Name: Stanhope Cottages
Address: 34 Carlie Lane, Stanhope, PE C0P 1P0, Canada, Rusticoville, Rusticoville, Rusticoville, C0P 1P0, Canada
Rating: 4

Air conditioning

Smoke-free property

Heating

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Laundry

Dry-cleaning

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

English

Chinese

Languages Spoken

Free parking

Parking

Children's playground

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the cottage

Charlottetown Airport

Stanhope Cottages

Rusticoville

My family and I booked a week long holiday here this last July. Upon arrival, we paid, got our cottage key and then checked into the cottage.

The first thing we noticed was the septic tank had backed up into the toilet. Everything else aside (of which there were many problems), having small children made it impossible to stay.

We let them know we would not be staying and returned the key. They apologized and said that they would be able to give us a refund. It has now been 7 months and they still have not given us the refund ($1400 Canadian). They told us to check with the booking website we used for the refund, and when this company contacted stanhope cottages, they refused to give the refund.

DO NOT STAY HERE. I will be posting this review on as many websites and travel review boards as I can.

DO NOT STAY HERE

The towels were dank. Even the replacements we requested stank. The furniture was dank  and musty and one sofa was broken. The dresser drawers stank so much we refused to use them. The whole place was dirty and we are convinced the sheets weren't changed  from the previous guests given one bed reeked of cologne. If you have a choice go elsewhere. If you are desperate keep looking

Dank and dirty

We have been very lucky to have spent summers as children and with our own children on the beaches here. We've camped at Stanhope, rented cottages and summer homes and paid $$$ to stay a few nights at Dalvay. Great memories at all of these because it was about being at the seashore with family. However we have returned time and again to Stanhope cottages. They offer what we want the most: Easy walking to the beach, a variety of cottages for family reunions, clean and functional furnishings which are tolerant of the sandy lifestyle, and hosts who truly make you feel like you have come back to your  Island home. Thank you again Luke and Jenny.

Really...it's about the best swimming and beaches in PEI

We stayed here with friends while on vacation in PEI and had the four bedroom cabin. Upon first impression the grounds are clean and the cabins although dated, appear tidy and clean. We did find a big spill of caked on spices and dirt on top of the fridge and the stove vent was dusty. 

The place is very dated. I think all the items in the "cottage", and I use that term very loosely, were from random yard sales.  Nothing matched. There were odd sized glasses with no true set. The sheets were faded and look like they were from the early 90's. The mattresses are comfortable. Two comforters had brown rust colored stains on them. The curtains and bedding were faded.  The art work was so faded it was barely recognizable. It was more of a cabin that a cottage. It boasts air conditioning. I recommend you pick whatever room is nearest the a/c unit because the machine wouldn't even cool half the cabin. It was a big unit newly installed and should be sufficient to cool the entirety of the cabin so maybe it was improperly installed. 

It advertises all the amenities of home. There was only one mixing bowl which was the size of an airship, seven forks in a cabin that sleeps eight, ten if you count the hide a bed, five face clothes, very few towels and four rolls of toilet paper. Why do I care that there were only four rolls of toilet paper for a four bedroom two bath cabin? Apparently in the fine print under pets, which we didn't read because they don't allow pets and we never brought one, it says, you are to supply your own toilet paper other than the initial roll (s) that you see coming in. You're also responsible for cleaning your own towels. Laundry is available on site, the washer is suggested pay $2, by honor system snd the dryer is a coin operated one with the same cost. We stayed for a full week and met many other guests who also didn't know about these things. The dryer vent was also clogged which made the laundry room steamy and required you to pay more to dry your clothes. Not to mention a huge fire hazard. The wifi service is very poor but we didn't rent the place to spend all week in the internet. 

I get the feeling that this place was newly taken over and not always run by the Asian Family that now operate it. I didn't ask but I don't think the reviews we read reflect the experience we had.

The playground and sand pit for the kids is lovely. There are two seesaws, a volleyball net, a slide, and some swings. Firepits are available if you keep asking and want to hear a lecture about how it's bad on the grass, kills grass, and to pour it out with water. I don't know if there is only one fire pit for the entire area or if were the only people willing to go back and ask again after the owner failed to bring it over the first day. 

Park passes are included but not given to you when you register. You must go back and ask for them and are told to bring them back every night which we did not do. There is only one pass per cabin even if in the four bedroom cabin but you can get a second pass if not all units are rented. 

The rails on the deck were loose and the stairs uneven. My husband and his friend had a long conversation to the maintenance guy who clearly is just helping out his sister but has no idea what he's doing. The floor in our cabin was severely slanted and even the countertop was slanted. The kids almost knocked the table over on themselves when trying to reposition their chair due to the legs being unstable. If you ever drop anything, just look over by the garbage can, it will roll there.  

Something worth noting but has no reflection on the owners as it's out of their control, there are lots of mosquitos. Bring extra bug spray with you and benadryl to combat the itching. 

The place is five min walk from Stanhope beach which is just beautiful. I recommend walking the boardwalk in the evening as the sunset is just stunning. 

On a positive note, theh have us a gift of a free PEI t-shirt size xl when we left. While it won't fit any of us, I guess they're trying. 

Bring Toilet Paper and pay to clean your own towels.

Two small families stayed in the four bedroom at Stanhope Cottages in early July.  There appear to be a range of cabins at this location (some new and in great shape, others old and need love -- the only four bedroom it seems needs some TLC!)  The rating on Trip Advisor here (and there website) is based on the newer cabins, you really are throwing the dice when you stay here.

Some basic issues:  Floor sagging in dining/kitchen area of cabin.  Bedding quite dated and has stains in spots.  A little musky when you enter.  Only seven forks in the utensil draw??? mismatched everything in terms of pots and the like. Other fine details around upkeep and maintenance.  This place really just needs a lot of attention.

Big service issues:  They provide towels and face clothes in the cabin.  The number of them is insufficient for a group of our size (and we had our own for the beach already).  But the kicker is that you are responsible for laundering own towels, face clothes, and dish clothes all week long -- in washing machines YOU have to pay for.  It is one thing to have to do your own, it is another to pay for it.  

You go on vacation to get away from doing these things!

Icing on the cake:  There is a roll of toilet paper in your cabin -- one in each bathroom.  Once it is gone, you have to buy your own!!!!! when we asked for more it was provided but also told it was listed in the email that we were to provide our own (it was, but listed under pets -- we didn't read that section-- no pets!).  

And honestly, it is a major slap in the face to have to buy your own toilet paper on vacation -- at $1652 for the week it is being majorly cheap of them.  

Very ROUGH around the edges.  Disappointed and unfortunately I wouldn't recommend -- saddens me a little as they seem like really nice people.

Stanhope Cottages

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