What Would Make You Feel Welcome in a Holiday Cottage?

apexblue

cats_whiskers wrote: »

Hi
Although I must say my biggest gripe about self catering places (and some hotels) is the awful assortment of clothes hangers, or lack of them, in the wardrobes. A nice set of several matching wooden clothes hangers in each wardrobe would be a big hit in my book.

Many thanks to you all for your comments.

We supply most things mentioned (including all wooden hangers and Welsh Cakes on arrival - Cats Whiskers you haven't stayed with us on Conwy Marina have you?!).

Interesting point about meet and greet. We have a key safe so guests can arrive at any time as we would prefer it that way if we were renting. Would some welcome being shown round, how to use appliances (although manuals left) or with the owner keeping a discreet distance except if problems arise? Bearing in mind some guests have arrived at 10pm.

p00hsticks

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Surely these items are standard and should be included anyway!

You'd be surprised at how many places we've stayed at that don't provide things like washing powder, washing up liquid, cling film, cooking oil etc....
And donlt have items like alarm clocks, radios, kitchen timers, corkscrews.

It's really annoying when the first day of your holiday you have to go out and buy all of this, particularly as it's usually stuff that you're only going to use a small amount of over the week or that you could easily have brought with you ...

I think as paulwf suggests, it's a good idea for holiday cottage owners to go and live in the place themselves for a few days in order to work out if there's anything missing.

poet123

apexblue wrote: »

Many thanks to you all for your comments.

We supply most things mentioned (including all wooden hangers and Welsh Cakes on arrival - Cats Whiskers you haven't stayed with us on Conwy Marina have you?!).

Interesting point about meet and greet. We have a key safe so guests can arrive at any time as we would prefer it that way if we were renting. Would some welcome being shown round, how to use appliances (although manuals left) or with the owner keeping a discreet distance except if problems arise? Bearing in mind some guests have arrived at 10pm.

Personally, I prefer to just pick up the key, and for the owners just be available if needed.

kazwookie

I def would NOT want tea / coffee/ milk I HATE all of them.

But what you do is consider how much you have costed in for all these items? budget or luxury market and what type of prices do you charge.

Good luck

NJW69

I'd want a basic grocery pack, bread, milk, tea, coffee and sugar and a nice packet of biscuits.

Washing up liquid and tea towels.

Good selection of kitchen appliances, toaster etc.

Quilts on the beds, fluffy towels.

Chocolates, flowers and wine and nice touches but not essential.

1jim

The best place we have stayed in had a reasonably stocked kitchen, olive oil, tea, coffee, sugar, salt/pepper/vinegar sauces, soap powder, dishwasher tablets, cleaning materials, cling film, tin foil, lunch boxes, ice packs, water bottles etc etc etc, they enouraged you to leave anything you had left over at the end of the holiday or replace what you had gone through, seemed a good way to me (I always hate having to buy a big bottle of something on holiday if I am only going to use a little bit of it)

On the otherhand if you are not going to do the above a nice welcome tray would be good, milk, tea, coffee, loaf of bread, milk, cheese, biscuits, etc. If you lived locally and were so inclined you could offer a list of extras you could provide at cost? or what about offering a fruit/veg box to be delivered (rivernene type people?)

Also like lists of takeaways, local attractions, maps, what we have also found useful is having a guestbook that people can write in reviews of local restaurants/attractions (you could start the book off and leave it to develop a life of its own). Also nice to have lots of books for holidaymakers to read from, we have stayed at a few cottages that have put in loads of second hand books and have said they dont mind if people take the book if they have not finished it. Othe places have had loads of dvd's, cd's, childrens games etc

daveyjp

OP - go and stay in a Rural Retreats cottage for a couple of nights. They have set a benchmark which we have never found beaten, but you do pay for it and this is an example of what they provide as a minimum.

Food hamper on arrival which gets you a drink when you arrive with tea, real coffee, milk, a bottle of wine for the evening and breakfast for next morning. Box of cereal, loaf, eggs, we have had local bacon and sausage before.

All cleaning items including rubber gloves, floorcloths, dishcloths, dishwasher tablets, washing powder (for the washer/dryer), brushes, vacuum cleaner etc. Bin bags for kitchen bin and black bin bags, cling film, foil.

A large selection of pots and pans including casserole and large frying pan. Enough crockery to fill the dishwasher, a good selection of glasses including pints, hi balls and wine glasses, champagne flutes, whisky glasses. Gravy boat, plastic crockery for small children, children's knives and forks, travel cot, high chair, stairgates.

Lots of kitchen equipment including a selection of mixing bowls, measuring jug, tupperware lunch boxes, whisks, spatulas, fish slice, strainer, collander, roasting tins, yorkshire pudding tin. We go at Christmas and always manage to do full Christmas lunch with the items provided.

The only item we take are some decent knives - I understand from owners that good ones get stolen!

Lots of books, local area info, DVDs, instruction books on how to use all the electrical items and central heating and hot water, if you have real fires lots of firewood, logs or coal and instructions on how to use a woodburner.

Egyptian cotton sheets on all beds, lots of towels in all bedrooms, hairdryers, small bottles of Molton Brown (or similar) shampoo etc in the bathrooms.

Pay as you go mobile or payphone so you can call the cottage in the evening to introduce yourself.

Ms_Chocaholic

I agree with much of what has been said (especially the bath robes) but more importantly, whatever you provide in terms of extras, please make sure that details of these are included in the holiday booking info to save people having to bring it with them.

jackomdj

As a Mum with small children we look for child friendly "stuff". We stayed somewhere recently & the knives were steak knives, I was contuinually worried that the 5 year old would cut herself. Plastic mugs as I always worry about them dropping the glass ones.

If you have a bath a bath mat & also something to stand on in the bathroom to stop slipping. Also a top & bottom stair gate (you can get the ones that have a fixing on the wall & they just fit into that so you can take them off for times when you don't have children staying).

I always like books & magazines & usually leave my own if there are some already. Also some toys & games (both adult & child ones). We stayed somewhere with a little paddling pool tucked away that we could use which was fab.

I could continue, but I hope you find this useful.

Nicky

Gemmy_2

I think its safe to say your never going to please everyone.
From working at a hotel - obviously its a bit more corperate and less homley but the things guests always like and comment are :

fluffy towels
biscuits
tea/coffee basic supplies
hair drier
coat hangers

To make it more homely - maybe include a coloring book and some crayons if you know kiddies are coming, and a must is some local leaflets or events/take-a-way's and a little info pack on where the nearest supermarket is, petrol station etc. I would of thought a list of emergency numbers would be a must also and taxi firms.

Something that would make it extra special may be things like a bottle of wine/chocolates etc but this can become expensive. Maybe one of those small bottles (big enough for two people?), a newspaper (local one would be fine enough, you might be able to conn some free out of the newsagents if your buying X amount per day - one of the things i love and can't beat. A handwritten letter - nice and personal, just wishing me a nice stay

Also a telephone and free wifi The teens will be thankful.