“Our party (5 adults, 2 children and 1 infant) have just returned from what was meant to be a week long stay at Little Berwick Cottage.”
Unfortunately our holiday was cut short after 3 days due to several issues.
The main concern was serious enough that we contacted Sykes directly. To their credit, they handled our complaint swiftly and issued a refund the day after we left. However, the other issues primarily related to cleanliness and were disappointing.
Upon arrival, we had to clean the kitchen before using it. There was a long black hair on top of the freezer, a dirty oven hob (as noted in previous reviews) and black ...
Unfortunately our holiday was cut short after 3 days due to several issues.
The main concern was serious enough that we contacted Sykes directly. To their credit, they handled our complaint swiftly and issued a refund the day after we left. However, the other issues primarily related to cleanliness and were disappointing.
Upon arrival, we had to clean the kitchen before using it. There was a long black hair on top of the freezer, a dirty oven hob (as noted in previous reviews) and black dog hairs on the kitchen windowsill. The kitchen itself is tired and worn, which could be overlooked if it were clean, but it wasn't.
The living area was spacious for a large group but the decor is tired and hadn't been dusted in a long time. Dining chair seat pads had crumbs and food bits on, and the fireplace was covered in old burnt bits and thick dust. We had to hoover ourselves due to having a toddler in the group.
Give that check in isn't allowed until 5pm we expected the property to be freshly cleaned but due to the level of dust suggested otherwise.
The bathroom upstairs had hairs on the floor and over the bath. The curtain behind the bathroom sink was broken and barely hanging on (a problem mentioned in a review in July and still hasn't been addressed). The bedrooms were slightly better although the bedroom drawers needed hoovering out before we could use them, there were black dog hairs on bedding in double room and cobwebs were present in all rooms.
The cottage is in a great location and beautiful from the outside it has the potential to be a lovely holiday home but the lack of cleanliness and attention to maintenance let it down massively. With improved cleaning routines and some updates to tired furnishings, it could be a great place to stay
Until then we wouldn't return.
Having to leave early and find alternative accommodation was a real disappointment, especially for what should have been a special family holiday. After reading other reviews upon returning home, it's clear that these issues are recurring and unfortunately, nothing seems to be done to fix them.