Dowling Cottage - Blackheah

Hi Jane I’m generally sorry you didn’t have the enjoyable stay you were looking for Dowling Cottage. It’s a shame you didn’t message me during your stay about your experience so we could have come to some arrangement rather than you feeling you had to resort to positing such a public and quite frankly plainly vituperative review. Please allow me to respond by way of your experience: • There are three steps leading to the cottage from the roadway that were in place when I purchased the cottage. One is at a slight angle. To state they were ‘uneven steps with moss’ is actually an understatement and implies risk where none exists. • There lounge is not ‘collapsed’ at all. It is a genuine Art Deco lounge suite which has been reupholstered in colours to suit the design aesthetic of the cottage lounge area. It is most definitely usable. • It is true that the gas hot water shower unit is older, and I am currently looking at a replacement. However it is perfectly functional but it is not readily suited to guests taking 05 to 10 minute showers one after each other. I actually mention this fact in the welcome letter I send to guests to manage expectations. • The main bed is steady and secure – it is not ‘rock hard’ and ‘old as the lounge’. Indeed the comfort of the bed (both beds actually) is a feature many guests have favourably commented on in past reviews. • We have rotating doona covers for both bedrooms that are cleaned for each guest so your assertion that they were ‘not changed from renters booked previous weeks guest’ is entirely inaccurate and false. • I’m keen to understand how there was a ‘lot of dust’ when you also state that the place was actually clean. Again to reinforce, the cottage is fully cleaned (and dusted) for each guest. • We are in the middle of autumn so naturally the yard has fallen leaves and some level of tree growth. Indeed, for many guests, autumn is a favourite time for a visit to Blackheath and the Blue Mountains. • The window you mention in the bedroom can be closed – it is a casement window and requires a simple movement to open or close. We also have lighter curtains in the cottage to let more light in and also as the Jet master and gas heaters provide more than adequate heating (including electronic blankets on both beds). • All of our prior guests seem perfectly willing and capable to be operate a streaming service from the mobile phone. Full internet access is also provided should guests want to work remotely from the cottage. I’m glad that you at least mentioned that the cottage was clean and tidy. Dowling Cottage is an authentic weatherboard mountains property. My team and I strive to create a memorable experience for each and every one of our guests and provide a selection of complimentary treats in the fridge (wine, chocolate biscuits, fruit juice) for guest enjoyment during their stay. The vast majority of positive reviews (both on this and on other online platforms) would attest to this fact. Regards The Owner/Manager

Thank you Liz for the feedback. I have arranged for my cleaner this week to undertake a spring clean in all rooms to remove the mould situation and especially in the rooms you mention. Going forward, the website will be updated over the next few months which will also feature new photos of the cottage and our new lounge which is different to the one featured on the site.