Name: kate & tom's
Rating: 4.73

“Overall, it was not considered good value for money. Very good aspects : location, number of rooms, beds, furnishings, Kitchen appliances, children's toys and books in main house. Would suggest the provision of a second TV in kitchen area and a full inventory of the extensive kitchen equipment included in the original documentation. Poor/unacceptable aspects: Cleanliness, inadequate Maintenance, numerous Safety Hazards. I will provide photographs and elaborate on the issues encountered. WiFi provision was totally inadequate for the number of people accommodated in the house using modern information technology.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Good website with great pictures. Reasonable price and all went smoothly.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

$Read kate & tom\'s Reviews$

Hi Ian, Thanks so much for letting us know about your experience with kate & tom's and we are so please to hear that you had a successful holiday. We look forward to hearing from you again in the future. Jessica, Head of Client Services

Posted 8 years ago

“Arrangements were very good, and location was superb being secluded and so close to the beach. We had plenty of room to enjoy ourselbes. However, we believe there was insufficient attention to detail and maintenance of the properties. Extraction fans in some toilets did not work. Many doors squeak and require the hinges oiling. The front door and the back door into the garden both slam shut meaning that the self-closing mechanisms require adjustment. In addition, there are broken window panes above the back door, and on one occasion, found a sliver of glass (prsumably from the broken panes) on the ground. The oven in the back kitchen does not work properly (took 20 mins to heat to 100degrees). The beach hut, although very convenient, is in a shocking state of disrepairand I believeto be dangerous. The roof needs replacing, but most important, the shutter that comes down - of the 3 hinges holding it up, one is unattached, the middle one is almost unattached meaning that only one end hinge is holding it up, and there is therefore a significnat risk that the whole lot falls down, potentially onto someone, and could cause serious damage or even a fatality if a child. The side socket for the right-sided stay is almost off, and again, if the shutter is supported on the stays (if the doors are closed) then there is a high risk of the shutter falling down. The table tennis bats were in appalling condition. Having said all the above as hopefully being constructive, as a family we are seriously considering staying again next year in July because of the space and location, but please attend to some of the above.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

$Read kate & tom\'s Reviews$

Hello Tony, Thank you for your feedback on Middle Chine Manor, I would like to discuss this further and will give you a call today. Best wishes, Jessica Head of Client Services

Posted 8 years ago

“We had a great stag weekend. The service is excellent and the staff are really helpful, going above and beyond to make sure we had a good time. Awesome fire pit in the garden for getting everyone together. Highly recommended.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

$Read kate & tom\'s Reviews$

Hello Henry, Anfield House is a great stag property, I am so glad you had such a good time! Best wishes, Jessica Head of Client Services

Posted 8 years ago

“We all thought that Hill House was a great place to stay. The outdoor amenities were of a high standard and were much enjoyed by the whole family (ages ranging from two to seventy four!) The grounds were big enough to walk or run around without falling over each other and were very well maintained. All of the rooms were well set up and were well equipped and comfortable. The only negative feature was a lack of tea spoons. Those members of the support/maintenance staff we met were really helpful and supportive - particularly when the water main towards the town burst and we lost our supply while it was being repaired - Alison kept us fully informed throughout. The web site associated with the house does need to be reviewed.....the information given in the gallery did not match that given in the floor plan for the bedrooms which is a significant failing when planning the appropriate allocation of bedrooms . Had we not visited the house prior to making the booking we could have had a problem given that there were three family groups involved. However, the bottom line is that our visit was a great success. Everyone enjoyed the house, the gardens, the amenities and the area. Well done Tom and Kate”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“A beautiful, well presented and well resourced house in lovely gardens. Our 18 strong family ranged from 3 to 74 years and there was always something to amuse or divert us. We have great hopes of booking again when we are all available. The bedrooms were faithful to the website photos and plan with bathrooms to match. It would have been helpful if the layouts conformed to the one I sent a week before our visit. The shower screen in bedroom 8 needs replacing and I forgot to mention that the bulb in the bedside table lamp went on the last day. Downstairs reception rooms are great, especially the elegant drawing room, however the dining room struggles to seat 18. The kitchen worked quite well but we had to use the utility room dishwasher until we realised the kitchen one works if the tablets are left in the body of the machine as the dispenser did not open. We cooked most days but found that larger saucepans would have helped as would baking trays and roasting pans that actually fitted into the ovens. .Games room and playroom facilities were very welcome though table tennis is not really viable within that space. The Pool proved popular but the lack of heating the first 3 days and the cold water input on the final day meant that only those with wet suits were able to enjoy it as long as they wanted. We had taken our own tennis equipment and were impressed with the provision available for the youngsters, so the tennis court saw lots of games. We much appreciated the gardens, though it would be a shame if they are allowed to become too wild and some of the plants succumb to brambles and nettles. With 11 children we were able to make good use of the vast open spaces for rounders and football while the wooded areas and lovely pathways were great for Hide and Seek. You asked for feedback and I hope this is helpful. The main fact remains that every one of us had a marvellous holiday in beautiful surroundings. Many thanks, Patricia”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“A separate email will follow.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“We enjoyed our stay Very children friendly We did have to clean the baking dishes etc. and some of the sausepans before using. (greases and fat). Apart from this the house was clean Top bathroom shower has mould on edge of shower tray. Welcome to house was warm and friendly.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Lovely house but needs a bit of TLC, particularly the garden which must have been beautiful when properly cared for. Flower beds are overgrown with weeds, trees are dead or need severe surgery - such a shame that it has been neglected. Major problem for us, being a large party with several small children, was the lack of a washing machine and dryer. Not a problem for weekenders but not good if you are here for longer. Some small problems with showers and hot water provision in two of the bathrooms, reported to Marian. Also a water leaking refrigerator, for which a new part has been ordered after the electrician's visit. This should really have been identified and fixed before our arrival. Overall we enjoyed the house, despite fairly mixed weather. Would go again, if there were a washing machine !”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Super family home. Lovely walks accessible directly from the property. The family live here so there are lots of basics in the kitchen. Juliet Eastwood caters and knows the house well and did a fabulous birthday dinner for us.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

$Read kate & tom\'s Reviews$

Hi Rosanne, So lovely to hear that you enjoyed your stay so much. I'll be sure to pass your feedback on. Jessica, Head of Client Services

Posted 8 years ago

“Great website. Clear proformas and information on properties. Staff helpful on the phone. The property we hired was great, see my review on TripAdvisor (Mulberry Cottage, Lyme Regis). One slight issue I have from the last property we hired was that there was no inventory for the contents of the house, and so if there had been any challenge from the owner on missing items etc when we left, we had no way of knowing if the property conformed with the inventory when we went into the house in the first place. Not that we had any problem but it was just a thought - especially in this case as the owner was away, and the property was being serviced by a third party agency, who may or may not have had an inventory. From our evidence, there was a suggestion that they were not doing their job particularly well as there was a bin full of rotting food with hundreds of small maggots smelling odiously by the front door when we arrived. (But I wrote to you about this straight away, at the time). An oversight, but it was not particularly welcoming!! So could the owner (or we) trust the agency 100% we wondered, should there have been any challenge about the way in which we left the property.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“We all had a fabulous holiday. The Kate & Toms team were so friendly and helpful, so booking was easy. The property was perfect, with everything we needed. I would definitely book a holiday with Kate & Tomsa again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

$Read kate & tom\'s Reviews$

Hi Karen, Thank you for your lovely feedback, I will make sure it's fed back to the team. We look forward to hearing from you again in the future. Jessica, Head of Client Services

Posted 8 years ago

“The house was beautiful and perfect for a party. The main room and bathroom were really good but some of the other showers etc need updating as does the pool furniture. The pool was well heated for a English summer dip We used all of the facilities and the fridge was huge!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Stunning views, warm atmosphere, lots of different parts of the house to use and what a kitchen! Good music, TV and bbq facilities. The house is in a fantastic equidistant location with everything in striking distance within the Cotswolds. The owner Caroline was also very helpful with some good tips on where to eat and things to do. She was not intrusive at all although it would have been better to have been told beforehand that the owner would be living next door in the annexe. As it was a two week family holiday with kids, rather than just a weekend break for a couple, one big improvement would be for the kitchen to have plastic kids cutlery, plates and cups. Also, we thought that on balance the washing machine was just too small especially when the house was full with 10 guests for a long stay. It's fine for a weekend stay but not really for two week stays. Finally, another improvement would be to have far more space in the kitchen freezer and kitchen cupboards given up. We needed to clear more space out given the size of our group and the length of our stay. Finally, given the stunning views, garden and house and the luxury kitchen and rooms, we did think the outside chairs, table and BBQ area were a striking contrast and a little underwhelming. We had a great time and felt very much relaxed and at peace here. We will definitely recommend the house to others. Paul and Amy”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“It was just the most perfect house for our big family gathering with so many facilities which were all well used the whole time. We did think the plumbing and electrics were a bit eccentric! When you flushed the toilet in the downstairs bathroom at the end of the Hall, the water came up from the washbasin and other oddities. It was a shame a lightbulb blew so early in our stay as that meant all the electrics in the Music Room Annexe went out. Rachael, who was so delightful and met us on our arrival, showed us round but after quite a long tiring journey we did not take in everything she said about keys here and there. The most vital key was in the Housekeeper's locked cupboard off the Housekeeper's kitchen which was in the watering can. This bit of information was missing from the Blue Book which meant I had to ring Rachael up to find the key and then this triggered some pump which took us a time to track down the awful noise. After a noisy night we realised it came from the 'locked cupboard' and then there was the procedure to shut it down. Sorry we had to trouble her but we had to speak to her to sort it out. Sadly the pull cord in the main bathroom in the Music Room snapped so we were in darkness for the last two nights! Nobody wanted to disturb Rachael again! Quite eventful but didn't take away any of the enjoyment of a wonderful family holiday. Angela Bushill-Matthews”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Great house, great party house, cool and kooky. Decor was lovely and location in terms of the beaches and towns was perfect. The downstairs toilet being out of order was a problem, also the damp smell in the cellar and the lack of a bbq were the negatives of the stay. We'd planned a bbq for the Friday night on everyone's arrival but had to rush out for portable bbq's as the house BBQ was in no fit state. At all. Asked the owners of the house for some recommendations for pottery painting and bicycle hire. They couldn't come up with anybody available, yet the I managed to find somebody for both things within 30 mins of looking. Other than that thoroughly enjoyed the stay.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“We had beautiful weather over the weekend but there was only 6 garden chairs so no where near enough for us all to sit in the garden. Also there is some problem with the hot water so only 3 people can take a shower at a time otherwise there is an airlock. It was quite difficult at times to make sure only 3 were showering at any one time.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The house was just right for our family. It is very much a family house and perhaps rather less "glossy magazine" than portrayed. However that was what we liked about it. We were lucky to meet the owners just before leaving and so learnt more about them and the property. The one negative is that because the house is let through various agencies the paperwork in the house is very confusing and full of inconsistencies. The red folder with all the instructions needs thoroughly revising. For example there are lists of what is and is not provided which vary and did not really match what you told us. None of this mattered much to us as we were well supplied. The instructions for the cooker took a lot of finding (as the AGA was not in use) but were in a drawer rather than the folder. These are minor things and I emphasise that we all loved our stay and were blessed with perfect weather!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The quality of the property was exceptional and wowed our guests. We had a fantastic time. Hard to think of anything which could have been better. Everything was handled well by the staff of Kate & Tom's and the arrangements went like clockwork. On occasions there were delays in responding to emails. It would be helpful to have clarity about who to address emails to, as different staff picked up at different times, but without a foolproof system of communication between staff. K & Ts are not open on a Saturday which would be more convenient. The properties are expensive but ideal for a special occasion and the high spec justifies the price. I would recommend the company and the property, Riverside Mill, specifically. I would be happy to use this company again and indeed the property. Thank you to all involved in making this 50th birthday celebration remarkable.”

kate & tom's Reviews