Christmas Cottages in Cornwall

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Lorraine - Verified booking

  The Shack was exactly as I imagined, reminiscent of our old school chalet holidays but with modern conveniences.

  It was lovely to see the family photos in the folder depicting the history of The Shack. It is in a great location, a 5 minute walk down the hill to the beach, maybe 15 coming back up : ) We loved the garden and the views, the garden being an all day sun trap. I really wouldn't like to see fencing at the end of the garden as another reviewer suggested. You'd think we had never seen rabbits before when we were excitedly taking pics as they were having a nibble just outside the sliding doors. The Shack was well equipped although in need of a deep clean, but that would obviously only be possible when not booked and it is very popular. The beds, I would say, are nearing end of life but I still slept reasonably comfortably. My son did complain about his 'flat pillows', so if you like a big, fluffy pillow, take your own along. We didn't have a problem with hot water, but I guess if you have a larger family just bear in mind it takes a while for the tank to heat up again. No problem with shower tray either. It was a bit slow to drain, but as the owner had said, it is likely blocked with sand and again, can only be investigated once holiday season quietens down. It certainly wasn't flowing over. Mawgan Porth does not have good wifi coverage so it was a bit patchy, but we managed OK. Mawgan Porth is a great place to holiday without a car, being on the Newquay to Padstow bus route. There is a well stocked shop along with great places to eat such as The Catch and Betty's to buy your bucket and spade, or beanie and hoodie in my case. The home made quiche at the Carnewas tea room was delicious. Unfortunately there is currently no access down to the beach at Bedruthan due to a rock fall, but still worth a visit for the view...and quiche. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, particularly the peace and privacy. My biggest gripe really was with the previous holidaymakers. Who just empties a teapot and puts it back in the cupboard without cleaning it? Evident by the still wet tea bag stuck at the bottom. Clean up after yourselves! Tsk.

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• Anne-marie - Verified booking

  The Shack is in a fabulous location, just a five minute walk down the hill to the dog friendly beach, and village, where there are shops, pub, restaurants etc.

  Lovely views from the garden. The bungalow itself is suffering a little and could do with a bit of a makeover in places. The kitchen is well equipped, however upon our arrival the washing machine had 2" of stagnant water in it and I had to clean it before I was able to use it (note left for owner). This "puddle" appeared again before the end of the week. The fittings in the bathroom are rusty. The mattresses on the beds are hard and need replacing as they were very uncomfortable. Previous reviews have also mentioned this! In the lounge, the carpet (shown in the online pictures of the property) has been replaced with laminate flooring and was very slippery for our dog, and the fact it showed carpet in the pictures was one of the reasons swaying us to book this property. Throughout the property many of the double glazed windows have blown and are full of condensation blurring views. We couldn't open the patio doors in the lounge. The kitchen window looked like it was about to fall out, so we didn't attempt to open it. The grass hadn't been cut for some time. After showering the first time my husband had to clear the drain at the rear of the premises as it was blocked and water flowing along the path. Having said all the above we were lucky to have good weather and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Not sure how often you grade your properties but you may wish to visit as 4 ticks is a little optimistic compared with other properties we have stayed in.

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• Mrs Sale - Verified booking

  The location of this holiday home is wonderful, overlooking the harbour at Looe in the quieter West Looe. All of the rooms that face towards the front of the house have exceptional views and lots of light. In contrast all of the rooms at the back of the house are dark and have a damp feel to them. There is a bathroom for every bedroom which is great. A blind was missing from one of the bathroom windows though which left the user somewhat exposed. This property is on three floors and is not accessible for anyone with any mobility issues. It is only suitable for physically fit and non-disabled people. The parking space is difficult to access. You have to reverse along a narrow track to get to it and then it is a tight space to reverse into. The parking space is not identified as belonging to the property and was taken by a resident of another property when we moved our car for the day. The check out time of 9am is unreasonable, especially given the flights of stairs you need to take your things up and down to move out and in. It is a property of two halves - the front rooms are lovely, the back rooms less so. We would not book it again as it didn't feel like a coherent, friendly and private place to us.

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• Natalie - Verified booking

  Very disappointed on arrival.

  We arrived to the house looking very tired and in need of lots of TLC. Dirty tea towel, dish washer needed salt and rinse aid and broken thresholds in two places. Double glazed window pane gone, broken bulb in bedside lamp. The dining room wall lights non functioning. Unable to use heating as said do not use. Windows difficult to open and close. Curtain rail fell down but Vanessa was prompt In getting it repaired. The bedding was disgusting, they smelt unpleasant so I washed the duvet sets to realise the duvet itself is the problem. No hooks anywhere to hang stuff. Small double bed pointless and hard. Nowhere to hang anything in single room. No bathroom upstairs really inconvenient! You could easily turn the single bedroom into a bathroom upstairs. The frying pan misshaped and not fit to use. Baking try also in need of replacing. We felt we couldn't cook as too dirty. Such a shame after spending a lot to stay here as the location is ideal as within 10 miles of most beaches, attractions. As it's Cornwall scones would be perfect as a welcome gift. My positive feedback is that Vanessa was welcoming and prompt in helping us when the rail fell down and got the grass cut too.

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• Eric - Verified booking

  We first stayed at The Shack 4 years ago and there have been some improvements, eg.

  recently painted outside and the addition of Wi-Fi Broadband. However, the general condition of The Shack had deteriorated considerably. As another reviewer noted, many of the double glazed units have now blown badly reducing the views, adding to a general feeling of neglect. A particular problem was the comfort of the beds, which ultimately led us to leaving a week early! We also noted rusty soap trays in the shower & bath, the room was in a general state of disrepair although the fittings did work, and apart from a couple of toilet rolls which were left for us, we had to provide every single toiletry including fundamentals such as handwash. Although there is a washing machine, drying facilities are minimal. There is no access to an airing cupboard and the small washing line had just one very rusty peg provided. We are only glad that we did not pay the sums expected in high season, and would encourage Sykes Cottages to send their own Secret Reviewer to check our findings. We certainly will not be returning to The Shack!!!

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