“Unfortunately Lanapoule is quite tired and would really benefit from redecoration and in general a freshen up especially for the high level of rent charged.”
There was no welcome pack on arrival which we were quite surprised by as we have in the past received generous welcome packs when we have paid much much less to stay at other holiday properties. But what we really didn’t expect was to be left with no hot water by the second morning of our stay because the owner seemingly didn’t set it to come on. In the process we wasted a morning of our holiday waiting in for a gas engineer which never needed to happen. Then at 8am on the Wednesday of our ...
There was no welcome pack on arrival which we were quite surprised by as we have in the past received generous welcome packs when we have paid much much less to stay at other holiday properties. But what we really didn’t expect was to be left with no hot water by the second morning of our stay because the owner seemingly didn’t set it to come on. In the process we wasted a morning of our holiday waiting in for a gas engineer which never needed to happen. Then at 8am on the Wednesday of our stay we were woken up by some strange scraping noises which we thought was coming from the flat immediately below Lanapoule and on further investigation it was the window cleaner. Total lack of courtesy on the part of the owner not to let us know and even more ignorant to allow the window cleaner to call so early. Better still arrange this on changeover days or when the property is unoccupied. On the few positives there was onsite parking and our bed was very comfortable. However taking into account Lanapoule’s ‘top of the hill’ location in relation to Salcombe town centre and that it can sleep 6+ guests, as advertised, it was no where near worth the £1400 we paid for a week in early June. That said we shall not ever consider a return to Lanapoule at anytime in the future..
Thank you for your feedback on your recent stay, although we are disappointed to read this review after our previous correspondence and would would like to correct a few issues you raised.
Firstly, we are pleased to read that you enjoyed the free off street parking, and slept well in the comfortable beds. We also agree that the views benefited from being at the top of the hill are worth the walk. Watching the sunset from the lounge window is always something we love during our visits.
We are sorry to read that you thought the house could do with some redecoration. The kitchen has been recently replaced, the bedrooms are regularly painted and linen replaced and sad to read you didn’t fine it cosy and homely – we certainly do. The photos on the website are recent and taken from a professional photographer. We hope that you also managed to enjoy enjoy a BBQ and relax in the secret garden room at the bottom of the garden.
Regarding the hot water issue on Sunday, we wanted to clarify a few issues you mentioned.
Once we received your call, we arranged for a British Gas engineer to attend the property within 2hours as you informed us it was an emergency and we wanted to quickly resolve it. We had advised during our call there was no need for you to stay at the house as the engineer could access the hot water system in the boiler room without entering the house, or you needing to be home, we are sorry that you delayed the start to your day unnecessarily.
We were very surprised to find you contacted the agent 4 days later (via email) to ask for a refund and advise the hot water was still was not working – rather than calling us directly on Monday morning. The “nest heating system” in the house can be changed manually on the dial (and also monitored via Mobile App) and from Sunday afternoon we checked it several times daily to make sure it was working – which it was – and cannot understand why it took 4 extra days to alert us if it hadn’t been working.
Thank you for telling us about the window cleaner – he does come regularly to keep the windows clean so guests can enjoy the spectacular views. It is all done from the ground to ensure privacy for guests and ensures the birds mess is kept off. We have since spoken to the window cleaner who confirmed he made it to the house after 11am. He cleans many homes on the street (and in Salcombe) and doesn’t make it to our street until late-morning, so seems there was a mix up with the 8am arrival time stated. We will ask him to knock on the door if he is cleaning when guests are staying in the future in case they are having a lie in.
Regarding the cost for staying at Lanapoule, as we mentioned in our previous correspondence, Salcombe is one of the most expensive places to stay in Devon because it is so beautiful and a popular destination. Lanapoule is a mid-range priced property and offers great value (eg: When 8 people are staying in the house, it works out at £175pp for the same week you stayed, which is fantastic value in June in Salcombe). There are many towns nearby that are equally as beautiful that may be more budget friendly for your next visit to the area.
We are considering adding a welcome pack for the future, thanks for the suggestion, and will see what goodies are appropriate for guests.
During your stay we feel we went above and beyond to address the heating issue, and understand everyone has differing opinions on décor and holiday budgets, but we are so pleased that you stayed the entire week and hope that you managed to enjoy the beautiful beaches, delicious food and lovely walks in the area.
Many thanks
John & Carol
Property Owner
