Cotswolds Pt. 1: Where To Stay

On our most recent trip to London, we tacked on a week in the Cotswolds. It was a last-minute decision, which meant a lot of the cottages we normally would have booked were already gone.

I’ve rented from Airbnb before, but always with a little hesitation. Every trip reminds me why I generally avoid it. Don’t get me wrong. There are wonderful homes on Airbnb. But I also think a lot of properties have no business being rented out.

The challenge is that once you’re staying somewhere for more than a few days, a hotel or tiny bed and breakfast doesn’t always work. I want somewhere with a kitchen, room to spread out, a dedicated workspace, and most importantly, a washer. If there’s a dryer, even better. If not, hopefully at least a drying rack.

The cottage we booked looked charming enough online. The moment we walked through the back gate, though, my heart sank.

What should have been a lovely little patio was covered in weeds and pots full of dead plants. The lockbox was hidden inside the “laundry room,” which was an old shed outside. This was where I was supposed to do laundry?

Unfortunately, it didn’t get any better. The owner had swapped out nearly all of the furniture from the listing photos for pieces that were much less appealing. The headboard was different. The dedicated workspace had disappeared. There were cobwebs everywhere.

I understand that these are old homes. I actually love creaky stairs, uneven floors, and centuries of patina. That’s part of the charm. What I don’t love is worn out and dirty.

That evening I messaged the host to let her know we’d be leaving and immediately started a chat with Airbnb support. She offered to send someone over to clean and tidy the house, but there wasn’t much to be done. You can’t polish a turd.

After spending two nights there, we were refunded about half of our stay. I then spent nearly five hours trying to piece together another place for us to stay for the rest of the trip. We ended up using Boutique Retreats to find out replacement. They’re one of the better of the agencies; this is the third cottage we’ve booked through them.

Since it was so last minute, it wasn’t the best home we’ve stayed in, but beggars can’t be choosers at this point.

If you’re looking for a hotel, these are my favorites: