Inadequate kitchen equipment in holiday accommodation.

I would say something to the owners. If they are advertising their holiday let with a fully equipped kitchen then you are well within your rights to expect to find utensils and cooking paraphernalia available to use. You shouldn't have to defrost the freezer either.
If the owners are not forthcoming I would be leaving an honest review on their site after your holiday.

It’s not uncommon sadly.

We have a 5⭐️ rated holiday let.

It’s equipped to bake a cake, make a Sunday roast etc, the knife block is self sharpening the pans cost an arm and a leg , the coffee machine, toaster and kettle are all Dualit and we have a glass for every drink known to man!

It cost a lot to equip it but the reviews have made it all worth it.

So many lets are full
Of dead relations old stuff and charity shop tat.

Complain directly to the holiday company or owners.

Definitely complain. When we did holiday lets there was everything holidaymakers needed and as we cleaned up ready for the next arrivals, we checked everything was still there. Often things were pinched - weirdly often kitchen scissors.

Leave an honest review too.

Not acceptable!

I tended to take one or two trusted kitchen knives with me, and my own peeler wherever I went, but of course these days , cant carry knives around. I agree with you that they should have appropriate size pans etc. If they advertise it as to let for 8 people , they should have the appropriate size things in the kitchen. They wouldnt only have 6 beds would they?

I would have contacted them on the first day and asked them to provide whatever was missing. Whether it was the owners or their agents you were dealing with , they had not checked through properly or thought about this. It is definitely letting down the quality of the place and on basic levels. If it was a pleasant holiday choice, apart from that, I would contact the owners and tell them , and if I was the owner, I would be glad to be made aware of this, and feel that you were entitled to a small rebate for the hassle.

I used to say to friends that they should have a couple of nights sleeping in their spare room, as this would show up any problems like lights in wrong places or whatever, that guests dont like to complain about. It would be a good idea if owners spent a week in their holiday lets and found out the same kinds of things!

I always self-catered abroad and my luggage included a non-stick pan and wooden spatula, which were very often needed. A tiny pot of salt and pepper were useful too.

You had me at the iced up freezer...having defrosted mine recently. Ashamed to say after several years of icing up and not being able to open the drawers. I feel your pain a d annoyance. You or DH dont go on holiday to spend any time doing such "housework".

I would have taken a photo and complained.

Ah, memories of the old Royle Family programme when the family rented a tiny caravan on “The Pearl of Prestatyn” site, and found out there was no chip pan.
I would expect a house to be fully equipped for every possible need.
I hope you enjoy your holiday though.

I agree with the need for feedback. Could you contact the owner directly?
Maybe she/ he might act on this, change the cleaning service, and add some new equipment.
I once stayed at a brand new holiday let, all very new and good, but lacking in a few places, such as the one- sharp- knife problem. I contacted the owner on a few matters and he was quick to return to say that these were things he hadn't thought about, and thanked me.

I will add, however, that a friend who has a property in Spain was surprised to read a scathing criticism online of the kitchen equipment which was lacking..a piping bag for cake decorating.

I personally wouldn't exchange kitchen sinks as for me that is not a holiday.

The owners should be ashamed leaving it in such a state and expecting ting you to cook but supplying zilch. If possible I wouldn't have paid the full rent.

That is just not good enough, a self catering property, especially one catering to larger groups and charging more, should have enough pans and other necessary kitchen equipment to cook and serve food, and the fridge/freezer should be defrosted and in good working order.
Complain and make sure you leave a review stating the lack of kitchen utensils/pans etc., so others will give this property the swerve.

Chocolatelovinggran

I will add, however, that a friend who has a property in Spain was surprised to read a scathing criticism online of the kitchen equipment which was lacking..a piping bag for cake decorating.

Had to laugh 😆
And tbh I wouldn’t rate an iron as something I would want when on holiday.
For me a holiday means a break from household chores.

We used to find it was the other way round! The equipment in the kitchen and the kitchen itself were always far superior to anything we had at home!

That doesn't sound very good to me. There should be sufficient equipment fir the number of people, I assume there's 8 chairs to sit on?!

We had a full set of le creuset saucepans and casseroles, plus stainless steel ones and Tefal frying pans in our holiday houses. Enough cutlery and crockery to have one set in the dishwasher and another in the drawer.
You've paid good money, so you should expect good quality. I'd leave a very average review.

That sounds very poor, but renting holiday houses when the DC were young this was almost part of the fun. I learned to always take a sieve, a wooden spoon and a cheese grater. There were never enough bedside lights so we always ended up buying at least one. And there were always dainty tea cups and saucers. Buying our holiday mugs on day 1 was always looked forward to..

A couple of years ago I booked a place for 6 for me and my family of 4 . When my DD and family arrived ahead of me they were greeted with a freezer totally frozen up and the door ajar. There was barely enough crockery for one meal setting, so the dishwasher had to be set after each meal, and very few pans . We complained to the agent plus a few other issues such as loose tiles on the shower floor and 2 of the bedrooms were unacceptably small . It was expensive and I felt did not match up to the price. They gave us an extra night free but I noticed my very underrated review did not appear on the website!

Talking of visitors bringing basic essentials to holiday lets.

A couple staying at our place obviously thought we didn’t provide a mirror. I was cleaning up after they left and found a large mirror about 2.5 ft tall and maybe 2ft wide. It looked like it had been ripped off an old wooden bathroom cabinet. The mirror was very worn and it was all really tatty.

I messaged them to ask what it was and she said “oh that’s our mirror but you can keep it.” 🤣. I binned it. Never seen such a piece of old tat.

That’s not as it should be for sure. We’ve had rentals over many years. Most have been well equipped, those which haven’t have had deficiencies rectified as soon as the owner or agent knew. On one occasion we were told items had left with the previous guests and on another than the owner didn't expect guests to do anything other than eat out. Always best to let them know immediately.

I would definitely be contacting the owners /company you booked with while I am there to let them know you are not happy with everything, they may find a way to put things right. But if no effort is made I would definitely leave a bad review .

Thanks for all comments.
There will definitely be a critical review! It was rented through an agency, not directly from the owner,

We would have bought a compatible frying pan today, but it’s Sunday and the only hardware shop for a long way, is closed.
I bought an egg lifter-upper the other day, but I’ll be taking it home with me as a spare!
I will certainly not be leaving any kitchen equipment we have been obliged to buy!

I would have expected the lack of kitchen equipment to have lost it its 5 star status. Did it occur to you when you got back to check whether the 5 star rating was genuine. We once went away at very short notice, booked a 4 star hotel and it was OK but certainly not 4 star. We checked with Visit England when we got home and they had no record of the hotel. It was a very big grand Victorian hotel that had probably been 4 star 10 or 20 years previously and their website and sign boards still said it was 4 star.

I would have been on to the agency demanding a return of some of my rental money as the property was not equipped as stated.

We usually go on self catering holidays and have usually found the kitchens well stocked, I do, however always travel with a sharp knife and a small knife sharpener.

winterwhite

That sounds very poor, but renting holiday houses when the DC were young this was almost part of the fun. I learned to always take a sieve, a wooden spoon and a cheese grater. There were never enough bedside lights so we always ended up buying at least one. And there were always dainty tea cups and saucers. Buying our holiday mugs on day 1 was always looked forward to..

TBH I don’t think of it as fun, not after paying ££££ for what was supposed to be the highest rated accommodation.

At least we have plenty of mugs! But I remember having to go and buy some in France, when all they had provided was teeny little demi-tasse cups!

We stay self catering because of the dogs. We do cook and take ready prepared veg, marinated meat, something quick for the first night. We also take everything kitchen wise we will need. We prefer to use our own, it's all excellent quality, sharp knives etc and I know who used it last and how well it has been washed. If only I could take my own sofa! The ones in most holiday lets are uncomfortable to say the least. We used to caravan and motorhome but sadly had to give ut up when it became too much for my husband.