Dog Friendly Villas In Gloucestershire

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Paul - Verified booking

  With regard to our recent stay at Chapel Cottage, we have some issues which we feel ought to be raised through yourselves.

  On arrival, as required, a phone call was made to the mobile number provided for the code to access the key. This was very brief, whereby we were asked if we had arrived & the code number was provided, nothing more. We later realised the owners of the property resided directly opposite the cottage. The first thing on entry was to make a cup of tea but we found the mugs tea stained & the kettle in need of a descale. Although on some of the sites managed by yourselves advertising cottages, this property was advertised with the kitchen having a fridge/freezer. In fact it was a fridge with an ice box. We had travelled with a cool bag & ice packs to provide us with frozen food for the freezer, a chicken, salmon, lamb fillets & some homemade fruit pies. These could not be accommodated in the heavily iced up & small ice box. Inevitably some had to be discarded. Our plan had been to eat out for some lunches & for some evening meals to be taken in the cottage. This was thwarted somewhat & was compounded on seeing the condition of the interior of the oven, dirty. The baking tray & roasting dish provided were in also need of a good clean or replacement. We had to resort to purchasing ready meals for use in the microwave. Not something we normally do. The fridge must not have been inspected from occupation by previous guests. A shelf was stuck in place with solidified green gunge holding it in position. We were unable to remove it to clean it which should not have been the case during our occupancy. When settled, we looked to access the WIFI via the password provided. Several attempts proved fruitless. I used the mobile number provided & spoke to Margaret explaining our difficulties. She informed us there had been a problem with the password for the WIFI the previous week but that there was a QR code in the information provided & to try that. This did give successful access to WIFI for the mobiles but we could not access it on the tablet, where we had stored details of daily excursions & other local information for our holiday. The following morning we found the WIFI had dropped on both of our mobiles & extensive re use of the QR code or the password failed to connect us. I again contacted Margaret. She explained that after our first call about this problem she had turned the WIFI off & on again. This seemed to be why we could not reconnect. She visited the cottage a short time later that morning informing us that she had again turned the system off & then on, asking if we had access. Another attempt proved successful on both mobiles but the tablet would still not connect to the system trying to use the QR code. From then on the connection on the mobiles remained active. Although this may appear to be a minor inconvenience, we had made extensive searches & plans for our holiday in the Cotswolds prior to travelling & this was stored on the tablet which we couldn't access. Having taken holidays in several self accommodation properties over the years we realise that trying to assess requirements for the property especially a kitchen can be difficult. However, we feel there are basics that should be in place & Chapel Cottage fell short in this area. Although there was a wooden bread board there was no other chopping board for preparing food. A bread board isn't suitable for chopping 'flavoured' foods on. Also the following kitchen items would be useful:- a tray, measuring jug, a sharp paring style knife (the one in situ was rather blunt), a clean wooden spoon (the one in situ was badly stained yellow from previous use), weighing scales, a rolling pin. There could be other basic items that may be useful. We point this out on the basis of the property description in advertising it, saying that the 'open plan kitchen/diner which remains in a farmhouse-style layout with all the necessary appliances needed for rustling up some delicious meals to enjoy at the dining table'. The lack of basic 'tools' does not assist in realising what has been portrayed in the advertising description. There were some kitchen tools in a container on the window sill but as with the oven, they were in need of a clean before use as were the place mats & coasters. We understand there is a reliance on previous occupants to ensure the property is left clean & tidy on departure but this cannot be counted on. The preparation of the property for a forthcoming visit should include a check ensuring kitchen accessories, tools & appliances are in good order & clean. The 4 slice toaster in situ only had 2 compartments working. There were many assorted types of drinking glasses in the cupboard, although only one specific wine glass. a corkscrew was provided so the expectancy was visitors would be consuming wine during their stay but only one of us could use the appropriate glass. With the description of the bathroom including 'an elegant bath' the portrait was one of bathroom luxury. It was more than adequate for our needs but the bath was nothing more than a plastic roll top with visible claw feet which was somewhat discoloured at the tap end. The wooden staircase was of good construction & looked good for the cottage atmosphere but here there was also cause for concern for people such as us who are not in their prime of youth. It included 2 twists whether you were ascending or descending. The downstairs light only illuminated the bottom half of the staircase so you walked towards darkness on ascending. During bedtime hours it was also a task should you have to visit the bathroom, when you had to proceed with caution. There was a note in the guests book indicating a couple had taken a tumble on the staircase. For safety on our part we felt we had to leave lights on through the night. Thankfully no incidents occurred. This property is listed for advertising on at least 7 web sites some of which are be administered by yourselves. Anomalies appear in descriptions of the property, the main one being that the bedroom is downstairs. The fact that a fridge/freezer is said to be in the cottage when it is not, does cause a problem. Also the bedroom is described as having a walk in wardrobe. It is a cupboard converted to accommodate hanging clothes with a shelf that wobbles. We found that walking into it was impossible as you cracked your head on the sloping roof. This applied to myself & my wife who is only 5'2'' tall. We feel these & other points raised require attention. Finally, we did find comments within the guests book of 'a warm welcome' on arrival. We felt we did not experience this as explained in the initial phone contact to obtain the key code for access to the cottage. Had it not been for encountering problems with Wi-Fi connection prompting a visit from Margaret, we feel there would have been no contact other than that initial phone call. There were positives from our stay in that the cottage is ideally situated within a pleasant village location & has a good supermarket & news agency within a short driveable distance. The bed & lounge seating was comfortable with good off road parking for a vehicle. Photographs are available to support our points.

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• Aga - Verified booking

  Not Clean, not best customers service and not dog friendly.

  It was a last minute booking, so we didn’t investigate thoroughly. Reading some reviews afterwards, I don’t think we would be willing to spend over £200 a night in a place that needs a proper deep clean! I mean proper deep clean! At first glance it looks ok, but look at your toilet seat before you sit down or on your glass before you pour some water (or wine) in it. Even the general information folder left on the coffee table is so dirty, disgusting and has mouldy pages inside. On the top of that the place is damp and therefore the smell downstairs in not pleasant. Squeaky toilet door that will defo wake you up at night. It is such a shame because the cottage is lovely, just needs some TLC. The owners, well, we only met the husband, who came the first night to say hi. They live literally next door. The wife was in touch only via text message and I can assure you there wasn’t even a ‘hello’ in her message, not ‘looking forward to welcoming you’, not even simplest courtesy. I knew straight after we arrived that dogs are not that welcome as stated in the advert, there wasn’t even a water bowl available. All there was for dogs is a ‘poo’ bin in the garden (handy I accept), and sign to clean after your dog. Also the owner complaint that our dog run into their garden (not separated at all from our cottage’s garden), and that if our dogs poos in their garden they need to clean it, so he shut the gate to the garden. On the top of that, the intro folder sates that dogs are not allowed upstairs, and not allowed in bedrooms either. Well, bedrooms are downstairs, kitchen, lounge and dining room upstairs, I have no idea where we supposed to keep our dog. On the plus side the area is lovely, really pretty. A lovely coffee shop down the road and Jolly Farm Shop were great for quick shopping or bite to eat. Also a warning that Chapel Cottage shares the drive/ entry and garden access with October cottage, so if both have guests at the same time, it might get busy. We were lucky that October cottage was empty. Also the narrow road a few people refer to, it is narrow but not unusually narrow. You don’t have to worry, unless you drive a lorry!

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• Peter - Verified booking

  A wonderful family three days was spent by us at Arlington Mill.

  (There were ten of us). It is an amazing building and is just right for a large family group. There is so much space that everyone was satisfied with their own en suite accommodation. We ate in on two nights, preparing huge banquets in the massive and well-equipped kitchen (two freezers and two fridges!). The Catherine Wheel Inn is a stone's throw up the road and did us proud on one evening. This mill is an amazing place and there is so much to see in the village and surrounding area. It is a delightful part of the Cotswolds. Just one or two minor gripes. When using previous rented accommodation we have usually had a TV set in the bedrooms. Arlington Mill does not, though we were probably too tired to bother, anyway! The TV in the lounge appears only to receive programmes via Sky as Freeview failed to pick up any signal. The soundbar failed to switch on and is very precariously attached to the set. I am familiar with the model and it seemed to be inverted? We tried everything to get it into action, but it seemed dead. We brought DVD's with us for the grandchildren but were unable to use them as the player was not connected to the set and the leads appeared to be missing. The heating system is quite complex and not to be messed with! The timer appeared to be incorrectly set though we were frightened to fiddle with it and left it well alone! In leaving it as it was the heating seemed to come on very late in the evening and hardly at all in the morning when we were getting up. The master bedroom, however, was always warm. As a result, we had to purchase heaps of logs and used the very efficient log burner to heat the dinning and associated lounge area where we spent most of our time. These are only minor gripes about a holiday let which is second to none. It certainly has the 'wow factor' and is well worth the money. Congratulations to the owners who have done a great restoration job on what is a wonderful old building of some significance.

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• Anisha - Verified booking

  Where does one start?

  I contacted Hillary prior to our visit for help and suggesstions, my partner and I have not had the best year as we were due to wed late May but wedding due to Covid-19 we could not go forward. Hillary was very responsive and helpful, during my planning stages Hillary suggested a local photographer and lovely Amy to make our wedding cake. We got married earlier in the day in East London and booked the Cotswolds for our Minimoon which actually was our honeymoon, we had the best time. The cutest Chapel Cottage which is a home away from home, everything you would need plus more. Our beautiful cottage gave us the most happiness and we cannot wait to visit again. Such a clean place with the most beautiful views, you will not need to bring anything for the cottage as Hillary provides everything you need and the grounds are the most beautful. The cottage is is in reach of everywhere you would like to visit, we visited Stroud, Sapperton, Frampton Mansell, Stratford upon Avon, Nailsworth, Cirencester, Cheltemham etc visiting the best places to view and eat from following the cottage guidebook. Upon arrival we had ruffles on the gates and cottage which made our visit so special and personal, leaving our lovely cottage has been so depressing and we miss it so much, my partner and I are very sentimental therefore Chalford has been very special. With such a great host and cottage you will have the best stay, there is nothing I would change, this has been the best experience of 2020! Also, we loved the attention to detail, Hillary has the best eye for China plates, Laura Ashley and John Lewis :) the best discreet cottage we have stayed in.

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• Lorraine - Verified booking

  We had the most fabulous stay at Under Catswood.

  The situation of the property is stunning and to be able to walk from the house and enjoy the beautiful Laurie Lee countryside was a bonus. The property was spacious enough for us 3 couples to be together but never on top of each other and we were able to take ourselves off to another part of the house if needs be for some quiet time- such as completing a jigsaw! The garden is perfect for dogs. We chose this place to escape the noise of fireworks and that worked perfectly. At night the only sound we heard was the hooting of an owl. I've given the property 4stars as a few improvements would elevate it to complete perfection! The windows in the bedrooms and bathrooms being locked shut. Why? To open and ventilate would mean less condensation which was beginning to rot the seals. Also to sleep with the window open would be better as it felt a bit stuffy. We were there in November but can imagine this being a problem in the summer. We also didn't have instructions for recycling and rubbish. We sorted our recycling in the bins provided in the kitchen drawer but had to leave it for the cleaners to deal with as we didn't have any instructions on where to put it from there. We also had to leave our rubbish in the kitchen too through lack of instructions. The weather was mild and so heating was not a huge issue but the right hand part of the house was quite cold at times. In the cold weather this could be an issue especially in the bedrooms. These are minor improvements. In no way did any of this hamper our enjoyment of our stay. We were all very sad to leave and would definitely book to return. Highly recommended.

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