What We Offer >> The Things That Matter
We go on self-catering holidays ourselves, so we know what we want, and we aim to provide it at Gelston. Here are some things we think are important - few of them really count in Tourist Board gradings, and in our experience depressingly few places (even with high gradings) get more than half of these things right. You'll get all of them here.
- Sleep - that means:
- Proper quality mattresses, with proper cotton bedlinen; all beds likely to be used by young children are discreetly protected by a piece of top grade breathable waterproof fabric hidden beneath the thermal underblanket, so you don't need to worry;
- Fully lined curtains, and/or blackout blinds for west-facing windows.
- Bath (in addition to a shower!): decent size, and not plastic.
- Bathtowels that do the job: good quality, generous size, and provision for easy drying, i.e. heated towel-rails, or rails above radiators.
- Hot water: plenty of it (not just one bath).
- Central heating that works.
- Drying facilities for wet clothes (must be up to the job!).
- Halogen spotlighting in kitchens.
- Cooker must be decent - ceramic hob, not buckled / uneven rings!
- Pots & pans with flat bottoms, not flimsy; good kitchen knives too.
- Wine glasses of proper shape and size, including champagne flutes!
- Interior decoration with colour and individuality, not bland standardisation and plastic - e.g. handmade curtains; heritage paint colours throughout.
- Comfort, but not luxury - because luxury makes you worry about what the kids might do, and of course it costs money. When we want luxury, we go to an hotel.
In self-catering accommodation there's a balance to be struck: yes, there are cheaper places than ours, but you know why; and there are more expensive, but they may not be what you want - Villeroy & Boch china is pretty, but expensive to break. We concentrate on what matters to most people, including families. This is not the Ritz. But it's certainly not Travel Inn either.
Related pages
Provided With All Houses - other things we provide as standard.
Our Ethos - explains more fully our resistance to standardisation, and specifically why we have opted out of Tourist Board grading.