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The 1836 cottage is extremely dilapidated, which considering its historical significance to Bothwell, is very sad. (Also inexcusable considering the rates being asked per night. Honestly, give it the TLC it deserves! On arrival, it was apparent the cottage had not been vacuumed or properly cleaned. There was traces of food in the sink, toast crumbs on the couch and a layer of dust on every surface. The rug in the lounge is a disgrace and should really be swapped. There was also a strong smell of cooking grease throughout the cottage, which considering the lack of attention given to the cleanliness of the kitchen (or anything else) is not surprising. The heat pump is difficult to use and I can understand why other guests have had such issues with it. I also feel it might be faulty and could use attention, as can everything within the cottage. Like the toilet seat which is broken, as it was on my previous visit a year ago… I love Bothwell and its history, but staying in the cottage is just sad and dampened the trip considerably. I can’t believe it’s being allowed to fall into such disrepair. If you’re going to advertise the cottage using the history it possesses, start doing something more than just hanging a view historical photos on the wall. John White would not be impressed.

We stayed in the 1837 cottage on the 6 & 7 April 2022. Upon arriving we were shocked at the external appearance of the cottage. It was very dilapidated and well past requiring maintenance. The reception is a safe key arrangement but upon opening the safe there was no key so we had to call the owner. He was apologetic and put the blame on the cleaner. Inside was a bit better than the outside but in no way up to the standard of a 4 star accommodation as listed on the website. It was very apparent that the place had not been cleaned. Listed below are some of the many items that needed attention. 1. The oven and cook top still had food residue on them from previous visitors. 2. The fridge had two cracked eggs still in the door that were leaking and both the freezer and the fridge compartment had not been cleaned. There was an old bag of opened ice still in the freezer. 3. The microwave was perched on an angle on top of a very rickety 5 tier stand. Totally unsafe to use. 4. The toilet seat was broken (This same comment appeared in previous reviews over a period of a year when we checked later). 5. The tap over the sink was just too futuristic and totally impractical to use. 6. There was no soap holder in the shower, only evidence of what was left of it. 7. The place was very cold inside as was to be expected but the AC would not heat. There were two portable heaters that both struggled, one of which smelt like it was about to catch fire so we turned them off. 8. There was no evidence that any form of dusting or vacuuming had been done. After a long day driving we were excited to reach here and expected to be able to relax but instead we were just so upset that we just went to bed. The bed in the front room was the only item in this place that was warm and comfortable. As we lay there reading trying to calm down a black creature flew in. At first we thought it was a large moth, then a small bird. When it landed it turned out to be a Micro Bat. I was hysterical as it flew around the room. My husband tried to get it out but it soon flew out through one of the many holes in the wall. I moved into the other room and slept in there for both nights. The bat returned again on the second night. On the morning of our departure my husband went across the road to the local Council Chambers to find out who was the best person to email a complaint to about the sub standards of this accommodation. We will be lodging a formal complaint with both the relevant council department and Fair Trading as the presentation on their website does not live up to what you experience on arrival. We have documented the above with photos as well. We paid $180 per night and feel very ripped off.