“We stayed here in 2025 and again this year, the home is lovely, however, we noticed the housekeeping standards were down.”
My brother ended up hoovering everywhere (the hoover was completely clogged up and my brother had to empty it, (I have emphysema so dust and hoovering is a no no for me) we wiped tvs and surfaces down (after a quick trip to the town to buy antibacterial wipes) the dishwasher was full of pots, the outside bin was overloaded and heavy, my brother aged 63 even struggled to get it to the front for the bin men, as there was building rubble in front of the bins. To be honest the oven needed a good cleaning too. Then there was furniture boxes delivered on the Thursday, again my brother had to stack them in the hallway. IThe house could do with a really good spring clean to get it back up to the standard which it was last year. We love this holiday home and would go back again if the cleaning was up to scratch. I’ve thought long about posting this review as I hate to leave negative stuff, but the owners need to know and they can get on top of whoever they employ to clean. If it wasn’t for my younger brother myself and hubby couldn’t have coped as we both have serious health issues.
Dear Tina,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are always open to hearing from our guests, whether the comments are positive or negative, as it gives us the opportunity to improve and, where necessary, put things right.
I am sorry that you felt there were issues during your stay. I do wish, however, that you had contacted either Sykes or myself while you were at Coastal Retreat. Had we known about the concerns at the time, we would have had the opportunity to investigate them, rectify anything that needed attention, explain anything that may have been misunderstood, and, where appropriate, offer some compensation.
I did try to contact you through the Sykes app, as well as calling you on the 6th September and twice on the 10th September, but unfortunately I didn’t receive a response. My reason for contacting you was mainly to let you know that some new furniture was being delivered and that my neighbour would be dealing with this and placing it in the garage. I appreciate that this may not have been particularly relevant to you, but I would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss any concerns you had at the same time.
I take great pride in Coastal Retreat and, before your stay, I personally stayed at the property and carried out the changeover myself. I cleaned the property from top to bottom to my usual high standard. All downstairs floors and mats were washed, the sofa and dining cushions were removed and cleaned, and the sofa and chairs were vacuumed and Vax cleaned. Upstairs and the stairs were also thoroughly vacuumed.
I am very happy to take responsibility for the dishwasher being left unpacked. That was an oversight on my part, and I apologise for this.
I would also like to mention some of the improvements that have been made since your previous visit, as I am always investing in the property and trying to make Coastal Retreat as comfortable and welcoming as possible:
• A brand-new en-suite has been installed.
• The previous inexpensive white doors have been replaced with rustic oak doors.
• A slow cooker, steamer and toast maker have been added.
• A large new rug has been added to the wooden lounge floor.
• The bunk beds have been removed and replaced with a double bed.
• The previous double bed has been replaced with a new king-size bed.
• New seat cushions have been added to the dining chairs and bench.
• The front garden is currently being redesigned.
You also mentioned building rubble in the garden. This was actually a small pile of topsoil that had been left beside the fence ready for planting a shrub, while still allowing easy access for moving the bins. Unfortunately, following the August Bank Holiday, the bins were also behind schedule for collection, which meant they were still there when you arrived.
A welcome pack is also provided for guests, containing cleaning essentials together with wine, crisps, chocolates, biscuits and other treats.
I am genuinely sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. At the same time, I hope you can appreciate that I take the presentation, cleanliness and upkeep of Coastal Retreat very seriously. The feedback and reviews from previous guests have been extremely encouraging, and I will continue to take every comment on board.
Most importantly, I would have appreciated the opportunity to address your concerns while you were actually at the property. Had you contacted us, we would have done our very best to help and make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Thank you again for your feedback. I do hope you enjoyed some aspects of your stay, and I wish you all the best.
Kind regards,
Del
Property Owner
