We have just come back from a week vacation in Prince Edward County where we rented the Hilltop House in Bloomfield.
We have been going to Prince Edward County for 16 years, sometimes multiple times a year and have had only great experiences. Prince Edward County is full of beautiful places to stay from B&Bs to cottages and houses. Everywhere we have been it has been wonderful, everywhere EXCEPT at the Hilltop House. We rented this house through County Holiday Homes. I spoke on the phone with Tracy, one of the agents and asked her about the property to make sure it was appropriate for my family. I travelled with my parents who are 77 and 82 and my 8 year old daughter. Tracy told me that she went to visit the property in person and that the house was in good condition and we would like it there. Since I had only had great experiences in the county, I chose to believe Tracy. The pictures were not very clear and I was surprised that the house did not have any reviews. I asked Tracy why it did not have any reviews and the answer was that the property had just been advertised with them. Since I booked late and I did not have too many options, I chose to trust her.
The property is very well located on the main street in Bloomfield. It is set back from the street and it has a lovely porch. This is where the pros end. Inside, the house is old, which could be charming, but it isn't because it is very poorly and I mean VERY poorly maintained and UNSAFE. It is unsafe because it has 3 bedrooms upstairs and one tiny bathroom downstairs. This could still work if the stairs were safe to climb up and down but they AREN'T! I cannot stress this enough. I wear size 6 shoes and my foot did not fit on the upper stairs. I could not have my parents go down these stairs in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. So they had to sleep downstairs on the sofa bed, which was beyond shabby and old and with the thinnest and dirtiest mattress I had ever seen. They accepted the challenge because we all wanted to have a good time and we did in spite of the terrible conditions we had to put up with. They advertised 3 bedrooms upstairs but one of them doesn't have windows. Most likely it was a bathroom there and they turned it into the "3rd bedroom." The day after we complained, they added to the online description that the 3rd bedroom doesn't have windows, so now you know. We didn't and Tracy chose to NOT mention it when I spoke to her on the phone before we rented the property. Oh and I paid $1600 for it! Don't imagine it was an inexpensive deal.
Other than the stairs which are definitely a safety haphazard, the list continues: And when you read this remember! We have been coming to the county for 16 years and we have not had one complaint EVER until we came across this property:
1. Bed mattresses are the squeakiest I have ever experienced
2. Bed linens the cheapest I have ever seen. I did not even know one could buy such thin, low quality linens. The bed sheet came off the mattress every time we turned from one side to the other.
3. 2 of the 3 bedrooms have only a closet, no dresser. Be prepared to live off your suitcase for a week after you paid $1600
4. There is absolutely no effort made to welcome guests:
4.1. The dish sponge was disgusting. We bought our own.
4.2. The candles on the porch were worn out and nobody bothered to replace them with new ones or leave some close by for us to replace
4.3. The soap, probably bought at the Dollar store, was almost empty. We had to buy our own.
4.4. We asked for a second key and the answer was simply and purely NO. Then we complained and the host came a few hours later with a second key.
4.5. When we arrived, the living room and the bathroom had 40W light bulbs. You could not even see the food on your plate. We complained and then the host came to replace them with this cold, hospital feel bulbs but at least we could see. She even asked me if I wanted her to replace them for us. ?????
Prince Edward County has a lot to offer. Stay away from the Hilltop House!