Harvel House Farm

Reviews (3)

• KS

  We booked this property to celebrate our mum’s 80th birthday. We paid a substantial amount for our stay, so we were expecting a high-quality, well-maintained and properly prepared luxury property. Unfortunately, the reality was very different, and we feel the property fell significantly short of both the description and the standard we were entitled to expect for the price we paid.The property is marketed as a “luxury” five-star property, and we therefore expected it to be immaculately clean and fully prepared for our arrival. Instead, it appeared as though it had not been occupied or properly cleaned for some time.There were cobwebs throughout the property, including a particularly thick cobweb immediately above the Aga (food safety issue). There were also cobwebs in the kitchen cupboards, around doorways and in various other areas of the property. This was not an isolated issue or a minor oversight; it was immediately noticeable on arrival and gave the impression that the property had not been properly checked and prepared before we arrived.We appreciate it was an old farm house and we were in the countryside, but the cobwebs were thick and obviously had been there for a long time. The kitchen in particular was unacceptable, some of the cabinets were dirty inside, the floor was dirty, and we found dried, shrivelled food underneath the dining table and discarded food behind the bin. We ended up spending a significant part of the first day of our holiday cleaning the kitchen ourselves.This was particularly disappointing given the reason for our stay. We had travelled to celebrate our mum’s 80th birthday and had paid a substantial amount of money for what was supposed to be a special and relaxing family break. Instead of beginning the celebrations, we were having to clean the property.The cleanliness problems were also present in the bedrooms. A number of the drawers and cupboards were dirty and contained cobwebs, making them unsuitable for storing our clothes and belongings. To be fair, the bedding, towels and bathrooms were clean, which was one of the few positive aspects of the property. However, this does not make up for the general lack of cleanliness elsewhere.We also encountered a potentially serious electrical safety issue during our stay. The faceplate of an electrical socket in one of the bathrooms had come away from the wall and was lying loose. My husband had to refit the faceplate himself. We found this particularly concerning. An electrical socket with a loose or detached faceplate in a bathroom is not something we would expect to encounter in a property marketed as luxury, five-star accommodation. Had there been young children staying with us, we believe this could potentially have presented a serious health and safety hazard. At the very least, it raises concerns about the standard of inspection and maintenance carried out at the property before guests arrive.There was also a practical issue with the kitchen. For a property advertised as being able to accommodate a large group, there was only one large pan to cater adequately for our group of 13! This made preparing meals unnecessarily difficult and was another example of the property not being properly equipped for the number of guests it is intended to accommodate.We contacted the owner while we were staying at the property and made him aware of the problems. He offered to send a cleaner, which we declined, as by that point we had already cleaned the kitchen ourselves because we did not want to lose any more of our limited holiday time. We also did not want a stranger entering the property while our family was staying there, particularly during what was intended to be a private family celebration. We want to be clear that our refusal should not be interpreted as acceptance of the condition of the property or as meaning that the problem was resolved. The fact that a cleaner was offered after we had complained does not change the fact that the property should have been properly cleaned before our arrival.We regularly take staycations throughout the UK and have stayed in a wide range of holiday properties without any problems. In all our experience, this was by far the dirtiest property we have encountered — and, particularly disappointingly, as it was also the most expensive. There is a fundamental difference between a property being described as a luxury cottage and actually delivering a luxury experience. For a stay costing a substantial amount, we believe it is entirely reasonable to expect a property that is clean, properly prepared, safe and adequately equipped. Instead, we arrived at a property with cobwebs, dirty floors, old food debris, dirty cupboards and drawers, inadequate kitchen equipment and an electrical maintenance issue. We reiterate that taken together, these problems gave us the strong impression that the property had not been properly cleaned, inspected or prepared before our arrival.We feel that this represents a substantial discrepancy between the property as advertised and the property that was actually provided.This was supposed to be a very special occasion for our mum’s 80th birthday. Unfortunately, the condition of the property detracted from the start of our celebration and caused us considerable inconvenience, disappointment and frustration. We should not have had to spend part of the first day of a special family holiday cleaning a property that was advertised as luxury accommodation.We therefore do not believe that the price paid was justified by the standard of accommodation provided. To summarise we spent a significant amount of money for the accommodation, the property having been marketed as luxury/five-star accommodation. What we found on arrival was a poor standard of cleanliness (we had to spend time cleaning the property ourselves), electrical maintenance and potential safety issues and inadequate kitchen equipment. Not to mention the disappointment and inconvenience caused during what was intended to be an important family celebration.

• Confirmed Guest

  We had a great time, and the location is ideal for exploring north Kent while also being quiet and rural. There was plenty of room for our family in the house and for the children to play outside. The house is well equipped while retaining Iits character. We'd definitely return.

• Christopher

  Beautiful property with everything you need. Great hosts who are friendly and informative. We had a much needed family break which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and they all want to come back again!!