We recently stayed at the Vestry and would rate this accommodation as decent. We were grateful for the welcome basket and flowers and it was thoughtful to leave a bottle of milk in the fridge. However, given that it is advertised as a five star property, it was a bit of a let down in the following aspects:
1. There was no handwash in any of the two bathrooms on the first floor as well as in the downstairs cloakroom. Young children (or even adults for that matter) would not think of checking the hygiene facilities before using the toilet. When we go on holiday, we don't necessarily pack handwash as part of our toiletries.
2. There were no bin bags at the property and so rubbish disposal was certainly an issue for us. Again we don't travel with bin bags on holiday.
3. The Wii did not work. When shops are more than a couple of miles away, it is not so easy to get replacement bateries for the consoles. As a result, we had to cope with three very disappointed kids.
4. Although we paid for the whole house, the bed in one of the rooms was not made up (no sheets, no covers). It was almost rude to assume that we would not be using it.
5. We booked via Lounge Holidays and their terms and conditions state that the deposit that guests pay are returnable within 14 days. As soon as we checked out of the property, we were sent a text from the owners thanking us for leaving the house so clean. Yet, our deposit was not returned until more than a week later and that too I had to write twice to Lounge Holidays. They are so vague with regards to their policy of 14 days. We have rented multiple holiday places over the years and the maximum length of time it has taken to get damage deposits back is five days. This 14 days policy is unacceptable.
6. For a five star property, I would expect everyhting to work faultlessly. However, there were too many glitches, for instance the microwave was not operable easily, the vacuum cleaner had a broken suction part and kept coming off, the downsatirs part of the house was unbearably hot and there was no fan and no windows in the sitting room and kitchen, the cable had to be changed eveytime one wanted to watch a DVD.
Liked best:
Nice and modern interior
Liked least:
lack of obvious things such as handwash, bin bags; house was advertised as pet free and yet we found lots of hair/fur on the floor.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Aug 29, 2014
We are very disappointed that these guests didn't enjoy a 5 star experience and we are surprised by some of the comments, particularly as they took the trouble to note that the house was 'very clean’ in the visitors book. The bin bags were a genuine oversight and for that we apologies. No other guests have had problems with the kitchen equipment and again this wasn't mentioned in the visitors book or maintenance book. There Is a fan in the house and it can easily be moved between floors. They stayed at the Vestry in the scorching heat of July but this wasn't a problem for anyone else. There are ceiling fans in the bedrooms and there are large windows on the ground floor which can be opened for plenty of ventilation. One of the beds was not made up because it had been agreed in advance that they wouldn't be using all of the beds (when they were negotiating a discount). We also thought that it would be better for them to not have the bedding in the way - as the cot was in that room & it meant that they could use the bed for changing, dressing baby etc. We really did everything we could for these guests (including agreeing to an 11am check out - despite having to pay cleaning staff from 10am) but sadly, despite our best efforts, it would appear that you can't please all of the people all of the time.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
8 reviews 
