Hi,

The river is in flood at the moment (that's why the lodges are built above ground level!), so that will be keeping the site people busy, although I guess that you have rented from a third party (Luxurylifestylelodges)?

It worries me a bit that there is no address or landline on that website, and I hope you have all that information in your contract.

I would try to contact them by phone. If that doesn't work and they are in Stratford (and I'm not sure they are), then post here again for further help.

Good luck.

David

Hi Dave

Thanks for your reply. I have the address of the owner, so I'm not especially worried. I'm thinking that she may well be away, as when I sent the emails I requested a 'read receipt' and haven't had one yet. According to the booking calendar, the lodges are booked out for at least the whole of this month (and I think for part, if not all, of February too) so I'm sure there's some mechanism in place to give access details to customers.

I'll give it till the end of this month and if I haven't heard anything, I'll ring.

On the subject of a contract, I don't have an actual 'contract' - just the emails and letters between us confirming dates and costs, plus I paid by bank draft, so my bank can always trace the payments, if needed, but I doubt that will be necessary.

Cheers

Hi Marmalade,

I always think that with these things that if they feel OK, they probably are OK. But if it turns out you need help, just ask.

I don't think the lodges would be in use over winter - it's a bit bleak out there at this time of year. Maybe the owner's just marked them as booked because they're not available.

Anyway, it's a nice spot in Spring/Summer, and there's a river ferry from the campsite to town, so I'm sure you'll have a good stay.

David

Hi again Dave

We're really looking forward to our stay in Stratford-upon-Avon - only for 2 nights, but we have tickets to see The Merchant of Venice at the RSC and the mere thought of the boat trip on the river gets me excited! Can't wait to see Shakespeare's birthplace et al and just being able to wander the streets, soaking up all that history, will be wonderful!

Cheers

UPDATE - my review of Riverhaven Lodge (sorry about the delay in posting)

Abso-bloody-lutely DIVINE! The lodge was perfect in every detail - Irene, the owner, even made us a home-made cake and left us a lovely bottle of wine, to say welcome. She personally explained how everything worked and suggested we might like to go to the kiosk on the other side of the river for breakfast - 1GBP for bacon, egg, toast and very well cooked too (heavens! why cook yourself when this is available).

Irene has thought of everything in the lodge and it truly cannot be faulted. The lodge is beautifully furnished, with lovely comfortable beds, lovely linen and towels and showers with great pressure. The views over the river are splendid too.

My only complaint is that we didn't book a longer stay - if we'd known how lovely it was going to be, we would have stayed for a week rather than just 2 nights. We were very sad to leave and would return without hesitation.

Cheers

Susan

So pleased to read that everything turned out fine for your stay in Stratford upon Avon. We own a caravan on the same site that you rented the lodge and try to go every weekend that we are not doing anything else. The site closes for January and February each year and we really miss being able to go. Even though the weather is not very good for probably 4 months of the year it is our sanctuary and we love it.

Hi! Just read your review of Riverhaven Lodge with some relief as I have just booked for two nights at the end of October! Tell me did you eventually get directions?Also, is it a campsite where the lodge is ,and can you walk into Stratford? Oh and what time do you have to vacate the property? Sorry for all the questions but your help would be great!

Eliza, yes, we received very concise directions after I had paid the balance - Irene emailed me and it was quite easy to find. Avon Estates is very large and extremely well cared for - there's a mixture of lodges and static caravans on the site - all well-cared for and most are occupied by owners. From memory, the entrance to Avon Estates is on Warwick Road, opposite a golf club. When we arrived, one of the receptionists rang Irene and she came to meet us. She had the keys for the lodge and showed us how everything worked; she was so friendly and kind and even made us a cake and left us a bottle of wine to welcome us. You can walk into Stratford, but it would probably take 3/4 of an hour (but we are over 50 and so it may have taken us a bit longer than it would for younger people). We had a hire car but I wasnt sure what parking would be like in Stratford, so we walked in to have a look around. But when we went to the Royal Shakespeare Company in the evening, we asked the office to ring a cab for us - I think it cost about 5GBP each way, but worth it!

You will be impressed - we still talk about how lovely the lodge was; in the bedrooms, the wallpaper and soft furnishings are all co-ordinated and really beautifully done. The furniture in the living/dining room is really good quality - leather sofas and the dining chairs are leather too. On the large verandah, there's a large table and chairs and outdoor sofas and a barbeque, all overlooking the river. The geese that roam around the estate are a challenge though! Who needs a watchdog when there's watch-geese!

Cheers

Susan

Sorry, Eliza, we had to vacate by 10am, I think.

Thank you Susan for the prompt and very helpful reply!