Chester Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Martin - Verified booking

  We have been delighted with Sykes Cottages before, and were therefore very disappointed with this one.

  It wasn't as good as it sounded in the description. We weren't impressed with the cleaning before our arrival e.g. Plates had been washed then put in the cupboard still wet, the oven knobs and bowls were very greasy and we had to wash them before they could be used. There was not enough washing up liquid, toilet paper or hand soap provided to see 4 economical people through a week, yet alone 6 as advertised. Therefore, we did have to use "a well-stocked convenience store for picking up any last-minute essentials". We had only expected to use the shop for newspapers, milk and food. It wasn't a "well equipped kitchen" for 6 e.g. only 3 egg cups, only 4 dessert spoons, only 1 shelf in oven, no lids for v limited range of pans. There were no cupboards for us to store our food. The space was used storing more wine & other glasses than we can ever imagine being used all at once. Not as comfortable as expected e.g. leaf of dining table sloped, and once the table was laid for a meal it was hard for people to pass to sit down. There weren't a matching set of dining chairs, we had to gather chairs from various rooms. The sofas were very low, there weren't sets of matching crockery etc. It was very difficult to "head out to the large rear garden" as back door was very hard to open, and side gate was very badly damaged before we arrived. Hard to "retire to the sitting room to relax" as there was only 1 small candle like light bulb in a light fitting that should have 5 lights. We wanted to be able to see so that we could read and write. The dining room only had 3/5 bulbs working. I found a spare bulb, but it didn't fit in either room. It looked like an "overhead shower.", but the fitment was broken before we arrived, so it could only be used as a hand held shower head which was awkward, especially as we'd been asked to leave the shower curtain draped over the shower screen. We eventually found the bath plug and ran baths instead. The bedrooms didn't have "plenty of storage for your belongings" as 2/4 cupboards in master bedroom were secured closed, and the other two cupboards already stored things like spare linen & clothes drier. In the back bedroom we couldn't turn the knobs to open either of the white cupboard doors, so all of us had to live out of our cases all week. However, we do agree that The Hawthorns is in "a prime location", "Tucked away in the pretty Cheshire village of Christleton", we did "enjoy leisurely strolls along the Shropshire Union Canal or around Christleton’s Duck Pond". We also appreciated that it was only a "short drive into the bustling city centre of Chester". It would have been nice to have some leaflets, bus timetables and maps available to read. We would also have appreciated information on basic things like which bin was for which rubbish - none of us came from Cheshire so we didn't know the system here. The wonderful location was the main reason for selecting this property as 40 years ago we had our wedding night in Chester. This holiday was to mark our Ruby Wedding Anniversary with our best friends. It was certainly a memorable holiday.

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• Sarah - Verified booking

  This was our second stay at Hollytree cottage, we stayed in Autumn last year for a week between lockdowns and loved it, so this time booked for 2.

  The garden and location with fields all around and the tree line of Delamere Forest in the distance is so lovely, we sat out round the fire pit a fair bit enjoying it, despite it being November. Inside is a lovely mix of old and new, with a lovely log burning duel side fireplace for extra cosines, the kitchen is well stocked and I even baked cookies whilst there, we slept well in the beds, which is good because we all mostly like fairly firm memory foam mattresses and theses are probably more middle of the road. We enjoyed the big deep bath and found everything nice and clean. Delamere forest is a 2 min drive round the corner which is great for walks, and the Hollies farm shop about 10 mins away is always a must, especially in the run up to Christmas. We spent a lot of our time chilling having family time in the cottage, it is so peaceful there and with a piano and second big table in the dining room to play games round, it’s a perfect place to get away from it all and spend quality time together. We did have a power outage on our last night due to a fuse box problem but the lady from the cleaning company who look after the property was really lovely and got on to it very quickly and someone came out to fix straight away. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten the ladies name from the cleaning company but she was really nice and always got back to me very quickly, once I called the number in the cottage book, don’t call the one Sykes gives you it’s not correct. The cottage is on a narrow single road and at times in the year the vegetation can hang over a bit but we have a big car and we’re fine, it’s nearer to the end of the road if you go left out of the drive towards the east and Delamere, rather than going right which is longer to get to the main road, we never had to pass another car the whole time we were there though. If I had to pick something to improve I would say it would be good to offer a few memory foam Pillows too, as many people use those now and I’ve notice a few places starting to have them or have them in a cupboard if needed. The only disappointment was that the trampoline had gone this year and the big garden table and chairs, which would have been handy as we sat out and had a few BBQ’s, there is a smaller table and chairs and a bench seat which we managed on. We had a lovely time here and will probably be back again at some point and would definitely recommend.

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• Josephine - Verified booking

  The holiday was disrupted from the start.

  The own phoned me 2 weeks before our holiday and asked if we would be willing to travel on the Sunday instead of the Saturday but we had an all day event to attend so couldn't manage so he said that would be OK. 2 days before our holiday Sykes phoned me and informed me as there was a leak in the bathroom could we travel on the Sunday instead or if not arrangements would be made to put us up in an hotel for the Saturday night which at that time we had no alternative but to agree. Trying to find out which hotel it was was another nightmare as nobody seemed to know and it was actually the day of travelling (and we were coming on a journey of over 400 miles from Scotland ) that we found out which hotel after numerous phone calls! We couldn't get into the Hawthorns until 12.45 on the Sunday which really disrupted our plans for the all day event we were attending. It was all very stressful and Sykes didn't appear to be concerned at all. As for the property itself that was big disappointment after some of the lovely properties we've stayed in. It wasn't very clean at all, kitchen dirty, TV didn't work properly, electric fires in both rooms downstairs had no plugs and just wires hanging out, underneath the seating in the living room was very dirty and dusty and the back garden was a disgrace. 4 cars parked outside the property which didn't add anything at all to neglected feel of the property. Very poor facilities and a really neglected air to the place. And also no sign of any work being done for a leak in the bathroom. I presume you do inspect these properties as there is a considerable amount of work needed on this house which could be lovely. Compensation was offered by the owner but never forthcoming and then to add insult to injury we were phoned about missing items which we knew absolutely nothing about. All very stressful indeed and I feel some sort of recompense should be offered by you or the owner. I'm so disappointed with Sykes and feel very let down after all the years we have been dealing with you. It's been a really stressful time for us both and your thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

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• Rachael - Verified booking

  Wow We go away every christmas.

  This is the first property that everybody wants to return to. It was wonderful, so much thought, and attention to detail. Set on a private road, a large garden, with ample parking Overlooking fields, very few houses. Isolated, peaceful bliss As we walked in, a beautiful real christmas tree, decorated, with lights twinkling And gorgeous cake, wine and biscuits, left for us. What a great way to be greeted. The property itself is stunning. A mix of contemporary and character. A stunning modern kitchen, with a fridge and freezer big enough for anything you bring. Every type of cup or glass or plate you can think of (the hidden cutlery drawer was under the smeg kettle and toaster- to save you reading the handout) The utility room and porch, so handy for coats and muddy boots. And perfect for hiding all the christmas presents! Lots of books and games, and the dining room had drawers of everything and anything you can think of. A lovely real fire, two fronted, for the dining room and living room The living room was our favourite. Room for people to be watching tv, playing the piano, opening presents, or playing with toys. What a great space. All the bedrooms were well sized, beds comfy (creaky floorboards add to the character) a fabulous family bathroom, and great shower (we never used the bath) We went out for great meals to nearbye places (book in advance) Chester zoo, christmas eve at cheshire oaks, lovely walks What a perfect christmas Minor flaws. Not enough firewood for a week. Which meant we had to go out to buy some on a day we didnt want to drive anywhere The downstairs bathroom needs upgrading. With adults and teenagers all wanting to use, the one upstairs shower isnt enough We would have loved to stay again this christmas, but more people are joining us, so wouldn’t fit in. We will certainly look at staying again. Thank you so much

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• Sue - Verified booking

  What an amazing place to stay!

  There are four cottages at Lower Farm Cottages to choose from of varying sizes. We booked one of the smaller one bedroom cottages called “The Dairy” it was very spacious had a luxury super king size bed but it could be split into a twin and even had a Hot Tub as well! The cottage was lovely and clean and everything you could need was supplied such as beds made up on arrival, towels & tea-towels provided. Basket of essentials such as teabags, coffee, hot chocolate, sugar, milk, biscuits and even a bottle of Prosecco to enjoy…… It’s set in peaceful countryside and you can hear the birds chirping around you. The Cottages are owned by Matt and his family and they live just next door. Matt made us feel very welcome and he was very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The cottage is within a few minutes drive of lots of attractions such as Ice Cream Farm, Blue Planet Aquarium, New Brighton Beach, BeWildered and Chester its self or further afield to Liverpool or into Wales plus many more places. There’s also lots to do at the cottage like visiting the animals, watching the wildlife cams on the cottage tv of the birds on the feeders, the resident barn owls and more.There is also a sculpture trail/display in the orchard that guests can exclusively visit and enjoy, it tells a story of life at Lower Farm Cottages and the family the family’s dog Fudge. The trail is based on a book that has been written by the family’s friends and has now been published to raise donations for Alder Hey Hospital. We will be returning very soon and this will now be our place to get away and de-stress. Well Done Matt & Rachel all involved the cottages and the surroundings are lovely and a credit to you all and it’s a big 10/10 from us

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