We had a great stay at the Stables. Kind owners who helped us getting our flat car tyre repaired in the weekend after 5pm. Bedrooms are spacy en each have their own comfortable bathroom. TV and wifi works fine. From the Stables we have been to London several times. Drive to London Edgware, park all day for only four pounds at the Broadwalk shopping Centre and take the tube to central London. If you travel by plain choose London Luton instead of London Stansted because that's at least an hour drive and depending on the traffic on the M1/M25/M11much longer. Oxford and Cambridge both are about an hour drive. A car is a need.

Thank you Claire and David for making us feel so welcome. The Stables are absolutely gorgeous, beautiful decorated and maintained. The welcome pack of milk bread etc were great and the brownies a hit! It was the perfect place to stay and made my 50th birthday celebration with my twin brother even more special.

Having ensuite bathrooms with each bedroom saved a lot of arguments with 2 teenage children!!!!!! They are all beautiful appointed. The beds were amazing, soft luxury linen and towels.

For anyone who wants a home away from home The Stables is it. The proof in the pudding was being able to cook a meal for 8 people!!!!!

Again, thank you so much for a wonderful holiday

Following our 10 day stay at the end of June, we are a bit mystified as to why The Stables has consistently been awarded top marks on Trip Advisor (particularly as one of the reviewers lives just down the road in St Albans).

It certainly isn't horrible, but neither does it warrant effusive praise. We would have awarded three stars but for the fact that it took one note, an e-mail and a week to recover our security deposit.

We booked The Stables as it fulfilled several criteria: its close proximity to Bedford, where our daughter was getting married, space to entertain other family members and room to store decorations & wedding gifts for the reception.

Before we arrived the owner advised us that there would be nobody around when we got there, but gave instructions on how to access the property, which was fine. The cottage is spacious, and pretty clean and there was a welcome package of bread coffee, etc., which was a nice gesture. On closer inspection however, there are certain elements that made our stay less enjoyable than it otherwise could have been.

There are three bathrooms in the property - great for families - but all three smelt damp, the shower screen in the master suite leaked badly and each shower needs a good steam-clean. Also, the lighting was terrible, and the towels provided were so rough, it was like trying to dry yourself with a Rivita.

In the sitting room, which is a great space and could have been lovely, the couches are SO uncomfortable, we ended up sitting at the dining table.

The kitchen is well-equipped, but the kettle is lethal - it leaks badly when you lift it after it has boiled.

Our main gripe is that we were not made to feel like welcome guests. On three different occasions, by three different people (the owner and various other family members) we were asked on which date we would be leaving (only once were we asked if everything was OK - but not if we were enjoying our stay) and on the evening prior to our departure, the owner's husband decided that it would be appropriate to start strimming and mowing (loud and unneccessary) the guests' lawn right outside the property at eight in the evening.

In conclusion, The Stables is an economical alternative to a Premier Inn-style experience and for a weekend, it's fine, but if we were asked if we would stay there again, then the answer would have to be no.

We stayed for a long weekend at The Stables and cannot give anything but praise for the accommodation, the location and Claire and David for their hospitality.

The location is ideal, close to the motorway but without any noise issues, handy for shops in the next village and set in a beautiful village. The accommodation was spacious, clean and very well equipped. We were easily able to entertain friends who visited with the well equipped kitchen and spacious living area. The rooms were all fantastic, each with en-suite equipped with superb power showers.

Our only regret was that we could not have stayed longer and would definitely stay again if we are in the area.