Family christmas

That's a sensible idea radicalnan as £70ish is what we are usually charged as an additional cleaning fee if we wish to leave the property without cleaning it. Taking photos is a good idea, but it's difficult to photo grease on pots and pans or smelly carpets!
The thing about arriving at a dirty house is that it's someone else's muck and germs you have to clean. I would take lots of bleach!

Buy some powerful squirty cleaner and new microfibre cloths and prepare yourself for a couple of hours cleaning..........

Tell agents that you will be taking pics on arrival in view of the poor reviews and that your time is £70 per hour over the holidays.

Or whatever else you think proper for it.

BUT make it funny, it can be fun and if you are not cooking the Christmas lunch there...........you can manage

Better to be together in a muddle than apart in pristine conditions.

As the old advert said ' don't make a drama out of a crisis' . I would say nothing at all to family and just clean up as you go. As long as bathroom and kitchen are ok don't worry. Everyone has different standards and I think keeping family peace is far more important than a grubby oven

thank you for all your posts. We are out for most meals but not Christmas Day. DIL has said everything will be simple. It is complicated as different family members ( on call medics ) will be arriving as and when they can and driving some distance. This means that all bedrooms, baths/shower rooms etc will need to be clean and ready. My son works globally so is only home for short periods. Difficult to find time to talk. I think I will have to just bite the bullet and face up to being Mrs Mopp on arrival.

Trip advisor reviews can vary enormously in their accuracy but I agree about contacting the letting agents to reassure yourselves that the house will have been cleaned before you arrive.
Spare Marigolds/oven cleaner/general kitchen and bathroom cleaner might be a good idea, but these days rental properties, especially at the top of the market, usually provide all you need and lots that you don't.
Just be prepared and try not to be pessimistic!

How about going out for Christmas lunch.? Then you would not have to cook in a dirty kitchen.
This might be quite expensive though especially if there are a lot of you, but a lovely treat

If it was booked through an agency, I think they should definitely be contacted and their attention drawn to the reviews. If it was me, I would phone my DIL and volunteer to do this - "because I have more time and she is very busy and has done enough making the booking etc." You should politely tell the agency/owner that you are very concerned about the negative comments and tell them that you expect the house to be clean and correctly equipped. No doubt your family are paying a lot of money for a holiday home over Christmas, no way should you be expected to pay for a cleaner, even if you could arrange one.

I would just bite the bullet accept it's not up to your standard and enjoy the family time it's not for ever it's a short time four days isn't going to hurt really is it ? If you're really that worried and going by car take your own sheets and pillowcases and plate cup and cutlery but don't make a fuss especially as your daughter in law booked it she would be terribly upset if she thought you were critising her choice

If DIL booked it, could she not arrive first and see the cleaning that has to be done, that is if it has not been cleaned prior to your arrival. Maybe the reviews hit home.

Perhaps it would be best to do nothing if DIL has booked it. You don't want to risk a fall out. Maybe be prepared to do a small amount of cleaning and not worrying about it. I agree it's not ideal but relationships can be fragile as we all know. Good luck with it.

We once complained about a very grubby house we had rented in N Wales. We went to see the letting agent who obviously had never been to the house or knew the owner. Then we had a phone call from a very irate owner accusing us of lying, He was most unpleasant. We have never used that agency again and told them why.
But we have had some marvellous houses. I would recommend Bodnant. Some of the most beautiful houses inside and out that we have ever stayed in

We booked Christmas about two years ago at a place in the lakes. It was on the shores of Windermere,slept 10 and was priced accordingly . I arranged to look around a good few weeks beforehand as I was cooking dinner there and wanted to see if I needed to take any cooking equipment. It was lovely but the oven was not clean. I told the company that I expected the oven to be spotless and it was when we arrived. The agents arrived with the oven trays etc deep cleaned just as we arrived. They had even put up Christmas trees for us. Perhaps you should inspect and speak to the agents.

I don't want to go behind anyone's back and upset them but am thinking I might contact the tourist board tomorrow and explain how sensitive it all is. I would willingly pay for professional cleaners to go in the day before. Too far for my own lovely cleaner unfortunately!!! Thank you all for your advice.

Could you contact the letting agency or owner and say you are really looking forward to Christmas there but you're very concerned to read the reviews. Ask if they can reassure you that this was a temporary problem and it will be good and clean ready for your visit.

blueskies, you'd have to book an agency in the area to clean the house, but not sure how they'd gain access.

TBH I think for the sake of peace you'll just have to grit your teeth and take a lot of Dettol wipes with you!

I don't know where you live.
Could you visit to the property and check it out.
That way you will know if it is suitable or not now, rather than worrying or cancelling.

Oh dear, that does sound unpleasamt and yucky!

It's unlikely that the best properties are still available this close to Christmas so it is unlikely you could better his choice. If the property is let through an agency, then why not get them on the case of checking the cleaning before you go in? If it's a private letting, then it's more difficult, but two or three dirty reviews would have me running.
To be honest we are booking a house now for Christmas 2017 to get what we want.

It is complicated as my Daughter in Law booked it and I know she had difficulty in finding somewhere in the area for Christmas. I have spoken about it with my son and he says we will have to make do as there is no alternative. I dread driving for 6 hours and then having to clean everything. The latest review said that 3 toilet seats had to be replaced, that crockery etc was filthy and dog hairs everywhere. My relationship with my DIL is fragile and you what Christmas is like. Oh Dear what a dilemma. How on earth would we find a cleaner in a strange place the day before Christmas?

Yes, I meant if son doesn't care about the reviews!

Tell him about the reviews, who wants to stay somewhere dirty?

If not, it looks as though you may have to engage a cleaner and deduct the cost from the bill!

Send him a link to the reviews and see what he says you can only point him in the right direction and tell him what you think. He may have the same opinion as you.