To expect a tumble dryer in a family seaside property?

We once stayed in a ski chalet in Austria in the summer, as we like walking , cycling etc. It was obviously geared up for the winter market - had a sauna and a huge basement for all the ski equipment and had an enormous drying room where the boilers were - you could hang sheets, towels etc in there and they were bone dry the next morning. It didn't have a tumble drier though as it obviously wasn't needed! I think a dishwasher and wifi are more important for me in a holiday let than a tumble drier,

I always look to see if something is there if it is important to me. e.g. I want a dishwasher. I would never assume.

From a customer's point of view I think a tumble dryer for family holidays is almost a essential in our damp, cool climate.

However, when my DH and I were costing renting our house for holiday lets we realised that after agency fees and variable charges depending on the time of year there were some weeks (for example, in November) when we would be actually losing money on the rental once heating was taken into consideration. A tumble dryer, overused, could be the last straw.

Heartfelt agreement, Witzend - all-seasons duvets would be the perfect solution.

I've found that with duvets too - winter weight ones in the height of summer.

I would never give guests in my own home winter duvets in summer - I don't know why holiday homes should be different.
Preferably they should provide all-seasons duvets - a light and a medium that button together - and leave both for people to choose.

For just two of us I wouldn't expect a washing machine, tumble dryer or freezer and I generally just wash up by hand too. We always go for 4-star but not high season, and are recently back from a charming barn conversion in deepest, darkest Essex. It was lovely, well equipped and furnished but, as we've found in other places we've rented, the duvet had a high tog rating, which was far too hot for late summer/early autumn.

There was a fabulous set of Sabatier knives though, and the owners provided half a dozen eggs from their own chickens.

Re beds, Susie, you've just reminded me of another peeve! Same town, same agency a couple of years ago, just me and dh and sister from the US - we rented an otherwise very nice cottage with 3 dbl rooms just for the 3 of us, but we were glad to get it at very short notice in September, in the location we wanted (staggering distance from beach and pubs!) and with the wifi that my sister needed since she had work to do.

Our big bed was fine, but my poor sister found ALL the single beds had very poor mattresses, uncomfortable with springs poking through. In the the end she padded her mattress with 2 of the other duvets - just as well there were only the 3 of us!

I did point out - politely - to the agency after we got home that the single mattresses needed replacing. The only reply was that they would pass my comments to the owners. TBH I would have thought a big agency like this, which handles a good many properties in the area, would insist on good, comfortable mattresss as standard. I would expect them to check when they take a property on to their books - I think this was a 'new' one, and I was a mite naffed off not to get any sort of apology.

We still book with them though, since they have a better selection than anyone else, and most of the properties have been fine.

We have just come back from Devon where the WAS a tumble dryer but the all beds were dreadfully uncomfortable .Very little kitchen equipment too. Maybe you are not expected to cook nowadays on holiday ? I felt it was expensive for what it was and complained to the agency that all the beds needed replacing , no bed linen provided either ( also a bit cheapskate I think) . Agree dishwasher essential though .

Should have added, there was a reasonably sized utility room so there would have been plenty of space for a drier.
I know I should have checked first, but whenever we've stayed in the town before, it's just been me and dh, with perhaps a DD joining us for a couple of days, so we've hardly ever needed to wash anything, let alone dry it too. So although it should have, it didn't occur to me.

It's true that in the US and I dare say Canada, a drier would be standard issue.

A couple of years ago we stayed in Yosemite with sister who lives near Boston, and niece who had just graduated from Berkeley. We rented a large wooden 'cabin' with every mod con, including big dryer, gas barbecue, and huge walk in wardrobe in our room, but after doing some washing and drying it, I could not find an iron or ironing board anywhere!
My sister was not remotely surprised, having lived there for over 30 years - 'Americans don't iron anything, and hanging washing on a line is a sign of either madness or poverty.'
But I did eventually find a very mini ironing board attached to the wall in niece's room, and an iron lurking in a cupboard somewhere.

For years my sister did not even own an iron - when staying with her some time ago my other sister nearly went mad looking for one - only to be told there wasn't one! It all goes in the drier and is hung straight up.
To be fair, where she lives it is far too cold for much of the year to hang anything out, and too humid for a good part of the rest of it.

No tumble dryer? That's very poor in my opinion.

My essentials for a holiday cottage include dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, decent wifi and preferably dvd/tv. I prefer a king size bed but will manage with a double if it's only for a week.

When I'm on holiday, I prefer my accommodation to be at least as comfortable as home, if not better, although obviously I'm willing to pay for it.

I thought the whole point of being on holiday was to relax and enjoy yourself not drive around hunting out non existent launderettes?

I need to take my duvets to be washed and the petrol station about 6 miles away has a new 'outdoor' laundry facility that looks a bit like a bus stop with 2 large washers and 2 dryers. Otherwise, there's no laundrette for about 60 miles (in the city).

You do learn to look carefully at the 'small print' on holiday lets. One of our big moans has been the garden, with toddler GCs really need something enclosed, we were fooled by photos on a couple of occasions, one was open at the front and next door's dog visited regularly, another was actually outside the owner's home and she used it as a carpark! Witzend if you post on TripAdvisor you could add this property and comment on the lack of a tumble dryer won't get you any refund but will give others a warning. I did it about a property.

Never thought about having a tumble drier on holiday. Holiday flat we used to stay in near Mum had lovely kitchen (now has dishwasher) but no washing machine although owner would wash clothes if you asked her (24 hour turn around). All she asked was would we leave used towels in the bath & obviously she would change beds when we'd left. Could always have taken anything to Mum's as she has washing machine & tumble dryer which DD has done when she stayed in same flat with DGS. Wi-fi is now a must for most people.

I'm trying to imagine what tumble drier abuse consists of! Do people bring car loads of dirty washing with them and use the holiday facilities to launder them?

I think it's totally reasonable for you to 'expect' a tumble dryer or a king size bed or whatever you want ..... which is why holiday property listings give such a detailed inventory of their facilities. But it's now unreasonable for you to complain after the event. Lesson learnt .... Check carefully before booking.

My first question is always SUPER KING SIZE BED!!!

I think a drier in a holiday house is an 'extra' - wouldn't even think to look personally. Those who want one will at least be alerted by this posting though.

Like Badenkate I look for the things I really want, the sheets and bathroom towels (always) and parking if in a city.
We have just come back from a holiday where there was a pool and it rained at least half of the week. There were 15 of us including four grandchildren. Even with the pool towels issue we had very few damp things at the end of the week. What we DID have was plenty of indoor and under cover space to hang things up on a clothes airer and some good weather in between the storms. So sorry that the wet things spoiled the holiday a bit for you Witzend - I expect in years to come it will be the happy times you all remember though!

I can't say that a tumble dryer is important to me. But if it's something you need you should check beforehand.

inishowen how inhospitable. I wonder whether that would have happened anywhere else in the world.

I've written on here before about the B&B owner who hid the bathplug (when we had booked the whole upstairs suite for 3 nights) because she wanted us off the premises between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and she had overheard me telling my husband at breakfast that I fancied a long relaxing bath and had no intention of rushing off that day. I very seldom row with strangers, but suffice to say that day I threatened to write to the Tourist Board. The bath plug was returned!

I think we may be guilty of "tumble-drier abuse" but when you are paying a fortune for a week in a cottage why not?

We've stayed in some very disappointing holiday cottages in the UK that look nothing like the pics on the website once you get there, despite high prices and careful checking.

We've got one favourite that we return to - a fisherman's cottage on the harbour in North Berwick.

I'd expect a tumble drier in a 4 star holiday cottage with lots of accommodation.

In the eighties we went to a guest house in Looe. Our son was about two, so in the evenings I rinsed out his clothes and hung them on the clothesline in the garden. One day we came back from a day out and the damp clothes had been put in a black bin bag and left on our bed. A note told us on no uncertain terms that there was a launderette in town. I was furious. What a way to treat your guests.

The weather at this time of year is so variable it can be warm but overcast or rainy by turns especially on the Dorset coast where we lived for 20 years. this would mean that a paddle would be fine or even a dip,but towels are difficult to dry and take days, even in milder weather, my view is that if there is space for a rumple dryer or even a heated towel rail then this should be provided when the owner is charging such large sums of money!

It all sounds so far removed from the tent we used to take down to Cornwall with us when the DC were small

ps, not all the washing, the beach and the riding the children must enjoy!

gillybob that sounds idyllic!

We rent a place in Pembs that is NEW. I think that helps if it's been newly fitted/remodeled/built.

They had the laundry room under the deck and it had two washers and a tumble dryer. So on breezy dry days, I could wash two loads at once and put some on the clothes line and others in the dryer. We had nine people and a baby, so it was truly necessary!

When you are advertising overseas, there are tourists who expect a dryer (Canada and US). Owners with large properties should be encouraged to install one. Dishwasher and American fridge are important, too, in large properties.

That said, I rated the hot tub over the dryer LOL! We paid £1000 as well for a full sea view 5 double-bedroom house with lots of glass!