Cirencester Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• John - Verified booking

  We were surprised on arriving at Mayfly cottage that the photos on which we had judged it for our holiday in the Cotswolds were largely inaccurate.

  The location, property and garden were essentially as shown but otherwise the inside was changed and not all for the better. The dining set for example had been changed to hard plastic chairs and a PVC covered table, something the owner, to his credit was quick to remedy when we talked to him but it did cause us to wonder when Manor Cottages( through whom we booked) had last inspected the property. We blame them for not better advising the owners about what a five star property should offer. When I asked the owner if he would holiday here, the silence was deafening. Not his fault if he prefers and can obviously afford more salubrious holidays away but Manor cottages should therefore tell him bluntly what guests expect for 5* SC accommodation as this wasn’t it. It is a very, very small barn conversion which does present significant challenges when moving about on the mezzanine upstairs- and in fairness these had been alluded to. However, the lack of head height up there really is very difficult to manage and it is disappointing when on holiday not to be able to relax sitting up in bed with a cuppa. What was most difficult to manage in the property was the erratic hot water in the shower in a largely tired bathroom, badly planned kitchenette and the constant issue with live wasps. When we arrived there were a number of dead wasps in the sitting room and we assumed that they had come in after the cleaner had left. As it turned out there was a wasp nest and we did not have a single day there where we were not significantly bothered by wasps in the property, the low point being when we were stung in bed at 4am in the morning. Not the owners fault you may think but they were actually coming in THROUGH the small alcove wall in the sitting room ( it’s all open plan so we couldn’t shut the door on them when going to bed). Worse,there was evidence that previous guests had also tried to block up entry points so it was clearly a long-standing issue. Some basic building maintenance would sort it but pushing tissue into the entry holes we could see didn’t help much, if at all. It was a hot week and the wasps meant we kept everything closed up, thinking initially that the wasps were getting in through window frames and the door. We refused entry therefore when the owner, aware of our “disappointment” around the property had offered to arrange some further maintenance and cleaning ( of dirty grout around the bath etc., something that surely should occur before guests arrive anyway). He asked for our bank details and sent around around 18% of what we had paid Manor cottages back to us and arranged for some remedial work when we were out daytimes - plus there were some treats left in the fridge - but sorry, it wasn’t enough to rescue the holiday and we were never so glad to leave somewhere and get home. We would have left far sooner but we had friends house sitting in our own property back in Cornwall ( also 200 years old, so we do understand the issues with old property) and didn’t want to affect their holiday too. We simply do not understand the apparently ‘positive’ reviews we had read on the Manor Cottages site before booking ( late last year ) and on closer study since have found more poor reviews on different sites. Had it not purported to be a five star establishment we would have been far less annoyed but this was supposed to be a very special anniversary break for us. We enjoyed stunning weather and the Cotswolds were as beautiful as always so we could be out much of the time but the experience with this property has been extremely disappointing and we feel very let down by Manor Cottages.

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• Caroline - Verified booking

  I’m disappointed and furious about Mayfly holiday cottage where I’ve just spent a week.

  I spent over £500 for this awful holiday. What a waste of my money. I’d previously had a good holiday at nearby Shrove Cottage, Pancake Hill, via Manor Cottages and everything at Shrove Cottage in 2023 was up to expected standard including a comfy bed, but Mayfly by contrast was not. Here’s a list of the disappointing issues found in Mayfly that need addressing: Firstly, the location post code given doesn’t even lead to the cottage. It clearly hasn’t been tested out by anyone. Unresolved issues: 1. The most disappointing issue was the bed. A good bed to sleep on is the most basic fundamental item on the list for any holiday let. The Manor cottages listing says ‘double bedroom’ indicating a double mattress as is normally the case. At Mayfly I found two worn out uncomfortable bumpy old twin bed mattress. The mattress topper is worn out too. I came home with backache. 2. It was unseasonably chilly this June. Only one thin duvet was provided, insufficient for a cold weather summer June 2024. Fortunately I brought a 10 tog duvet with me. 3. Toilet doesn’t flush strongly enough to flush away waste. 4. Unsafe broken electrical bedside light, last PAT test 5/4/2019, it wouldn’t pass a PAT test now. 5. Torch provided for emergencies doesn’t work, the battery had not been checked. 6. Damp coming through bedroom ceiling and various places at skirting board level. 7. Old floor vinyl rucking up. 8. No thought given to interior décor furnishings, just leftovers chucked together. Pictures on walls covered in dust and cobwebs. The Manor cottages photographs are out of date too. I expect Manor Cottages doesn’t check properties. Resolved issues: 1. A continually flowing bathroom sink hot tap, (more than just a drip) it woke me at night. So much for a tranquil holiday. The tap was wasting gallons of water continually and has obviously been dripping for about a year judging by the constant water flow. It’s just neglectful to leave it un-repaired. I complained and the taps were replaced according to my advice. 2. No sofa blanket provided, a blanket is usually provided in holiday cottages. I requested one and one was brought to me. This is a cold building inside. I am only 5’ 2” tall yet the very low beams around the bed were bothersome even for me. I’m very disappointed in Manor Cottages. I’m so relieved to return to the comforts of home where I can recover from this holiday endurance test before returning to work. I cannot book again with Manor Cottages because I now don’t trust them as a holiday business. I can’t recommend Manor Cottages or Mayfly to my friends. I’ll have to mention this review on Manor Cottages website.

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• Stuart - Verified booking

  You want a peaceful and relaxing cottage holiday you have to come here.

  The cottage is quaint and superb in relaxing grounds next to the small River Coln and the owners house. From our day of arrival to the day of leaving we have had a superb stay at Mayfly Cottage while visiting RIAT. The description given didnt do it justice as from both the outside and inside it is a typical Cotswold Cottage that has been converted to a high standard with the only downside being the bed mattress being too hard for us but we got used to it. The bathroom was excellent with a very powerful shower we only wished we had at home. The owner was unfortunately away during our stay but I did contact him a week before and he was very informative in explaining things to me over the phone which we found to be of help when we arrived. He even let us bring a small bbq with us to use during our time there. He also had a lady called Melissa who was looking after his animals while he was away and again Melissa was very friendly and answered any questions we had even about the animals she was looking after. So to end we enjoyed our weeks stay at Mayfly Cottage but would we stay there again.... We would as already booked for next year.

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• Philip - Verified booking

  Mayfly cottage is absolutely delightful.

  It is in a very pretty location and the owners are friendly but still give you space (just what we look for in a holiday). We regularly go on self catering holidays and rarely return to the same place but we will be returning to Mayfly cottage. There is a washing machine, microwave, kettle, oven and hob, caffitiere, good wifi, TV and radio. The double bed is made up of 2 singles pushed together and the mattress is firm, (easily rectified by taking a mattress topper, which we will do next time). There is not much storgae space in the bedroom but there is a chest of drawers to put clothes in which is pretty much enough for a short break. The hot water took a little time to understnad - the water pressure is high which gives a powerful shower and easy to run bath, but it is too high for the boiler to cope with. You therefore need to only turn on the tap / shower about 1/3 - 1/2 to allow the water to heat up as it goes hthrough - this still gives enough water for a shower and bath and is nice and hot. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

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• Geoff - Verified booking

  The accommodation was adequate in most respects but not as good as other other 4 ticks Sykes cottages we have experienced.

  It's not " excellent standard throughout". The double bed was very comfortable and the shower was excellent. But the spacious bathroom lacks the facility to hang two bath towels to dry, the shower screen seal was broken, and the bottom 9 inches or so of the light pull string was an unpleasantly dirty brown. The kitchen equipment is rather sparse, eg no microwaveable pans/dishes, and when we arrived the oven and baking trays were unusably filthy. The owner apologised and cleaned it but it's disappointing that we had to point it out. There is a very large sideboard in the kitchen but it was full of miscellaneous stuff, such as cardboard boxes in which had once contained wine glasses, and was no use to us. The patio would indeed be "spacious" if the large rotted wooden bench and the pile of stones were removed, the shrubs cut back and the weeds pulled out. This is the place where it is most obvious that the photos on Sykes' site were taken some considerable time ago the jumble under the staircase is another

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