) but we enjoyed our stay all the same.
My constructive feedback to the owner would be - this could be a great cottage were it not for the clunky kitchen. I suggest you either build an island or else a wrap-around counter to separate the space from the lounge.
Please also provide some side tables & coasters in the lounge - I don't want to have to get out of my seat with each sip of wine!
A good kitchen designer would help you think about and overcome the following friction points -
* It's poorly laid out - nothing flows. Despite it being a large kitchen everything feels like it's all either on top of each other or else at the opposite side of the room
* Lighting - feels a bit stark and/or dingy
* The appliances all take some fathoming. The aga-style cooker is probably somewhat intimidating to the average guest; reading a load of user manuals before cooking the kids' tea isn't my idea of a holiday.
* This leaves just two hobs and a tiny standalone oven for meal preparation, both of which are cramped into the corner of a massive room
* Inexplicably, wooden spoons and utensils are at the opposite side of the room. There's enough cutlery to feed a small army but corners have been cut with useful things - flimsy broken cheese grater, no bottle stopper for opened wine, etc.
* Child friendly plates & cups would be very welcome
* The dishwasher opens across the very cupboard you want to put things away into
* The fridge stands out like an eyesore
* A few small touches like a coffee machine or an instant hot water tap would go along way
* In that vein, please don't be tight; providing a thimbleful sized bottle of washing up liquid takes the biscuit (which means to say I'd rather you remove the complimentary biscuits if it came down to a choice)
* I suggest you add a quick user guide/poster on the wall by key appliances - lots of people have never used an induction hob for example
Thank you for your detailed feedback and I am glad that you enjoyed your stay at the cottage. The wifi code is provided in the guest information folder; unfortunately, due to the location we cannot guarantee a connection at all times, as stated in the property details. The hot water is set on an automatic timer to come on in the mornings and evenings, but guests are welcome to switch it on at additional times if required. We do provide plenty of coasters and guests are welcome to use these on the coffee table in the lounge area. As I am sure you will understand, the kitchen layout and appliance types are to some extent a matter of personal preference and it would not be feasible to redesign and rebuild the kitchen each week to suit guests’ individual preferences. We do receive very positive feedback regarding the kitchen facilities and equipment and many of our regular guests seem to like the open plan layout, which is pictured in the property details to assist guests in selecting their holiday accommodation. There is a coffee machine, and we do provide simplified instructions for key appliances in the guest information folder as well as the full user manuals should these be required.
Property Owner
