Holiday Cottages With Hot Tubs In South East

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jason - Verified booking

  On arrival the house is impressive.

  It’s obviously spacious and well designed. However, the initial impression didn’t last long. Our excitement at arriving was massively tempered when we saw there were dead plants in plant pots in several of the bathrooms and the garden the planters were all dead. Plus the garden area was really dirty - there were cobwebs and plant waste around the garden and the patio had stains across it as well as there being food waste left on the grass. Obviously we are aware there was a drought in place but leaving entire planters with dead and dusty planters added to the unloved and shabby look of the garden area. And then there was no welcome pack at all. Not even a packet of biscuits or pint of milk. The kitchen is impressive looking, however there weren’t enough plates, cups and crockery settings for all of us, given that with a dishwasher you should have a minimum of 2 per person. Because whole drawers were given over to the owners spices and sauces and etc it felt very much as if we were in an Airbnb rather than a dedicated holiday home. All the things above made the place feel much less special and to be honest we were all pretty disappointed. However the biggest issue was the ‘fourth bedroom’. This was not actually a bedroom. It was an office with a pull out double bed which was like sleeping on a rock. The room was not furnished to be a bedroom - there was no bedroom chair, no dressing table or mirror and nowhere to put a suitcase. You couldn’t even pull the blinds down without standing on the rock hard bed. My daughter had to sleep there and even sleeping with three duvets under her we had to go and buy a mattress topper to make it a comfortable room. This is not a proper bedroom and she slept badly all week. My mother in law, who had paid for this trip as an 80th birthday treat to her family, was bitterly disappointed and felt like we’d been let down. To add insult to injury on the last three days the neighbour was having work done and the fence/gate was taken down so that our dog had to be guarded when in the garden and the noise and dust from power tools meant it was impossible to sit in the garden during the day. We loved the location and the size of the house but we did come away feeling very ripped off. When we communicated with your company initially about this booking, we were told that the owner sets the price, but I do feel that your job as agents is to mediate and to check that the house is good value. For around £600 a night for a three bed with ‘add on’ bedroom, I can tell you that this is not good value. For that rate we expected it to be slick and luxurious rather than a basic level. The fundamental principle of a good’s night sleep should be met as a minimum. When you are stretching yourself to afford something this special it is so disappointing to walk into a home that felt like it had been uninhabited and unloved for months. To then be unable to guarantee a proper bedroom for one of the party was really unacceptable.

  Read more less >

• Martin - Verified booking

  Dovecote would have been a lovely place to stay probably a decade ago.

  It is unfortunately now run down and shabby looking. Overall it radiates a lack of love injected into it, with no ornaments, pictures on the wall, tired looking decor...etc. The building itself and the surroundings are lovely, in a lovely location. We read the reviews, but because they were last years reviews, we hoped there would have been an improvement, and also we know that it is a personal preference and standards that lead to certain reviews. With a hindsight we wish we listemed to those reviews. Our first impression on arrival was the lovely oak front door, with its window pannel taped with a duck tape, that has clearly been there ages, as it is coming off. The kitchen is a bit dated, with a mish mash, dated equipment. It wouldn't cost much to get some decent crockery and cutlery, couple of nice mugs, cereal bowls, couple of nice pots and pans... The inside of the cupboards were not all that clean either. It would have helped to be provided with a dish cloth ( we bought it ourselves and used well!) The toilet seat was loose and came off couple of times. The bathroom on the whole was not all that clean, and shabby looking. There was a strong smell of drain in the bathroom and we pulled out a nasty clump of hair from the shower drain.... We were provided with blue, old looking towels. There is no wifi at the Dovecote, with poor satellite signal , so not a chance to watch a bit of TV without it glitching. The mattrace in the main bedrrom felt it had a dip, perhaps in need of replacing. The hot tub is nice touch but we felt like we needed to have a good shower aftetwards as the water didn't look all that clean. It did say to bring your own hairdryer, but it would not cost much to provide a small one, as well as soap for the bathroom. Perhaps some books, games and a folder with ideas and recomendations for trips would have make a difference? . A guess book to leave a message was not there either. The cottage really needs an investment to bring it up to standard. It lacks the cosiness and and comfort. And it is such a shame, as it is such a lovely building, it just needs the love that it deserves. We paid for 4 night stay but stayed only 3 nights, we felt it was enough here..

  Read more less >

• Louise - Verified booking

  I want to thank the Hartley family - especially Richard (senior!

  ) for being at the end of my WhatsApp messages, Mike for greeting us and giving us an unforgettable farm and piggy tour and Andy and Richard (junior!) for their friendliness, farm knowledge and all for spending so much time with us on what is clearly a very busy place! Even Mark working on the machines, thank you for also being so friendly when being so busy! You were all so welcoming and your hospitality was impeccable. The cottage…well, it’s stunning. Beautifully presented, very well maintained and looked after, very clean and incredibly comfy (I had two of the best nights sleep I’ve had in a long time) and it was so quiet and peaceful. I visited with my husband, two best friends and our elderly husky and we all had a wonderful, relaxing and fun time together. The tv didn’t go on once over two days and we played Jenga (courtesy of the game cupboard!) chatted and drank rum! Just perfect and idyllic as all four of us have very busy and stressful (probably not as stressful as running a farm!) jobs so was good to get away. For a small cottage it didn’t feel that small as there are three toilets and two of those are proper bathrooms, all the rooms are really quite large and very bright and airy. My one friend is 6’6 and the ceilings weren’t that low for him, he did have to duck under some of the beams and doorways! We had welcome scones, jam, clotted cream and milk and some coffee pods to keep us going. The cupboards even had a few essentials (oils, sauces etc) and the kitchen had everything you’d need to cook basically anything! Loved the Smeg fridge! It is very private to the rest of the houses/farm and the patio area is very private too. I can’t thank the owners enough for their flawless hospitality, kindness and friendliness. The Cotswolds are becoming very close to our hearts as my husband and I have been a couple of times now and we are already hoping to return and stay at Washpool cottage again…and maybe see the pigs again too! Thank you all again, loved it!

  Read more less >

• Rachel - Verified booking

  A fabulous cottage.

  Everything you need, with some added extras. Anne & Mike were so welcoming, they gave us a little tour of the farm and the children even got to feed the horses and pigs. They made some fabulous recommendations . We arrived to freshly made scones (clotted cream & Jam) and a few other little extras. The hot tub was a bonus. Gowns and towels are provided too. It took a little bit of warming but once ready, we all enjoyed some lovely evenings chilling. The cottage is a perfect location for exploring the Cotswolds. Just 10 mins from Burford and Chipping Norton, we also visited Stow on the Wold, Daylesfords, Broadway Tower, the Wildlife Park, Diddly Squat, Bourton on the Water, Blenheim Palace. We even went to the local park which had a very well equipped playground for all ages. We had some lovely days out and all easy to get to. We enjoyed a lovely curry at the Spice Lounge in Burford and a fantastic meal at the Hare at Milton just up the road. We would highly recommend this cottage and wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. Thanks Anne & Mike for being so welcoming. Rachel, Chris, Harriet & Henry x

  Read more less >

• Rachel - Verified booking

  A fabulous cottage.

  Everything you need, with some added extras. Anne & Mike were so welcoming, they gave us a little tour of the farm and the children even got to feed the horses and pigs. They made some fabulous recommendations . We arrived to freshly made scones (clotted cream & Jam) and a few other little extras. The hot tub was a bonus. Gowns and towels are provided too. It took a little bit of warming but once ready, we all enjoyed some lovely evenings chilling. The cottage is a perfect location for exploring the Cotswolds. Just 10 mins from Burford and Chipping Norton, we also visited Stow on the Wold, Daylesfords, Broadway Tower, the Wildlife Park, Diddly Squat, Bourton on the Water, Blenheim Palace. We even went to the local park which had a very well equipped playground for all ages. We had some lovely days out and all easy to get to. We enjoyed a lovely curry at the Spice Lounge in Burford and a fantastic meal at the Hare at Milton just up the road. We would highly recommend this cottage and wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. Thanks Anne & Mike for being so welcoming. Rachel, Chris, Harriet & Henry x

  Read more less >