“On the positive side the cottage was clean, well decorated and well furnished.”
It is also in a very good location.
Before we begin on the real issue which affected our stay (heating) I would just like to mention some minor issues.
1) MIRRORS - There is one wall mirror in the shower room. Also a small movable full length mirror. There were no other mirrors although there was space for one in the lounge, one in the hall and also in each bedroom. It would have helped to be able to comb your hair when the shower room and the only mirror is in use.
2) ...
It is also in a very good location.
Before we begin on the real issue which affected our stay (heating) I would just like to mention some minor issues.
1) MIRRORS - There is one wall mirror in the shower room. Also a small movable full length mirror. There were no other mirrors although there was space for one in the lounge, one in the hall and also in each bedroom. It would have helped to be able to comb your hair when the shower room and the only mirror is in use.
2) WARDROBE FACILITIES There were no facilities for hanging clothes,(wardrobes) whatsoever, and I had to hang my clothes on the end of the bunk bed the small room. There would have been space at the bottom of the bunks for a small wardrobe. Or even a hanging rail.
In the double bedroom there were pegs on the outside wall for hanging but the wall was damp/wet. Clothes handing there became damp and had to be moved. (See more below regarding this particular wall)
SPACE IN SHOWER ROOM - The access to the sink in the shower room could be difficult for larger residents. There is only about a 12 inches between the shower and the wall and its difficult to get past the shower to the sink unit.
THE MAIN ISSUE WAS THE HEATING
We were without heat from Sunday evening/Monday. This lasted for the whole of the week. The radiators were cold all over the house. The electric boiler had stopped working. We had numerous telephone calls to the letting Agents,. (Sykes) and also Pure Management - a number given in the Welcome Book. We also left messages with the owner on the telephone number provided in that book.
There was never any direct response from the owner. We tried for two days with the other numbers but they were either unresponsive or unhelpful. I spoke to Sykes Cottages once earlier on who said that the wall heater was showing 23 degrees. (It was but that could have been due to using the electric heater we had had to buy). The only people involved who I spoke to positively were Pure Management, who were trying to speak to the owner but not having any response. They eventually left a message to say the owner had finally contacted them and authorised for someone to look at the boiler on Wednesday evening (he didn't) or Thursday morning. He did come early on Thursday but he was expecting a gas boiler and the boiler in the cottage is electric. He was a gas boiler man/plumber. So that was a waste of time. He confirmed that he could do nothing, but mentioned several parts of the boiler which he felt needed repair. He said he would pass this on to the Management/owner.
As mentioned above we had to buy an electric heater to keep warm, moving it around the cottage, It was far from satisfactory.
As above, in the double bedroom the exterior wall had some pegs to hang clothes on. However that wall was extremely damp, and actually wet. Consequently, clothes placed on these hooks became wet. Further along the wall near the window on the same room there was black mould and the curtains were damp. The cushions on the window seat were wet. I have photographs which I will send separately.
This is a cottage in a very good location, and should have been perfect but I think the heating issues and the poor response to solving them, marred out visit, if not resolved would mean its unsuitable for occupation in the winter.
The thermostat in the lounge which showed at 23 degrees when we arrived, gradually decreased, when we weren't using the electric fire and on leaving read 15 degrees on Saturday morning. Mostly being at 16/17 degrees prior to that.
I am feeding similar information to Booking.com,. Trip Advisor and St Ives Tourist Board. I will also be writing to Sykes Cottages separately and attaching photographs.
- Elizabeth, December 2023
Thank you for your feedback, the cottage was clean and functional when you arrived, the thermostat is set to 18 degC by default. You have set the thermostat to 32 degC during your stay. After property visits by both a plumber and an electrician, the boiler was not functioning properly and we offered a full refund should you have chosen to shorten the stay for that reason but this was declined. The guests have plugged in an electric heater without acknowledging the owner for the rest of the stay at full power. After departure our housekeeper reported shocking property conditions - very bad mould on walls and fixtures, furnitures because the property wasn't vented for the whole week. Specialist plumber reported the internal fuse in the boiler was gone probably due to overriding safety settings. I apologise that your demand for a future free stay for another week has to be declined.
Property Owner
