Manesty Holiday Cottages, Keswick
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Manesty Holiday Cottages Reviews
" A lack of manners at Manesty Cottage "
Submitted By: carelesscook
I regularly holiday in Britain and have stayed in countless holiday cottages. Not all have been satisfactory, yet I have never felt compelled as to write a review until my recent stay in one of the Manesty Holiday Cottages. The cottage we stayed in itself seemed fine from the outside- a lovely building with well kept surroundings. The inside appeared a little worn but was adequate. I was, however, not terribly impressed to find spots of blood on my (thankfully washed) bedsheet.
My main concern was the customer service we received. We had paid a deposit of £80 and had spent a good few hours on the final day ensuring the cottage was spotless, which indeed it was when the owner came round to inspect it. Firstly, he kept us waiting an excessive amount of time to make this inspection- we had a long drive ahead of us which he was aware of. Secondly, he seemed rather keen to find any sort of fault and finally settled on accusing us of damaging a chair because we had taken it down from a bedroom into the dining area. Apparently the chair was designed specifically for bedroom purposes (the mind boggles.) I did not see the damage he referred to, but have been informed that it consisted of a loose thread that will apparently cost £20 to fix, despite my suspicions that the chair itself is probably worth less. These matters aside, if indeed the owner did have a point it would still not entitle him to speak to his guests in the manner that followed: somewhat incredulous ranting and shouting that was audible from outside the cottage. It was completely unacceptable, aggressive behaviour that could only be responded to by walking away from as he was impossible to negotiate with. It would be interesting to see if he would conduct himself in this way towards a family with children, but as a group of young professionals we felt his bullying spoiled what was otherwise a most enjoyable trip.
Good points- A lovely location, very close to some popular walks with good paths, all very well described in the booklets provided. The view was spectacular and the hot tub was a particular highlight. There was also a large table to sit a number of people around.
My main concern was the customer service we received. We had paid a deposit of £80 and had spent a good few hours on the final day ensuring the cottage was spotless, which indeed it was when the owner came round to inspect it. Firstly, he kept us waiting an excessive amount of time to make this inspection- we had a long drive ahead of us which he was aware of. Secondly, he seemed rather keen to find any sort of fault and finally settled on accusing us of damaging a chair because we had taken it down from a bedroom into the dining area. Apparently the chair was designed specifically for bedroom purposes (the mind boggles.) I did not see the damage he referred to, but have been informed that it consisted of a loose thread that will apparently cost £20 to fix, despite my suspicions that the chair itself is probably worth less. These matters aside, if indeed the owner did have a point it would still not entitle him to speak to his guests in the manner that followed: somewhat incredulous ranting and shouting that was audible from outside the cottage. It was completely unacceptable, aggressive behaviour that could only be responded to by walking away from as he was impossible to negotiate with. It would be interesting to see if he would conduct himself in this way towards a family with children, but as a group of young professionals we felt his bullying spoiled what was otherwise a most enjoyable trip.
Good points- A lovely location, very close to some popular walks with good paths, all very well described in the booklets provided. The view was spectacular and the hot tub was a particular highlight. There was also a large table to sit a number of people around.
Advice: The Lake District is a beautiful part of England and would best suit those interested in outdoor act
Activities: Recommend taking a canoe out on Derwent Water followed by a pint at the Swinside Inn
- Date of Holiday:Jun 2009
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
The first came after we had used the hot tub, in which we were asked not to drink alcohol excessively. The owner saw one of our party carrying a single empty beer bottle away from the tub - this can hardly be counted as excessive consumption for 9 people. Nevertheless, my friend was on the receiving end of a substantial telling off for breaking the rules.
Our most memorable encounter, came as we were leaving and the owner was inspecting the cottage. He noticed that we had forgotten to clean under the cooker rings, and asked us to do so. Fair enough. However his manner at this time was shocking. He shouted at us so aggressively that at least one of our party was reduced to tears. He would ask us questions, and then shout some more at us for daring to answer them. The whole experience was utterly astonishing, I've never experienced anything like it.
Cleanliness: In general the cottage appeared to be clean although the decor was somewhat dated. However, as they rely on the departing guests to do the entire handover clean themselves, it is impossible to guarantee that things were actually cleaned/disinfected as appropriate, rather than just wiped down. In addition, we had to make and strip our beds ourselves and were told to leave the duvet cover. It was obvious that they did not wash the duvet covers between guests. The top sheet provided was obviously not fixed in place, so we effectively ended up sleeping in any number of previous guests' dirty linen. This is completely unacceptable.
Location: A fantastic location with beautiful views right from the cottage. They also provided a lot of information on walks in the area, including some very useful guides to walks right from the door.
Facilities: The highlight was definitely the wood-fired hot tub at the edge of the woods. We paid an extra £15 a day for use of the tub. The first day the owners prepared it for us, and apart from the top inch or so the water was cold and the experience was very unpleasant. On the second day we prepared the hot tub ourselves, and it was idyllic.