Self-catering luxury holiday cottages in the UK & Ireland

Thank you for your feedback regarding Apple Barn and good comments about the location, the kitchen and the comfort.  I am sorry about the small housekeeping issues which I will certainly pass on to the housekeeper.  Like at many of our coastal properties WiFi can be an issue at Apple Barn and we hope that the reception will soon be more consistent.

What a lovely comprehensive review and recommendation.  Thank you so much.

How lovely to feel home from home.  We are glad that you found Apple Barn comfortable and relaxing with a well thought out kitchen. 

What a wonderful recommendation, thank you.  Apple Barn is in an ideal location, with guest support from a great housekeeper. 

Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Apple Barn. Whilst we are delighted to read of your enjoyment of the cottage, location and praise of the Housekeeper, we were concerned to hear of your observations regarding some maintenance issues. After speaking about this with the owners, we are pleased to report they have carried out various improvements and updates which have addressed every issue you have identified together with some more fundamental updates such as sanding and resealing the wooden floor. Popular properties such as Apple Barn do suffer quite a lot of wear and tear and, whilst the owners are conscious of this and strive to maintain the highest standards, we always appreciate your feedback. We very much hope to welcome you to Apple Barn again soon.

Thank you for writing following your holiday at Apple Barn and for calling in to discuss the details of your stay. I have written to you under separate cover and do hope that you will stay with us again in future.

Thank you for taking the time to let us have your feedback on Apple Barn and we were pleased to note you found the property to your liking. The oven was replaced after your stay with a new double oven including grill. Also, sharp knives have been provided. We do hope to welcome you back to Rural Retreats on a future occasion.

This from the owner - Thank you for your comments. Please be assured, the ladder does comply with building standards and whilst we do appreciate this may not be suitable for all guests, we do make a point of providing a photograph of it and advertising it as follows: “steep wooden 'ladder' staircase to first floor loft with accommodation for 2 extra older children/teenagers using futon beds. This area leads to gallery bedroom”. We have not had any comments about noise or lack of privacy at Apple Barn before so your experience was very unusual, it is a shame you did not contact the housekeeper or Rural Retreats during your stay in order for us to try and rectify any issues, given that you were so unhappy. The owner is understandably most alarmed by your review and has asked us, on this occasion to quote their own response as follows:“Our son and his friends were staying in the adjacent barn for the week of your stay, we are sorry that you were upset by their presence but your comments about them are not accurate. With regard to your comments about the parking, they did not ever use the hard parking space reserved for your property, they used the one next to it which is in fact for our own use and it is on that wall they put their wetsuits. The second space for Rural Retreats guests is on the green reinforced parking area opposite. They did not arrive home after 11 o’clock at night (there is nowhere to go until that time – the last water taxi returns at 10 pm). This is the sixth year our 23 year old son has stayed for a week with friends and he has always adhered to the strict ground rules which we insist on to ensure the privacy and quiet of our Rural Retreats guests. We wouldn’t dream of allowing our own visitors to make a noise late at night and therefore, as usual, we checked with a neighbour at the time who confirmed there was no undue noise – other than what you would expect from a barbecue mid-evening. We have also spoken with other guests staying at the same time as our son in previous years who have said they hardly noticed them. Had we been informed at the time that you were unhappy we would have addressed any concerns immediately but neither we nor the housekeeper were made aware during your stay that there were any issues.”We understand that this week was different from the very peaceful atmosphere you expected and regret that these misunderstandings have tainted your view of Rural Retreats holidays. We hope this will change and to welcome you back again in the future.

Thank you for making this point. We have been in touch with the owner and these minor issues have been investigated and rectified.

We are delighted that you had such an enjoyable stay at Beckwood.  Thank you for your lovely comments.

Thank you for your feedback for our converted 17th century silk mill.

Thank you for your feedback.  Yes we do mention the stairs on the website - 'Sadly this property is unsuitable for babies, children under eight years old or people with mobility difficulties, due to the number of floors and steep spiral stairs'.  I will ask the housekeepers about the instructions for the central heating and towel rail.

Thank you for your lovely feedback - I am really pleased that you had a great time.  As a former silk mill it is indeed an unusual property with steep spiral staircases leading to all levels.

Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Beckwood.  I am sorry about the issues you encountered. We will inspect the cottage and make arrangements to restock the crockery and clean the sofa covers. With regards to the plaster and paintwork, we'll contact the property owner.We do hope this singular occurrence will not deter you from booking with us in the future.

An update on the previous reply - the owner has arranged for redecoration the stairways

Thank you for your kind words about Hillview. There are some bees in the lovely flowering plants outside the back door but as they are so vital to a healthy environment and healthy economy we would really hate to make the area a bee free zone.

Thank you for leaving your feedback.  We are delighted that you thought Hillview was beautiful and our apologies that the towel rail couldn't be mended immediately.

We are so pleased that you had a wonderful stay at lovely Hillview.  Thank you so much for your kind comments about the property and our service.

Thank you for your lovely review of Hillview.  We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay.

Thank you for your feedback.  I am sorry that you weren't warned about the building work.  Neither Trinity House nor ourselves actually knew that it was happening.   I am sorry also about the windows and regarding the matches they should not be on the list of items and we will take them off it.  Trinity House do not allow any flames at the lighthouses for safety reasons as due to the location of the properties there would be difficulty getting emergency vehicles there. I hope your husband had a wonderful birthday!

Thank you for your feedback.  We will pass on your comments to the housekeeper.