Steppes Farm Cottages

If you are prevented from staying at a holiday cottage because of a COVID lockdown you are entitled to a REFUND as the contract will have been “frustrated” and incapable of being performed. Check out official guidance if you need to on gov.uk. So did Steppes give us a refund when it happened to us? No. It was our 50th anniversary and we had booked at our favourite restaurant - the associated Stonemill. Lovely place. We live not too far away, visit regularly and were looking forward to a nice bottle of wine and maybe a malt or something without the need to drive home. We were in a lockdown area and couldn't travel. It's illegal. The owner offered the possibility of a future booking but obviously that wouldn’t coincide with our 50th anniversary. The owner Peter Morris tried every twist and turn to deny a refund even in the first place saying that we could still stay and just quarantine for 14 days on returning home. The next tactic was to suggest that we had not booked directly with him and we should go to whoever we had booked with. He uses “bookings booster” presumably to do just that but checking back we found that we only dealt directly with Steppes. He may use “bookings booster” but we didn’t - I think it's just something that facilitates bookings on his website. Eventually, almost shouting, he accused me of threatening him because I said we would not book with Steppes again. He said that I should not bother him further and ask for a refund from my credit card company instead. We do hope to continue using the Stonemill as it’s an excellent place but will not consider a cottage again. Steppes obviously will be £260 to the good and that doesn’t seem fair. Mr Morris was certainly not going to do what official guidance says – exactly the opposite actually. I guess we’ve all met that type of businessman before. That’s life I suppose. We will be using Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for a refund from the credit card company.

Great cottage and location. Next door to Rolls of Monmouth GC. 5 minutes into town. Lovely greeting. Cottages are as Covid proof as possible. Even changing mattresses between stays. We will be back.

Stayed here for the weekend lovely place!

Lovely Little Cottages for hire, next to each other in the country, close to Monmouth, had a fabulous time ,11 of us ,for a big birthday

DAMP. Sums it up in one word. Mildewy and damp. Not luxury. Older and basic. Lovely views, though you can’t walk anywhere. In response to the owners reply(more like excuses) I have been in the UK for the past 17 days. Not a drop of rain. When we asked the staff in the reception if there was anywhere to walk they told us simply NO. It was all private land and we would have to drive somewhere to go for a walk. And as to their beautiful grounds to stroll on, there is none. A cottage like this is indeed old. But it was falling apart and quite dingy.