“Certainly do not advise staying in this pkace”
- Margaret, February 2024
Garth and I are both bewildered and bemused by your one liner feedback (and I think you meant 'place' right?) and we would seriously question the 'triggers' and motivations behind this review.
In all our time since we have holiday let 'The Old Reading Room' with Manor Cottages and Sykes (dating back to 2007), we can count on one hand, with fingers to spare, the less positively inclined reviews; something which we are both proud of and passionate about.
The website, as with our guest book (which you will have seen and surely made you think twice about your own experience), confirms a plethora of positive, glowing comments, backed up by the fact that we have numerous returning guests from both the UK and overseas (and many of whom I am pleased to say have become firm friends over the years).
We deal in facts and not fiction or the fantastical. You will remember that, despite not having received a call from yourselves in advance of your arrival (which is usual procedure and which, importantly, allows us to understand any particular guest requirements), we accommodated your early arrival by letting you gain access to the property two hours ahead of the allotted time (a gesture we thought you would appreciate given the inclement weather on that particular day).
You will also, no doubt, recollect that realising there was no kindling, I immediately jumped into my car and visited both the local farm and garage and resolved the situation by ensuring you had smaller sized logs from our private log store, as well as supplying ample larger logs for what is a 'starter' log burner pack (the clue here being in the 'starter' description).
Manor Cottages efficiently manage the changeovers and carry out the cleaning of the cottage, and we have a cleaning team who spend a minimum of three hours each time unless I specifically request additional deep cleaning.
I have learnt both in my professional life and personal life to treat people as they treat you (and again you will see from the high volume of wonderful client comments who endorse the property that there is no lack of positive interaction and engagement). Which makes us question the validity of this review which I believe to be prompted by a less than positive behavioural motivation. Albeit, I acknowledge, that you do come across folk in life who are professional career complainants.
The learn here is that you can't please all of the people all of the time (despite best endeavours) but when 97/98% of guests are at opposite ends of the poll stating how thrilled they were with their stay, and regularly returning, then you do have to question the near singular negative feedback and accept it is the exception to the rule for whatever reasons only known to that individual.
Of course, there could be something about expectation management here. We are a Cotswoldian country cottage offering lots of charm and a warm welcome not the Claridges hotel :)
Property Owner
