6 Rosedale Abbey
Pickering, Y018 8RA
North Yorkshire, UK
In creating a luxurious feel and a simply nice experience in our own holiday home, we thought carefully about all the great holidays we've had; and we tried hard to put some of that experience into our cottage renovation in Rosedale Abbey.
But we also had quite a wealth of information on poor quality accommodation which we most certainly wanted to avoid.
From knowing what works - and what doesn't work - we thought we could create a nice relaxing, but luxurious space for our own breaks.
We also thought that our "insider knowledge" would translate to happy customers who choose to stay at Rosella Cottage as well.
Here's our top ten list of things to avoid when looking into booking (or operating) a luxury self-catering holiday cottage.
Smoking, cooking odours, poor drains, or plain old doggy smells are always an immediate turn-off on arrival.
Make sure these problems are fixed quickly.
Untidyness and grime is an absolute no-no.
A careful and thorough clean after each guest departs is essential.
Uncomfortable (or small) beds are a a sure way to spoil a nice holiday.
It is essential that mattresses are turned often and replaced at an adequate frequency.
There is no excuse for poor quality, or overused bed linen and towels.
Thread-bare linens which have outlived their "use-by" date are just awful.
They might keep the ecoists happy, but there's not much worse than a low-flow shower to spoil a luxury bathroom experience.
When combined with a low flow shower, the lack of hot water is another disaster for a pleasent wake-up.
Lack of maintenance will certainly highlight a properties bad side.
So make sure paintwork is in good order, carpets are clean, and non-working lamp globes are always replaced.
Small cottages are fine so long as guests know what to expect.
In fact, a nice cosy and romantic cottage can be a real counterpoint to today's "Mac mansion" homes that folks live in day-to-day.
But owners shouldn't be tempted to rent a small space to a large group.
There's not much worse than turning up to a cottage and discovering it's not anything like you had in mind when booking.
All property descriptions should always be honest; and owners shouldn't be afraid to point out limitations (e.g., no garden, steep stairs, etc.).
Our philosophy is that holiday caccommodation should always offer something more than we were expecting.
You might call it a "wow" factor.
It might be the view from the bedroom, the free wifi, or just some realy tasty fresh baked bread on arrival.
In our view, guests should always leave feeling they got more holiday than they paid for!
10 Rose & Crown Yard
Off Flower Gate, Whitby
North Yorkshire, Y021 3BE