“Lovely looking property inside and out, and very clean!”
However, we really noticed where money had been saved, such as the paper thin hangers in the wardrobes, which couldn’t even support the weight of a pair of trousers.
Additionally, the mattresses were very, very soft and in the double room my husband and I just rolled into the middle where there was no support under the bed at all. The 3 seater sofa was also very soft and we were nearly at the floor if we sat in the middle! I think it must be a sofa bed but this meant again there was nothing other than the cushion under us if we sat there. By the end of the week, all 4 of our backs were aching!
Additionally, the listing says that things like toilet roll and dishwasher tablets are provided so we didn’t bring any but we were left with 2 dishwasher tablets and a small roll of toilet roll in each toilet, which wasn’t enough given that we cooked a full meal for 4 each evening and were there for a full week. Unfortunately, as we checked in at 5.30ish on the Friday, reception was closed and there was only an emergency number to call. I did text it to say we didn’t have enough (as this didn’t feel like an emergency) but I didn’t hear anything back and, as we had to go shopping and the bits we had wouldn’t last until Monday when staff were next in, we just bought more dishwasher tablets and toilet roll (annoying as have plenty at home and would have bought this had I known we would receive so little rather than buying new packs). It does seem strange that for a holiday site that takes bookings for arrivals on Fridays only that they then have no staff in for the whole weekend and staff work normal Friday hours! Maybe this should be re-thought? Either way, we just sorted ourselves and didn’t mention to staff (other than the text) come Monday as it would have been to no effect for us.
Lastly, Wales has very strict recycling rules (fair enough!) but, given the site really wants you to recycle properly and makes it clear in the welcome pack, they didn’t make it easy at all. For example, food waste should be separated but we couldn’t even find a food waste bin outside… although it did appear later in the week. Additionally, there was no extra facility within the lodge to separate out recycling, food waste etc which meant that we needed to manually separate out everything in the lodge using kitchen bowls (food waste) and bags we had brought with us unless we were to walk to the bins all the time! Then, to top it off, the bins outside were overflowing (other than general waste) which meant that other types of recycling started being loaded up outside of the bins. Just seems that this should have been better thought out too.
I (honestly!) wouldn’t normally mention all these things but the images and, genuinely, the look of the property itself are lovely but the money saving tactics used that you can’t see until arrival did make us feel we had an inaccurate listing that was slightly overpriced. We did receive a small discount prior to arrival as the lodge we actually booked was sold a few weeks before we were due to arrive but this move was labelled an ‘upgrade’ but we really don’t believe it was (other than the addition of the hot tub, which only one of us was interested in using anyway) but we accepted it as it was too late to cancel/change our other holiday plans which we had booked months in advance (inc our tickets to Skomer Island, which for 4 totalled around £200 a day and we were going twice).
Many thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy, detailed review. We take all customer feedback very seriously and always aim to improve our guest services.
All the hangers in the wardrobes are plastic hangers, and standard across all our Holiday Homes in the Ocean Collection. There have never been any other complaints, but we will investigate if they are strong enough to hold a pair of trousers!
We are sorry to hear that you found the mattress and sofa too soft; the mattress was brand new at the start of the season and unfortunately we are unable to cater for everyone’s individual taste.
All guests receive a pre-arrival letter which includes information about what we provide as a 'Starter pack!' And it is exactly that….. just a few basic complimentary items to help at the beginning of your holiday.
‘Your starter Welcome Pack will be found in your accommodation main living area.
This will include:
Tea, coffee, sugar, tea towels, dish cloth and sponge, kitchen roll, toilet rolls, dish washer tablets, washing up liquid and bin bags.’
We are more than happy to assist with the provision of additional items , as and when requested. Guests are encouraged to contact a member of staff if there are any issues with their Holiday Home. Apologies if you were unable to get refills of toilet rolls and dishwasher tablets, and that affected your stay with us.
Over the weekend we have two members of staff in Reception on Saturday and one staff on Sunday, as we offer a complimentary minibus transport service to the nearest village between 10 – 4pm. for all our guests
Our reception is open between 9am and 5 .30pm – it is not feasible for staff to be expected to work late into the evening waiting for guest arrivals. Therefore, all the pre-arrival information, including a map to locate the accommodation and a key safe codes are e mailed, a few days before arrival, to facilitate guest self check in.
There is also an emergency number in the Holiday Homes to contact a member of staff for support with any issues that cannot be delayed until the following morning.
Unfortunately, we are still awaiting delivery of the food caddies and recycling bags ordered back in March; as soon as these are received, each Holiday Home will have this provision to help follow the recycling regulations, and more detailed guidance to facilitate the process.
There are a wide selection of recycling bins in the refuse area, and for our first very busy week in the season, we have had a slight issue with the capacity of some of the recycling bins . We have carried out a review of the recycling provision, and due to the increase in demand, we have ordered additional bins.
For any complaints regarding accuracy of listing, pricing and upgrades, we would advise that you contact Sykes direct as they set the pricing for all our Holiday Homes; but their pricing structure is based on being comparable to similar properties in the area.
Holiday accommodation with Hot tubs are considered generally an upgrade.
We are sorry to hear that you were not happy with your Lodge, we hope that you enjoyed you complimentary bottle of prosecco, and a few snacks as a small gesture for the inconvenience caused .
Property Owner
