Villas In Bamburgh

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Alison - Verified booking

  We were surprised to find that this cottage is part of 4 cottages that face into a communal courtyard rather than being ‘end of terrace’.

  The cottage was disappointing from the start, the approach through the courtyard had not seen a broom in a long time and once inside there were long black dog hairs floating on the kitchen and living room floors and a musty dank smell in the living room which filled the whole of the downstairs. The cause of this smell was a filthy mop and old water left in a bucket tucked in the cupboard under the stairs. Our holiday was abandoned early Tuesday morning as we felt we could not continue to stay in the cottage. We had problems the first evening (Saturday) with the bathroom light flickering and this was reported to the manager straightaway, the flickering caused a strobe effect and so we had to use a torch whenever we needed to use the bathroom. The following day a blocked drain at the front of the property was again reported to the manager. The blocked drain poured water into the communal courtyard and across the front door. The owner contacted us on Monday to say an electrician would be in to sort the light (that day) and the gardener would ‘take a look’ at the drain when he was in some time that week. Sadly, the electrician did not turn up and so the light was not fixed, when the owner was notified that this had not happened and sent a video of how bad the flickering was by WhatsApp, he replied that these issues (drain and light) would not normally be considered urgent and was keen to point out that he had responded to our concerns and was dismissive in his tone. Yes, he had responded to the messages but had not sorted the problems out. The cottage was dirty with old dusty cobwebs hanging off the kitchen light, dirt accumulating around the skirting boards and across the sockets and storage heaters. There were dead flies and cobwebs at the kitchen window. There is a large gap between the kitchen floor tiles and cupboard kick boards which is full of dirt which is difficult to clean. There are 4 cracked floor tiles in the kitchen. The washing machine displays a PAT testing label stating it is due a test in 2013. There is a fire risk assessment in the information folder that is for a completely different property. The extractor fan and light is not working, and there is damage to the worktop. The owner had been notified of these problems back in April 2024 via on online Sykes review and he had replied that this would all be sorted forthwith, however all the issues raised back then remain untouched The bath panel is damaged and could easily cause significant harm if we had accidentally walked into it. There are also broken tiles to the bathroom walls. The shelf in the bathroom is so wobbly you cannot stand anything on it. The light shade to the landing light is so full of cobwebs and dust it looks horrible. When I go away on holiday, I do not expect to have to clean the minute I walk into a cottage, and I certainly do not find it acceptable to have to use a torch when using a bathroom or for my husband to shave by torchlight. After leaving early Tuesday morning and returning home the owner was notified and photographs of all the above was sent to him so that he could tackle the issues raised. He has chosen not to respond or even acknowledge receipt of photos. We have had no other option but to escalate this to Sykes.

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• Ian - Verified booking

  Great location with a secure garden, safe for dogs questionable.

  We arrived to find the freezer was solid with ICE and the door wouldn’t close not allowing the opportunity to place anything. Cleaner arrived to collect the dirty washing bags, we informed her who informed us that she had reported on a couple of occasions and kindly left with the washing bags. On the surface the property was clean and then when we moved the two single beds into a double the vacuum had to come out. Day 2 we left and upon our return we couldn’t gain entry due to the key barrel lock not working. We contacted the two owners on several occasions with no response. Due to having a six-year-old child we then contacted Sykes cottages who tried to contact the owners on several occasions, again no response. Two very kind neighbours who could see I had two ladies and a child who was in distress provided a contact number for a locksmith. I once again contacted Sykes cottages to inform them that I could have a locksmith within the hour which granted was the bank holiday Sunday to be informed that they do not manage the maintenance side and had no authority to confirm either way and asked if I could wait. It became evident that we had left an opener open in the first floor bedroom window. A neighbour kindly provided a ladder and I 68 years of age had to climb through the top opener of a bedroom window to gain access. After we had finally gained entry the owner text me to see if I had gained access and informed he had called on the house phone and left a message. We then had to wait 48 hours to allow I believe the locksmith who initially fitted the lock which was under guarantee to fix the door and to repair one of the two rear doors. A property with three external doors and only one working provides confirmation of maintenance that is carried out. Locksmith arrived and repaired the main door and managed to adjust the second door that along with the second rear door needed adjustments. Having previously read other peoples comments and responses provided by the owners, we did take photographs and yes we did report accordingly to the owners. The freezer remained as we found it apart from having to scrape ice of on a couple of occasions to allow the door to close. Lessons learned. I will definitely ask before hiring any future cottages who is in charge of the maintenance and to make sure my daughter isn’t taking a photograph of her dad climbing through a window. By the way went viral. Sykes cottages- need to look closely what they are managing and especially how they are maintained. Owners- need to maintain the property by planning rather than being reactive, have a system in place to check that the property is clean and make sure the facilities and amenities are in good working order and respond accordingly. I believe this is the very first time I have made any formal complaint. And I trust people reading my feedback is here to help support all concerned as like all of us we want to have a comfortable stay with all amenities that is stated.

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• Nicky - Verified booking

  In theory the perfect cottage for 3 adult couples.

  This Cottage has the potential to be superb, but isn’t. The rooms are spacious, plenty of sofas in the sitting area, very comfortable beds. The kitchen is huge with lots of empty cupboards and drawers. Large fridge freezer. It is clean. We had a lovely holiday here, but I would not return for the reasons given below. The cottage had a surprisingly low review rating - noticed when I paid the final balance - thus requested Northumberland Coast & Country Cottages twice to ensure rather basic things were fixed before we arrived. This worked partly. A few hundred pounds expenditure is all that is required as this cottage will meet its potential. What was fixed: - 6 dining chairs with no protruding screws, - 1 new roll per loo in the ensuite bathrooms. - All light bulbs worked. - New roasting trays. What was not fixed by area: Inadequate kitchen utensils - bring your own if you plan to cook. - Poor quality knives, not sharp, and no sharpener provided. - Mixing bowls - just one very small one. - No salad bowl or any other bowl. - No serving dishes. - No non stick implements for the non-stick pans. - No Casserole dish - Nothing to make a pudding in. - Insufficient crockery or cutlery - we were always washing up a few things, despite putting the dishwasher on daily. - Bring your own washing up liquid - we bought some and left it for the next renters. You are given the smallest bottle known to man. - Bring everything you require to cook (No oil, no pepper etc provided). - Microwave button about to break - So on its last legs. This had not been mentioned in previous reviews. Inadequate furniture: - No chest of drawers in any room - you will keep your clothes on the floor, or suitcase. There is a small wardrobe in each room. - No shelf in any bathroom. A simple glass one above the basin would be a huge improvement. We used the floor. Windows - Window catch broken in downstairs bathroom area so it won't stay open. - No window locks, very basic security. Bathrooms: - The downstairs shower does not drain properly, so your feet will be in an inch of water. Outside - Dog poo from earlier renters by the washing line. We collected all ours and didn’t add to it. - Gate is not dog proof for small dogs. You need to put pieces of wood and flagstones along the bottom. Could easily be fixed by putting wire netting along it. Luckily our dog, who was very happy here, wasn’t particularly adventurous, if yours is, it will get out. - The upstairs shower doors have been replaced with curtains. The original shower doors have been dumped in the garden by the washing line. Note: 1. The downstairs ensuite, is part of the bedroom, with no wall or door in between. Not what we wanted. 2. The parking is very tight for 2 cars, particularly in they are both large. 3. You are expected to strip the beds and put into a laundry bag. 4. Extractor fans in bathrooms unbelievably noisy - you can turn them off.

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• Tina - Verified booking

  On arrival we found that our allocated parking space was taken, by whoever was staying at Avacet cottage had 2 vehicles, so 1 was parked in our space.

  When entering the cottage, we went into kitchen and noticed the glass oven door had not been cleaned. In the kitchen, there was a lack of kitchen utensils, pots and pans, plus oven trays. But especially missed a set of sharp kitchen knives. The overall standard of living was ok. When entering the garden and letting the dogs out in the garden, after a long journey, we were greeted by an overgrown and unmaintained. There were many overgrown bushes, which prevented you from fully enjoying the different aspects of the garden. The tree which is the very large vocal point in the garden, was that untamed, that the many overgrowing branches were obstructing the double bedroom window, nearly coming into the bedroom, when the window needed to be opened. Overall, the tree needs a tree surgeon to come and do a servere cropping of this out of hand tree, before any major structural damage happens. Unfortunately we feel we will not be returning to this property or it s. neighbour Avacet cottage. Has we have had negative experiences this year in both cottages, which we know is owned by the same couple. What is disappointing is that we addressed many issues with the garden when we stopped at Avecet cottage in June, communicating with the owners about the unkept and general maintenance of the garden. When we arrived at Dunlin cottage, we were hugely shocked to find his other cottage garden was in a similar state and nothing had been addressed by the owners, from June until August. We were very disappointed these issues had not been addressed with both cottages. Had our complaint been listened to, our overall, holiday experience would have been a more enjoyable experience. We will definitely not be returning to both cottages. Tina and Julie

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• David - Verified booking

  Bedrooms - there were no chests of drawers or shelves in any of the 3 bedrooms, so we had to stack our clothes on the floor or leave them in suitcases.

  Downstairs double bedroom - we didn't consider that this room was suitable for sharing, as there is no partition wall (i.e. privacy or smell and steam barrier) between the bedroom and the en-suite bathroom / toilet areas; also, the room is not fully accessible for wheelchair users as there is a small step up to the toilet and shower. It was just about OK for my 88 year old mother. Bathrooms - there were no shelves to put our toiletries on, so we had to leave some on the basin edge and the rest on the floor. The mirrors were too high for most of our family. The shower curtain in one of the bedrooms needs replacing with a proper shower door. Kitchen - several bowls (e.g. for salads and for microwaving food) are needed for food preparation. Dining area - the square table has 4 chairs and 4 sets of table mats, even though the cottage sleeps 6 (or 5 - see above - depending on how you feel about sharing a toilet in your bedroom!). You really need a rectangular table that seats 6 people!! Also, the dining chairs have screws protruding through the seat pads and need fixing urgently before someone is hurt. General - several light bulbs don't work. We found a few spares and swapped others from less critical areas, but some still need to be replaced. The lounge area TV is too high to be watched comfortably from a sofa. Although it's potentially a nice cottage in a great location, we would not return or recommend it due to the above issues.

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