Mandy
Cardiff | Couple
This stay at the Deerleap Lodge was the second time, we had rented a property at the strawberry fields site, as we had stayed in the blackbird lodge at Easter. While we loved the lodge and its location on the site, it was a real shame that there were a few things, that we found, which have reduced the score on this occasion.
While the lodge appeared clean, we arrived at 8pm to find the previous guests rubbish left on the doorstep mat with a black bag on top, the checklist and the cleaners box were left out in the living room, along with the soap dispensers, which hadn't been filled up. We were given two spare pillows, but only one pillow case. The toilet bush was really dirty and really needs to be thrown out and a few of the light bulbs needed replacing. The hoover bag was broken and we had trouble trying to hoover the lodge, before we left.
The lodge itself was of a good standard, as it is set back from the road, you to have the light through the patio doors, without any loss of privacy. The kitchen, dinning area and living room were of a good size, but we found the two seat sofa uncomfortable as it isn't very big. The TV was slightly confusing, as you had to use one set of numbers for most of the channels and then another set for BBC1, but the WI FI was good. The lodge was warm, even on cold days and you are able to adjust the temperature to your own personal requirements.
The bedroom was a nice size and the king size bed really comfortable, but I personally didn't like the mirror resting against the wall, as I was worried my dog would knock it over. Having a door from the bathroom to the patio was really handy for the hot tub and we really liked the different light settings, especially the outside sparkly lights at night. For a dog friendly lodge, we were worried about a couple of floor ornaments, which we moved out of the loving room for their safety, but the new gate on the patio, was a real asset as it allowed our dog to walk around outside, without us worrying he was going to get out. We arrived to find a welcome pack of a bottle of red wine, a bottle of water and two individual biscuits (like you would find in a hotel room), but after reading other reviews, I think other guests also received a bottle of milk as part of their pack.
Lastly while I have enjoyed both our stays at the Strawberry fields site (and I am a real fan of the Ciderbarn pub) - I am currently undecided, about whether to book another lodge at this site in the future. This is simply because I do not agree with the requirement to pay security deposits prior to staying at the site. This is partly because the money is taken a week before the stay and not given back until at least two weeks after you have left and I don't like having to chase to get my money back. For over sixteen years, I have rented numerous cottages and this is the only time I have had to pay a security deposit. As a dog owner, I have always left the cottages clean and I have never caused damage and at price of the strawberry fields rentals, there needs to be some trust.
Published on: 2019-11-19
This stay at the Deerleap Lodge was the second time, we had rented a property at the strawberry fields site, as we had stayed in the blackbird lodge at Easter. While we loved the lodge and its location on the site, it was a real shame that there were a few things, that we found, which have reduced the score on this occasion.
While the lodge appeared clean, we arrived at 8pm to find the previous guests rubbish left on the doorstep mat with a black bag on top, the checklist and the cleaners box were left out in the living room, along with the soap dispensers, which hadn't been filled up. We were given two spare pillows, but only one pillow case. The toilet bush was really dirty and really needs to be thrown out and a few of the light bulbs needed replacing. The hoover bag was broken and we had trouble trying to hoover the lodge, before we left.
The lodge itself was of a good standard, as it is set back from the road, you to have the light through the patio doors, without any loss of privacy. The kitchen, dinning area and living room were of a good size, but we found the two seat sofa uncomfortable as it isn't very big. The TV was slightly confusing, as you had to use one set of numbers for most of the channels and then another set for BBC1, but the WI FI was good. The lodge was warm, even on cold days and you are able to adjust the temperature to your own personal requirements.
The bedroom was a nice size and the king size bed really comfortable, but I personally didn't like the mirror resting against the wall, as I was worried my dog would knock it over. Having a door from the bathroom to the patio was really handy for the hot tub and we really liked the different light settings, especially the outside sparkly lights at night. For a dog friendly lodge, we were worried about a couple of floor ornaments, which we moved out of the loving room for their safety, but the new gate on the patio, was a real asset as it allowed our dog to walk around outside, without us worrying he was going to get out. We arrived to find a welcome pack of a bottle of red wine, a bottle of water and two individual biscuits (like you would find in a hotel room), but after reading other reviews, I think other guests also received a bottle of milk as part of their pack.
Lastly while I have enjoyed both our stays at the Strawberry fields site (and I am a real fan of the Ciderbarn pub) - I am currently undecided, about whether to book another lodge at this site in the future. This is simply because I do not agree with the requirement to pay security deposits prior to staying at the site. This is partly because the money is taken a week before the stay and not given back until at least two weeks after you have left and I don't like having to chase to get my money back. For over sixteen years, I have rented numerous cottages and this is the only time I have had to pay a security deposit. As a dog owner, I have always left the cottages clean and I have never caused damage and at price of the strawberry fields rentals, there needs to be some trust.
Published on: 2019-11-19