Beach Cottages in Somerset

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Cheryl - Verified booking

  There are a few positives about this property; the location is very good for Dunster and local beaches.

  It is a lovely building and the upstairs is spacious, garden is lovely. However, I am a surprised that Sykes use this property as a rental as there are many negatives and we were definitely overcharged for the week we spent there. There is mould in both the shower room and bathroom (I took photos which I will send to Sykes, why aren't you checking properties you rent out?) We were two families with four children, this is unacceptable. There was a damp patch on the landing wall, a patch of plaster missing in the kitchen. This is general maintenance that should be completed by the property owners and Sykes should be checking the properties are acceptable for people to stay in. There was not enough bedding for six people so we had to ask for more, there were not enough glasses, bowls, plates for six people. There was only one tea towel, no oven gloves, which is dangerous. There is a washing machine but no clothes airer to hang clothes and only five pegs for the washing line. The cupboard over the sink in the shower room is situated so you hit your head. The sofa and chairs in the lounge were really uncomfortable and dirty and the whole house smelt of dog when we arrived. It also needed updating generally, it was tired and unloved. The house was clean on the surface but there were cobwebs in every room. It needs a thorough update and clean. Some of these issues have been mentioned in previous reviews and in the guest book in the house. Yet the owners have ignored feedback and just taken more money from guests. Unacceptable. We have stayed in many lovely properties throughout the UK and this is the worst we have experienced and I'm disappointed that Sykes are marketing it.

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• Jenny - Verified booking

  Before you go to the Old Police House in Dunster, make sure that all the problems have been addressed - and how they do that I don't know.

  It's the challenge we have issued to the owners and Sykes. In 2022 the property had very good reviews but 2023 it seemed to all go wrong. In essence many of the previous reports of 2023, particularly August and September still rang true in December when we went. We were confronted by a grease caked oven (roll on Christmas dinner) and unacceptable areas of mould. Thankfully we made contact with the owner and they got hold of the cleaners to come in and degrease the oven and clean some of the mould off the walls and replace light bulbs (although we dusted the chandeliers!) Some minor items had improved, plenty of cutlery, glasses, new roasting tin and even a colander.) . Some of the walls need redecorating, chipped dado rails need painting and the lounge furniture needs either cleaning, recovering or replacing. The carpet seemed new and clean. The kitchen and main bathroom are modern (save for the grease and mould!!). The heating is good and the main bedroom was comfortable for us. The linen is contract linen and was clean and comfortable (although the cleaners should have removed some of the previous occupants laundry). While the property description includes a wood fire in a downstairs bedroom 'with the first basket of logs provided free' the owner commented 'we haven't done that in years!' . So the description may not be relied upon!! The owner and Sykes have made noises about getting their act together. The property has all the promise of being rather special. However, how you get an assurance that everything has been sorted is not clear. If they offer us a free weekend with every expectation that we can give it a clean bill of health - you'll be hearing from us!

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• Rosemary L. - Verified booking

  Mill Cottage is one of the best, if not the best holiday home we have stayed in. We holidayed there in July with our daughter, son in law, their two daughters (12 and 14) and the dog. The accommodation and location were just perfect for us. We were fortunate with the weather and we could get out to .... Mill Cottage is one of the best, if not the best holiday home we have stayed in. We holidayed there in July with our daughter, son in law, their two daughters (12 and 14) and the dog. The accommodation and location were just perfect for us. We were fortunate with the weather and we could get out to run, walk and visit favourite haunts (my husband was born in the area and our daughter has fond childhood memories of this part of the country) The cottage was very well equipped particularly the kitchen, which had very good quality utensils and pans etc. unlike many holiday cottages. The garden was perfect for the dog to run around in and we all loved the stream. It was evident a lot of thought had been put into furnishing and equipping the cottage. Annette was very helpful and we knew where she was if we wanted to see her, but we had exactly the right degree of privacy. As we love the area, it is very likely we will book Mill cottage again. Thanks for a lovely holiday.

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• Paul R. - Verified booking

  A lovely, well appointed cottage. The location on Westcott Farm was great...private but near to the farmhouse should we have needed anything (which we didn't). The owners were friendly and helpful but kept a low profile. The cottage was well situated for exploring Exmoor, the Quantocks and the c.... A lovely, well appointed cottage. The location on Westcott Farm was great...private but near to the farmhouse should we have needed anything (which we didn't). The owners were friendly and helpful but kept a low profile. The cottage was well situated for exploring Exmoor, the Quantocks and the coast. The last few miles of road to the cottage were narrow but there were plenty of passing spaces. The local pub (The Royal Oak) served good food and was very welcoming. The garden to Mill Cottage was near perfect...a good size, nicely secure with respect to our dog and a relaxing place to sit in the sun with a G&T. There were several nice walks from the cottage, including a footpath to the pub. The use of a car charger for are EV at a very reasonable rate was another plus. We've stayed in 30 or 40 UK cottages over the years and in all honesty we'd place this one in our top 5.

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• Helen - Verified booking

  Generally the house was great, but more information needs to be provided to guests about the rubbish/recycling collections.

  General rubbish and recycling are collected weekly, alternating between the two. Unfortunately when we arrive the previous guests hadn't put the general rubbish out to be collected so it already contained two weeks worth of rubbish. We put out the recycling for collection but unfortunately as no guidance was left for us several of the items weren't taken as not every councils recycles the things we're used to them taking. This meant more rubbish for the general collection which was already overflowing. I would assume new guests would arrive and then have three weeks worth of general waste in the black bin and nowhere to put their own rubbish. Surely if we're asked to check in an hour later, cleaners should be making sure and notifying either yourselves or the owner that the rubbish hasn't been collected, especially during the current pandemic. We also found litter by the side of the sofa in the living room so clearly checking in an hour later doesn't necessarily mean that the place has undergone any deeper a clean than before!

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