Lower Berrow Farm Cottages Lodging Business in Redditch, Ham Green

Reviews

1. Jane Robinson ★★★☆☆

   Just got back from 4 nights in The Swallows and quite a long review but please bear with me. It might be useful. The first thing to note is that this place is very 'rule heavy'. There are 17 if them with a lot of 'must's and very few signs of a 'please'. There is also a threat of a £250.00 fine if you disobey any of them. The cottages are advertised as 'Luxury Accommodation' and at first sight that seems to be what you're getting. Look a little deeper though and you realise that, although the buildings are finished to a very high standard, most of the rest leaves a lot to be desired. The TV is very old and the remote control has a mind of its own; there is a dvd player but no mention right up to the time of arrival that you need to take your own DVDs; the sofas need replacing; the owners turn the heating off during the day regardless of whether you're staying in or not; the bedding isn't of high quality; the pillows need throwing in the bin and on and on. Most issues were little, enough to be irritating but not enough to send us into orbit, until we got to the towels. You are provided with one small, thin towel and one slightly bigger, thin towel plus a hand towel in each bathroom. Ok, you might think, that's enough but it wasn't because the reason we'd booked the cottage was for the use of the hot tub and that apparently doesn't come with towels. We asked for towels and were told 'we don't usually provide them but just this once, and only because we're coming to drop some things off at another cottage, we'll bring you some'. This was the worst example of customer service I think I've ever experienced and totally unnecessary. A simple 'really sorry, we'll bring some down' would have been great. So then we come to the hot tub. It's in a separate building next door to the cottage. We knew that but what we didn't realise was that there would be double patio doors along the wall facing the drive and they wouldn't have blinds at them. Instead the hot tub was open to everyone to see, as was the shower which didn't have a curtain. This was on top of the lack of towels and not a bathrobe in sight. If we'd known we would have taken both. Things you need to know then if you're staying at The Swallows. You can watch Netflix but only in the main bedroom, and there's nothing to tell you this, otherwise you're restricted to live tv; bring dvds; bring your own towels; bring your own bathrobes if you want to use the hot tub; bring something to put at the windows of the hot tub if you don't want the world looking in; don't expect friendly, helpful customer service if you have a question. Finally, it seemed to us that the owners have worked out exactly the minimum amount of effort they need to put into their cottage lettings to extract the maximum amount of profit. We've stayed in many, many holiday cottages over the years but never have we experienced such a gap between expectation and reality. It wasn't that it was bad, just that the owners really don't seem to care.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Sheran Langer (Walkercolours) ★★★☆☆

   When we arrived the TV wasn't tuned, the previous occupants had turned off the boiler so the heating wasn't working and hubby had to find the problem himself. The heated towel rails didn't work so we had damp towels all week. Something has broken off inside the dishwasher so we couldn't close the door, rendering it unusable until it was sorted. Bathrooms had zero shelves so there was nowhere to put toiletries and medications. Owners should REALLY spend a week in their own rental properties to find out the pitfalls. They brought over a tiered basket storage unit to solve the shelving problem, the other items were addressed EXCEPT for the towel rails. Otherwise the place was very clean and in a great location.

   almost 2 years ago
3. David Gout ★★★★★

   We had a most enjoyable stay in Owletts Cottage on this working farm. The cottage was fitted out to a high standard and the beds were very comfortable. I would happily stay there again.

   almost 4 years ago

1. Cinzia Theobald ★★★★★

   Love this place. So easy to relax and unwind here and good access to the cotswolds and surrounding area. Not much within walking distance but if you have a car that isn't a problem.

   almost 4 years ago
2. Cara Waite ★★★★★

   We came for a 5 night stay over New Year in the Partridge one of the 4 well converted barns on the farm. You have everything here that you need for your stay, all amenities are taken care of. The welcome hamper was a lovely touch too. The park was enjoyed by my toddler, especially the sandpit. Parking was a little tight with all properties occupied and multiple vehicles at each but it was manageable for a couple of days.

   almost 4 years ago
3. Megan Rowland ★★★★★

   Had a really lovely stay. Clean, quiet cottage. Great to be on a working farm - I like the sound of pigs and cows, but it might not suit some people. Hosts were really helpful with everything but also left you to get on with it, which is perfect. WiFi, clear instructions on current covid regulations, etc. All in all, will definitely stay again.

   almost 5 years ago

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