Rural Retreats Arvostelua 

Beware this company's cancellation policy - it doesn't have one! Once the booking is made, there is a no refund policy no matter how much notice is given.

I had to cancel my Mother's 90th birthday party and gave Rural Retreats 82 days notice ( 11+ weeks) but they refused even a partial refund. This is unlike any other agency I have ever used.

We booked The Reading Room through Rural Retreats to accommodate our engineers while working away from home. During their stay, personal belongings went missing after a third-party contractor was granted access to the property for maintenance work. While the items themselves were of relatively low value, that is not the point. Guests should be able to leave their belongings in a property they have paid to rent without concern that items will disappear.

What was most disappointing was the response from both Rural Retreats and the property owner. Rather than addressing the legitimate concern that personal belongings had gone missing following third-party access, the focus immediately shifted to defending the contractor and making unsubstantiated allegations about our engineers.

The owner accused our engineers of vaping in the property and suggested they had left the accommodation in an unacceptable condition during a previous stay. These allegations were only raised after we submitted our complaint and had never previously been brought to our attention. If there had genuinely been concerns about the condition of the property, they should have been addressed at the time, not introduced retrospectively as part of a response to an unrelated complaint.

Our engineers have stayed in accommodation throughout the UK for many years and have never received complaints regarding their conduct or the condition in which they leave properties. Furthermore, they do not smoke or vape, making these accusations entirely unfounded.

The handling of this matter left us with the clear impression that our concerns were dismissed rather than properly investigated. Instead of receiving reassurance that guest security was being taken seriously, we were met with defensiveness and accusations.

As a result, our engineers no longer felt comfortable leaving their personal belongings at the property and vacated early. The property may be well presented, but professionalism, guest security and complaint handling are equally important. Unfortunately, our experience fell well below the standard we would expect, and we would not use Rural Retreats again.

We had a holiday at Pendeen lighthouse in February, it had been recommended to us by a family member. Everything was amazing, the surroundings of the property made it perfect unfortunately it was misty quite a lot of the time. The cottage was really cosy and warm Everything you could possibly want for a lovely peaceful getaway.

Honest descriptions and extremely helpful employees
The choice of properties was varied and they were in different parts of the Country. The information I received from head office when enquiring about a parking space was exceptional. The description of the house we stayed in was accurate and the photos were recent. The property was immaculate and all the information about directions and the location was helpful and up to date.

Stone House near Leominster was truly a 5* experience. Tucked away down little lanes, we were in the midst of the countryside, with no expense spared on the fixtures and fittings in the house. The owners were nearby, friendly and helpful but not intrusive. We tried their pizza oven, with ingredients supplied. The rattan outdoor seating area made an idyllic spot to enjoy the food and the scenery and play games on one of the lawns.
And I must mention the large basket of goodies on arrival, many of them home made! There are plenty of local attractions especially National Trust Croft Castle and Berrington Hall. Hampton Court Gardens were an amazing attraction that we were previously unaware of.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely Exceptional – A Truly Special Stay

We stayed at Olive Treehouse in Ripe and honestly, it was absolutely beautiful. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how stunning, immaculately clean, and thoughtfully designed everything was. The treehouse is incredibly quirky with amazing décor, yet at the same time feels warm, homely, peaceful, and tranquil. The surroundings are simply lovely – the perfect escape to relax and unwind.

What really made our stay unforgettable, though, was the owner, Debbie. From beginning to end she was absolutely wonderful – so welcoming, attentive, and genuinely caring. She checked in to make sure we had everything we needed and went above and beyond in every possible way.

We stayed with my partner to celebrate my birthday, and Debbie did something so incredibly thoughtful that it truly touched us. She went out of her way to buy my favourite drink, chocolates, and flowers, wrote me a birthday card, and made sure my day felt extra special. It was such a personal and kind gesture that we will never forget.

Debbie clearly runs her properties with so much attention to detail, pride, and care. She has other accommodation options available too, and after this experience, we would happily stay at any of them. Everything is run impeccably, and you can feel the love that has gone into creating such a special place.

We could not recommend Olive Treehouse highly enough and will 100% be returning. If you are considering booking, do not hesitate – this place is something truly special.

I just had the most amazing stay at the olive tree house in ripe east Sussex, I've stayed in many lodges over the years and I can say this was the most beautiful lodge I have ever stayed in, the touches and attention to detail was breathtaking, I will 100% be returning again in the near future.

very very shabby ethics and morals. fleeced for £620...recently booked a holiday on the isle of wight, paid the deposit of £620.. my mother passed away a few weeks ago (not why i cancelled) but due to that happening unforseen family problems have happened, so i had to cancel. Now they walk away with £650,, didn't even care to understand my situation. Id fully accept and expect some financial loss but £650? but "its just there policy"
disgusting will never use again. By comparison and to highlight the gulf in standards, i also booked a ferry through the link they sent me, £230 also had to cancel that ferry, but got every single penny back from the ferry company.

I contacted Rural Retreats to enquire about Bull Point Cottages in North Devon. I received excellent customer
service with my enquiry and booking, with regular updates and pre-arrival information. The cottage was a very high standard. Would thoroughly recommend booking with Rural Retreats.

The house at 7a Cathedral Green was exceptional and beautifully maintained by the caretakers.
We selected to book through Top Cashback and our claim remains outstanding over 3 weeks after our stay.
If Rural Retreats offer 5% cashback it’s very sad that they choose not to respond to queries and release payment
Despite this over a month later we have no response from Rural Retreats

Just had a wonderful stay with Rural Retreats in Fiddlers Green at Hamworthy. Beautiful cottage and walled garden. Very comfy for lounging around in and so close to Poole No issues at all.

Why people moan about spiders and cobwebs in other properties is beyond me. Spiders need a home too…!

"Rural Retreats" standards are slipping- cottage property specification on TV suppled being VERY BASIC for 21st century. A very small sized ( about 2 foot) for the room in question is far too small. ONLY "Freeview". Not a SMART TV, so you cannot have any Apps , Netflix, etc to watch films etc around the wood burner. This standard of customer expectations is unacceptable, given the weekly price of approx £1500, in the month of June 2025. Given I could have at least two weeks summer holiday abroad in guaranteed sunshine, and with half board. Holidays in this country are getting far too expensive, and very poor value for money, especially for this so called high class "Rural Retreats" holiday firm which it clearly is not! How much would it cost for the owner to provide a SMART TV at today's prices, about £350 and reusable size of 54" or so. Cheap stakes !

We stayed at the garden room in Sussex , we were very disappointed , the place had cobwebs everywhere, not been cleaned , floor had tea all over it , the blinds were disgusting, didn’t use the hot tub as scared about the hygiene, in all a let down , when we left I did text the owners to make them aware , they didn’t bother acknowledging the text , I don’t like giving a bad review but they just ignored our text ,

Just made a booking with RR - excellent service from staff that answered my call

We booked a property in the Surrey Hills called The Hay Barn with Rural Retreats. I thought that booking with a company that offers luxury accommodation I would be guaranteed a perfect holiday as I`d paid an enormous amount of money for it. I was very disappointed.There were 2 major problems with this property. The showers were very slippery & it had been mentioned several times in the guest book but nothing had been done. This is an accident waiting to happen. The other problem is the fire escape route. You are supposed to get up on a piece of furniture & get through a window. This is not possible as the window opens in such a manner that an adult could not possibly get through it. Perhaps a child could get through but its questionable. Theres a fair drop to the ground & having done that the gate which is the fire exit is locked so you are trapped in this very tight corridor as the next door fence is only 2 metres away from the cottage & is 12 feet high so one couldn`t climb over it. My sister & I are in our 70`s & there would be no escape for us if there was a fire. The stroll to the pub is a hike of 30 minutes & the local shop is even further. The kitchen is ill equipped. I wouldn`t recommend Rural Retreats to anyone because their fees are exorbitant & the "luxury" is very much exaggerated. Please look at the reviews before you part with your money because in my experience it was exceptionally disappointing.

Last year booked The Manor House in Beeford Yorkshire for a week for just under £3000. Sounded and describe as an idyllic rural retreat for the family . The Manor House was superb but we turned up and right next to the building( 20 feet) was the boundary fence and a big housing development . Got woken up at 8am to the sound of machinery and music from the workers . Not pleasant at times to sit in garden or play games with the kids . Holiday totally ruined ! Contacted Rural Treats : very pleasant people but a total waste of time dealing with them .They did not stand up for us just said sorry and sent us their booking t & c’s then when challenged they changed pat and said the contract was with us and the owners . After a lot of hassle as a goodwill gesture refunded £100 !
The most annoying thing is that this house building development has been in progress for over a year , they were unaware of it which shows that they don’t regularly visit the properties that they advertise. NO WAY with I ever book with them again , you shouldn’t

I am writing this review to express my deep disappointment and frustration regarding the recent holiday experience at Lizard Point Lighthouse. Unfortunately, our stay was marred by several significant issues that greatly impacted our overall enjoyment and comfort.

Firstly, upon arrival at the door entrance of our accommodation, we were shocked to encounter two mid-size spiders which caused immense fear and distress among the kids.This unexpected and unwelcome sight not only created a sense of discomfort but also tainted the initial impression of the property.

Furthermore, throughout the night, we were subjected to incessant and disruptive noise from the lighthouse foghorn system. The loud and continuous blaring disrupted our sleep patterns and rendered it nearly impossible for us to rest peacefully. The relentless sound persisted for hours on end, leading to exhaustion and frustration among all guests present.

These combined issues significantly detracted from what was meant to be a relaxing holiday experience at your establishment. As paying customers seeking solace and tranquility, we did not anticipate such disturbances that would impede our ability to unwind and enjoy our time at Lizard Point Lighthouse.

In light of these unfortunate circumstances, I urge you to address these concerns promptly to prevent similar experiences for future guests. It is essential that measures are taken to ensure a more comfortable and peaceful environment for all visitors staying at your premises.

BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY. A poor and disappointing holiday cottage that was obviously not checked by Rural Retreats and after complaining and chasing multiple times, the company have just stopped responding. Its no surprise that 50% of reviews regarding Rural Retreats on this site are so terrible. Avoid them at all costs ...

Disappointed in this company. We have a medical issue with our dog and asked if we could move the holiday. They have refused as it’s near the date. We wasn’t asking to cancel just rebook for her safety as well as what could happen at the place. Will not be using this company again

I’ve just seen the reply from rural retreats. Did I give permission for you to reveal what is wrong with my dog. Please edit your comment

We stayed in the beautiful Rowena cottage at Anvil Lighthouse. It is 3 bedrooms with two bathrooms and comfortable stay. The kitchen is large and well provided for with dishwasher and washing machine. A welcome pack of Dorset delights were appreciated.
The location is within Durlston Country Park which has great walks to the castle, Swanage and dancing ledge. The issues we had were remedied by Rural Retreats promptly.