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Bolthole Retreats is a boutique holiday letting agency specialising in unique and remarkable holiday homes throughout the Cotswolds, Forest of Dean and Herefordshire in the UK.
Reviews 378
Declan Greene
Nov 06,2022Booked a holiday home in Warwickshire through AirBnb with Bolthole Retreats. We arrived and on the surface the home was clean and inviting and we were looking forward to a weekend where we can catch up with friends and enjoy our first staycation with our 9 month old baby. The home including underfloor heating and the first main issue we encountered was with this. No instructions on how to work given by the home owners and we had to spend the first night (in mind it’s October) cold with no heating. To their credit the owners came to the property to try and fix the issue, but said they could not source the problem and would not be able to get an engineer out until after our weekend stay (something we accepted with a few more layers!). Turns out that somehow the heating managed to “fix” itself and it went from freezing cold to living in the Sahara Desert in the second night. Again, owners not able to do anything about it. Not a pleasant experience with a baby that requires to be in a temperature controlled rooms. Our second main issue was the large amount of wasps that were able to enter the bathroom and bedroom that housed us and our baby. Again, to the owners credit they tried to rectify this by covering air vents, but they still got in every time we entered the room (not something you want to worry about, your child getting stung in the middle of the night!) When we raised this issue again their response was yes this is an issue but we will sort it after your stay by taking down a bush outside your room. A bush they had strong suspicion houses a nest. The owners offered myself, my wife and baby their other property to stay in. Which we were grateful for, but this took away the whole point of our stay! We booked through Airbnb and stayed at this property to connect and stay with friends, not be located somewhere else and isolated away from our friends, as of course we couldn’t leave our baby! After our stay we raised the issue with AirBnb who have been in contact with Bolthole about the issue. Weeks of trying has given us no solution and Airbnb claim this is down to Bolthole refusing to acknowledge our issues. We were not asking for much, but maybe just some common courtesy and goodwill to acknowledge that our stay was severely affected. Two sleepless nights fighting the cold then heat as well as wasps to contend with! Any parents will know how much little sleep you can get with a 9 month old and our experience certainly didn’t help! I hope in the future Bolthole treat customer complaints with more seriousness and accept that things don’t always go to plan (which we understand) but to pay close to £900 for a two night stay from hell and not get any apology or gesture of goodwill from Bolthole is not the way you keep customers happy and coming back to you. My hope is no other customer has to go through what we did, but I fear their poor customer service will be the same for when it does.
Jill
Nov 05,2022Beautiful warm and cosy barn, the location is totally private and secluded. There is no noise or light pollution but you are only a short drive from Chipping Norton. The barn is so well designed, the beds are very comfortable, the bathrooms are all brand new. The underfloor heating in the downstairs along with the suspended log burner make it such a wonderful retreat away from everything and the views are stunning. We brought our small dog and the gardens were perfect for him. We can't wait to return!
Shun Takahashi
Oct 31,2022Good experience and I was fully satisfied with the stay.
Anna
Oct 29,2022It’s a second time we stayed at sudeley cottages and it was lovely again, beautiful, well equipped and very clean cottages in lovely location.
Oooo
Oct 28,2022We stayed for a couple night with our two children and two dogs. The cottage was absolutely perfect. Great location and great facilities we couldn't fault it. Would 100% recommend this property and company and will definitely return x
T Bradley
Oct 28,2022The Barracks is a large, character Cotswold House in the picturesque village of Aldsworth. Very well-proportioned for up to 6 guests with a modern and quirky feel to the place. Large gardens which I imagine would be ideal in the summer months for younger members of the family. Loved the quietness (Aldsworth is set back from the main road to Bibery). Just wish we could have stayed longer but a very good experience from my first Bolthole Retreats booking!
Carol Seggie
Oct 27,2022Gladstone cottage was a fantastic place for our family get together, 8 adults and 2 babies with plenty of space and great facilities. The kitchen was exceptionally well equipped with everything we could possibly need and more. We were surprised that the property was so close to the main road, however despite some noise it wasnt really a problem, and our granddaughter loved watching all the vehicles passing. The driveway was tricky to exit, maybe a mirror would help with the corner. We had a wonderful stay, thank you.
Louise Silk
Oct 27,2022We have just got back from staying at Butts Farm, we were 3 families who stayed in the farmhouse with children of all ages. The house was a brilliant size and layout with plenty of bathrooms. It had ample cleaning products and toilet rolls supplied. But the part which made me give it a 5 star review was the exceptional service we received from the management company. Adam called me before we had arrived to wish us a pleasant stay and let us know we could get in earlier should we need to. Adam popped in when we arrived with a bottle of prosecco to welcome us with. I had to message Michelle at the end of our stay to let her know 2 mugs broke and we left a pink mark on a pillow case and towel (kids dressed up for Halloween and it was from red hairspray which seemed a good idea at the time!) She reassured me it was all fine and that the stain would come out, and went above and beyond when I forgot to check a drawer and left some of my daughters clothes behind and posted them without charging us to send them back. I wouldn't hesitate to book with this company again.
Shelley Dropkin
Oct 26,2022We loved our stay at Farthingdales. Lovely cozy cottage in a great location with free parking and great instructions. Great for a couple on a visit to the Cotswolds.
Diane
Oct 26,2022Farthingdales in Burford was perfect for us as a family of 4. The cottage is a little quirky but lovely all the same. Would definitely consider going back in future.
Claire Stockdale
Oct 25,2022We had a wonderful stay at the granary at aylworth manor. The facilities were perfect for our needs and the setting was beautiful. Thank you
Mrs Alison Slaven
Oct 25,2022A group of seven "older" ladies have just returned from a stay at Lower Lodge Barn. As lead booker I am always worried that the standard of the property may not be as you see in the photos and, having had a poor experience in the past where expectations certainly weren't met, this was completely the opposite. The property manager (Dave) was great. We were told by Bolthole to call him with any concerns either in advance or whilst we were there. He provided assurance before our stay that the property was as you see it, and he wasn't wrong! The views, the cleanliness, the facilities were all just spot on. We literally had no grumbles at all. The layout was just lovely. Regardless of what room you were in you had the same stunning views of the countryside. These views you don't get bored of. Having the open plan layout upstairs also made the most of the bringing the outside in with floor to ceiling windows and even a covered balcony so you could go outside regardless of the weather. Everything we needed was there. The beds were super comfortable, and you could tell the quality of the furnishings and even the towels...super fluffy. Everything was maintained and the hot tub was in a great location on the property for enjoying the outside. The property is situated towards the top of a hill, and has been thoughtfully built to blend into the countryside. This does mean that you need to drive up a relatively long track that is currently very bumpy, stony and full of puddles and mud. One of our cars was lower than the others and we did have a bit of a scrape on the bottom. If you stick to outside of the tracks, you will be fine. We went in October so I'm sure other times of the year are different. That was really the only downside we could think of, and even that didn't worry us as the stay was just as we had hoped. I would definitely recommend this property.
Sarah Battersby
Oct 21,2022To be honest we were disappointed, stayed in plenty of cottages over the years, but not impressed with Bolthole. We stayed in Blockley in Honeysuckle cottage.. * No logs for the Woodburner,one of the criteria for booking here. * One toilet roll for a two night stay- not enough * Got fed up with all the notes telling us what to do with the bedding etc.. Certainly wasn't value for money
Barry Silver
Oct 20,2022Poplar House, Ebrington This property was in a remote location and we had to travel everywhere by car. The local pub was 2 mins away, which was good and the vegetable shop was near I found the beds to be low, cushions too soft. I had hoped all the beds would at least be kingsize. I did not have the room with the super king-size bed The house was tidy but we lost most of the day waiting to get in, at the 4pm arrival time. We were only there for 3 days. The showers were very small and outside the cottage had a lack of lights, so we couldnt see our cars. We had to use a torch to get to the car at night. There was a mark on the ceiling downstairs, which could have been damp coming through We have rented a property before with Bolthole Retreats and felt this was more basic than our previous house last year.
Dave
Oct 20,2022Would highly recommend West Barn at Shipton Oliffe. Beautiful, modern, clean and very well equipped. Ideally situated for exploring the area and, in our case, in close proximity for a wedding we attended at The Frogmill.
Celine
Oct 18,2022We stayed at Gladstone Cottage, South Newington. It is not clear from the blurb that it is right on the side of a busy main road and on a double bend which makes it hazardous to get off the driveway - which is inclined, curving and the road is obscured until you are committed. The walk to the pub next door was dangerous at night as there was no path and no lighting. The traffic noise continues throughout the night and is disruptive. The cottage is totally removed from the village so does not have a serene setting. I think the position of the cottage should be made clear in the information on the website rather than letting people find out once they have made a long journey to get there.
Pocketdragon
Oct 18,2022Easy to book, great communication and an amazing property.
Lisa Cook
Oct 17,2022Lovely retreat for a weekend getaway with friends. Ideally located for exploring the Cotswolds with the added bonus of free entry to Sudeley Castle Couple of items need fixing in the cottage, but this didn’t takeaway from the comfy accommodation.
Anthony Barton
Oct 17,2022South Winds exceeded our expectations, in a perfect location with an easy level walk into Bourton. Comfortable bedrooms and a spacious living area which opens out onto a pleasant garden. We used it as a base to prepare for our daughter's wedding celebrations. Recommended.
Burlington House, Lypiatt Rd, GL502SY, Cheltenham, GB
http://boltholeretreats.co.uk
Mark L
Nov 07,2022A great location and Impressive cottage. Warm and comfortable through out. A well equipped kitchen to make breakfasts and staying in easy. We loved it all even though it was too wet and cold to use the lovely garden!