Rowanbank Holiday Cottages

What an amazing cozy place. My partner booked the studio for my birthday and what a treat The host was sooo nice and extremely attentive left us Plenty of info on the local scenery and shops. The studio was clean, modern (apart from the cooker but it did the job) and beautifully decorated
Nov 15th, 2022

Nov 9th, 2022

Oct 20th, 2021

May 5th, 2021

We had very much a mixed experience in Rowanbank Studio; in summary, a good location with modern decor and a modern, clean, bathroom but a property thats a bit like a goldfish bowl and was difficult to keep cool in unseasonably warm weather. It was relatively clean and reasonably well equipped (more on both of these points later), and a reasonable base for a week in Arran, but we did only really use it to sleep in! On value, the website advertises Weekly Rates 250380, we paid 540 for the week. At 250-380 its fair value, at 450 its expensive, at 540 its ridiculously overpriced. First impressions mean a lot, and unfortunately for us that was tarnished by another guest who had abandoned their vehicle across the shared parking in such a way that no-one else could get in. They moved, but later the same day they were back in the same place (now blocking us in) and when asked about it they would just be a few minutes - I appreciate you cant account for arrogant and inconsiderate people renting your properties, but perhaps designated areas (with signs?) within the car park would alleviate that - then again, theres no accounting for what some people think is appropriate. Having started our trip with this experience, we were I admit a little disappointed on entering the property itself, some of which was probably tainted by the experience wed just had. First impressions inside; the decor was really modern, and looked well looked after, let down by a freestanding cooker out of the ark and an extractor above it that had clearly not been dusted in a long time. We knew it would be small but, partially due to how its situated (a former garage), it does have the general feeling of a goldfish bowl; anyone walking into the other properties on the same site are looking straight into the kitchen/living area as the sofa is facing the driveway, likewise the bedroom window looks straight into the neighbouring property. For privacy (and to reduce the heat) we had the curtains closed for most of our stay. Having decided to settle in and make a cup of tea, there were a couple of hairs in the mug and extensive staining. The turnaround service clearly extends to hoovering, dusting, changing bedding etc, but not the dishes and cutlery (all of which needed washed, the property could benefit from a dishwasher really!) The bedroom has fresh white bedding, and nice fluffy towels, let down slightly by some stains on the bedding (these are clearly old, there was no odour so they were definitely clean) but Id have expected them to have been replaced after becoming stained to be honest. The cleaning definitely extends only to places youre expected to look - open the cupboard containing the electrical consumer unit and youll find it full of cobwebs, likewise the windowsill behind the slightly passive aggressive notice telling you not to use too much electricity was dusty. On the subject of electricity, theres small print in the terms that says theyll charge you if you use more than 20 (bear in mind we already paid 540!) yet theres notices everywhere telling you not to touch the heating controls, all of which the owner can control remotely by WiFi. Lastly, the cooker is ancient, its functional but as people whove only ever used a fan-assisted oven and gas or induction hobs - combined with a lack of dishwasher - we avoided using it much at all and just enjoyed the many great restaurants on the island, with Auchrannie just a very short walk away too. This is an awkward property in many respects. Its ok, but not at the price we paid. It has the potential to be pretty good (although always going to be limited by the design of the front door!) with some small upgrades here and there and a bit more attention to cleanliness.
Aug 29th, 2022