Classic Cottages Omdömen 

We booked Smugglers Cottage in Porthleven through Classic Cottages and, unfortunately, the experience has left us unlikely to book with them again.

During our week-long stay, there was no WiFi at all. We reported this to the housekeeper on arrival and were simply asked to let her know when it came back on. It never did. We also found that some of the cookware had not been properly cleaned, the floor was sticky, and there was a strange fuel or diesel-like smell downstairs in the cottage.

We included all of this in the review we submitted to Classic Cottages after our stay. More than a month later, that review has still not been published.

From looking at other Trustpilot reviews, it seems that reviews are verified and details confirmed with property owners before publication. I find this an odd approach to customer feedback. Guests are paying customers reporting their experience of a property; allowing an owner to effectively verify that experience before a review appears risks undermining the purpose of independent reviews in the first place.

What has disappointed me most, however, is the lack of any meaningful follow-up. I work in a customer-focused role myself, and if a customer left a review on our site saying they had no WiFi for an entire week alongside concerns about cleanliness and an unusual smell in a property, I would expect that feedback to be flagged and the customer contacted — even if simply as a courtesy.

Instead, we have heard nothing about the issues we raised, while continuing to receive marketing emails inviting us to book our next Classic Cottages holiday.

Good customer service isn't just about collecting positive reviews; it's about how you respond when a customer's experience falls short. Unfortunately, our experience has given us very little confidence in either Classic Cottages' review process or its approach to post-stay customer care.

We won't be booking with them again.

We have used Classic Cottages in the past and have been pleased with the overall service from them which is why we chose to rent one of their properties to celebrate our 25th anniversary in July. Dealing with Classic is generally good, the site is easy to use and they are efficient and keep you informed majority of the time. However it has come to the attention of many of their customers including us that when having problems with a property the 'bad' review is never to be seen on their site. This has happened to us with the review for our last property 'Challadene' in Bigbury on Sea, Devon. On arrival at Challadene none of the south facing blinds had been pulled down as requested and due to the temperature being above 30 degrees the lounge and kitchen were like a furnace and a few hours before we could use it. The blinds in the lounge for the sliding doors were broken as only one reached the bottom of the door and the other only half way. Due to the property being South facing the sun was so intense we had to use a blanket and cushions to keep out the rays. The rest of the blinds in the lounge either wouldn't pull down or could not be closed. There were no basic provisions left in the kitchen such as salt and pepper and no hand wash in the bathrooms like other properties we have stayed in. The ignition on the cooker did not work and again nothing provided to use such as matches or a lighter. A two slice toaster and 5 wine glasses in a property that houses 12 people is unforgivable. Although the kitchen area and all bathrooms were lovely the rest of the property was not and the word 'tired' springs to mind. The large sofa was worn out and dirty and has seen better days and the 'leather ' sofa is falling apart with gaping holes in the sides of the cushions. The majority of the furniture and decor in the bedrooms is also extremely worn and shabby looking. The pillows, pillow protectors and duvets in the property were old, yellow in colour and need replacing. The bedding and towels in the Master had also seen better days as the duvet had an M&S St Michaels label which ceased to exist in 2000! There was a loose tile on the floor by the shower in the upstairs bathroom which caused water to leak through the ceiling into the bed/bedroom below. The duvet in the bedroom off the lounge was stained with blood. The view from both of the downstairs bedroom windows is awful as the concrete wall outside could have at least been painted or a screen put up to hide the building site look. The chairs outside the property on the patio were an absolute disgrace, they were totally falling apart with wobbly framework and broken arms and extremely dangerous especially if children were about. The cushions were old and grubby and the white on the chairs came off on our clothes. They are only fit to be used as firewood. The TV was yet another issue as only a couple of channels could be viewed plus one news channel on SKY. There was no reception whatsoever on BBC. This was because the TV had not been set up properly which should have been done/checked before our arrival. I wasted so much holiday time on the phone trying to sort this out. Thankfully someone from maintenance eventually came to reset it but we wasted all morning waiting for her to arrive. We had far more problems with this property than any other we have rented over several years and ironically it was the most expensive at £2,500 for one week's stay. As we had decided on Challadene to celebrate our Silver Anniversary all in all it was a bitter disappointment. We have not seen this review on Classic and neither have we had a reply regarding the review or any apology for the issues we endured during our stay. For this reason we will not be using Classic Cottages again in the future or recommending them to family and friends as we have in the past.

Classic cottages are a great company to book a holiday with. We have used them on numerous occasions. There booking system is easy to use, they have a great number of locations and holiday homes to choose from at competitive price. Would highly recommend the company. Cannot fault the communication from start to finish.

Excellent! Had everything you wanted and more. Beautiful location, gorgeous accommodation. Would return and have already recommended to friends

When we book, it’s so easy to do and they keep you informed and upto date with everything. They let you know what you’ve paid and when you need to pay the next instalment by. When it gets near the holiday, they tell you how to get the key for the property and give you the best directions to get there too. All cottages are lovely and in lovely areas with plenty to do.

We booked a tiny cornish cottage with a beautiful nature friendly garden. Thankyou we had confidence in booking with Classic Cottages.

4th year booking through Classic Cottages. Extremely high standard of accommodation as usual. Easy booking process and excellent communication, before, during and afterwards.
I would recommend this company to anyone looking for a holiday cottage in the UK.

Lovely comfortable cottage in peaceful location not too far from Padstow. Beautifully maintained and very well appointed.

One of the best cottages we have stayed in, really well equipped, lots of information and lots of nice touches, the owners have put in a lot of thought and effort.

This is an exceptional place to stay. Danette & Nick have created the most stunning getaway. The Loaf was beautifully decorated, had absolutely everything we needed & more. A private garden to sit and view the stunning countryside complete with bbq and arbour. Also in a great location with short distance to Bridport town & Westbay. An incredible place to stay, relax and recharge.....we will definitely be returning.

A really pretty cottage with a lovely garden, safe for our dog. Location was delightful, with a lovely view out across the hills. Cottage had all we needed and Janet was on hand to give us advices and answer any questions. Would highly recommend, and we would stay again.

Perfect family holiday home. Myself 53 mother along with my 3 adult children, pregnant daughter in-law. 2 and 4 year old grandsons and the family dog had an amazing two weeks at Garston. House has plenty of space inside and outside. Well equipped. Clean and comfortable. Location perfect for walking to or driving to beaches. Most of the island attractions few minutes drive away as is the supermarket. Whole family agreed so we've already paid deposit for next year.

The house was in a beautiful quiet location and very well equipped (especially the kitchen) and clean. However, we had a few serious maintenance issues, the most important of which was the non functioning freezer . We stayed in the hottest week in May on record . We arrived with lots of freezer food purchased en route and did not realise until some 30 hours later that everything had thawed out . We used what we could that day but had to bin the rest . We reported it immediately and being bank holiday Sunday were not too put out to be told nothing could be done until Tuesday . Nothing in fact was done during the whole of our stay and we had to beg for the key code for the caravan so that we could at least use the tiny freezer section of that fridge to store ices for the children and have ice cubes for everyone’s drinks . The lack of action was very disappointing and took the edge off what otherwise should have been a fantastic stay . We completed their questionnaire on our return reporting also the very poor condition of the patio doors snd the unsafe condition of the outside dining chairs which was a worry with the children . (There were no sun loungers or other garden chairs that could be used instead)
The silence in response from classic cottages has been disappointing to say the least

Very friendly and helpful people. We have had a couple of holidays through Classic Cottages and would highly recommend them. The recent stay at The Granary at Polwrath was absolutely fantastic. Brilliant property well maintained by the owners. Well away from the hustle and bustle of seaside resorts , but so relaxing being out in the countryside for a change. Classic Cottages never disappoint!!

Wide choice of excellent accommodation with knowledgeable and courteous staff.
Highly recommended.

Booked with classic cottages twice now and definitely will again! Lots of choice of stunning properties on their website and lots to cater for different budgets. The information both on the website and in their communication is really good, and customer service is excellent. Easy to follow info/instructions on the properties, booking info, check in, etc.

First time I’ve booked through Classic Cottages and was very impressed.
Rang them regarding the ferry crossing and they advised how/when the discount was applied. Also emailed to check about the property and they answered my query very quickly.
Wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Great experience with Classic Cottages, everything was very simple and the communication was great. We booked a lovely place to stay and would highly recommend them.

We had a fantastic stay at this lovely holiday cottage at Trewan Hall in Cornwall. The location was absolutely perfect, making it easy to enjoy the surrounding area while still feeling peaceful and relaxing. The cottage was exceptionally clean, comfortable, and very well equipped with excellent facilities throughout. It was especially nice to see that previous feedback had been taken on board and improvements made, that level of care really shows. We’d happily recommend and are booked to stay again!