Dog Friendly Villas In Dorset

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Rosie - Verified booking

  We arrived at the old schoolhouse full of anticipation - disappointed beyond belief as the week went on.

  The cottage is in the grounds of the owners home, the cottage is a block that has their garage on one end and their workshop the other which they were in a lot of the time, there is no privacy you are in a goldfish bowl, the picture is very deceiving the area you see in front of the cottage is the shared parking area. The cottage smells of damp, it is not clean, cobwebs and dust on all picture frames and on the bedside tables, lampshade stained with watermarks, TV screen has not been cleaned for a while, dust on the wooden floor behind the TV - the cottage needs a deep clean. Main bathroom is off the kitchen and the smell of damp hits you as you open the door and the shower is COLD - I raised with the owner who boosted and then came in and checked and the water was warmer but when I showered on the Tuesday evening the water was cold again. Main bedroom area is dangerous, there are very sloping ceilings and when you access a small toilet and basin area when you come back out watch your head, my partner and I both hit our head the first evening and me again really badly on the Saturday morning the tears did not stop for most of the day. We were woken early a couple of mornings - once by a JCB and workmen fixing a tree that overhung their property and another morning by them turning on their car with the radio on loud whilst they loaded up. Heating was on a timer and came on in the morning and evening but we tried to get it to come on when we got back one afternoon no joy. I don't know how this property has a 4 tick rating from Sykes they need to visit and reassess the property. We left early and will not be using Sykes cottages again.

  Read more less >

• Anne - Verified booking

  An interesting conversion, situated perfectly for exploring Dorset, especially Hardy's 'EgdonHeath'.

  The cottage had all the features described on-line but we found it difficult to live in. Upstairs, the sloping ceilings allowed so little full head height that getting out of the double bed presented real problems (we ended up using a bedroom each). The 'reading space' was a wasted corner that could have been put to better use, eg with a hanging rail, as there was no proper hanging space anywhere. On the plus side were the rechargeable torches provided which were a very good idea. Downstairs, one blind in the living room wouldn't stay down. The seating was arranged so that it was impossible to sit by the huge woodburner and also watch TV; so we moved the furniture. Side tables to put our drinks on would have been helpful - we ended up using dining chairs as tables! There was little by way of information on local attractions. In the kitchen we found no bread bin, no obvious place to store food (we had to find space in the corner cupboard containing cooking pans) and a selection of unmatched cutlery (but no serving spoons) that should be unacceptable in a Sykes property. On arrival, as the nearest shop is some distance away, we would definitely have appreciated a 'welcome tray' with the makings of a cup of tea. Some of this can be easily corrected but sleeping arrangements as they are would not be suitable for two couples as there is such a lack of privacy. All in all, we had an enjoyable week exploring the area and might return to it - but not to this property as we were disappointed that it was not up to the standard we expected from stays in cottages elsewhere (Sykes and others).

  Read more less >

• Cathy - Verified booking

  Loved this place and would certainly return.

  The cottage is long and thin but there’s excellent use of space, especially in the kitchen area. There are multiple areas to sit and relax, work, read or eat all near windows, good light and heating. The kitchen is very well laid out and equipped for a small space and has a good sized freezer plus small dishwasher and oven. There is a good range of cooking and baking equipment and utensils, crockery and glassware. The décor is eclectic, furnishings hugely comfortable, there’s good hot water, towels, bed and bedding, lots of windows and natural light plus modern touches such as mood lighting, plenty of sockets and even USB ports. The friendly owners are nearby if you need them but otherwise leave you to your own devices. We were welcomed by a lovely basket of goodies that would have been plenty for a dinner, breakfast and even a lunch before getting to the shops. There is good heating throughout and a washer and a dryer are available for an extra charge if needed. We would definitely stay here again. Highly recommended.

  Read more less >

• Mandy - Verified booking

  Arrived and greeted by owner.

  All good on that aspect. Gates were still broken so no secure garden for children or pets. No plans to get the gates repaired till the end of the year. Any children or pets could easily get on to the main road. While not a large footfall of traffic it is still a main road. The garden is looked after but the garden furniture was covered in bird muck. The front door of the cottage could do with painting and the windows cleaning. Moving onto the inside of the cottage it is comfortable but dust on walls especially in the bathroom, the floor at the back of tv cabinet needs cleaning, cobwebs on light fixtures and switches in kitchen grubby. Some of the pictures on sykes website are of the owners property and garden to show it was an old school. For the price we paid for a weeks stay I was disappointed. So glad that we had plenty of places nearby to visit including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Anybody staying here in high season with children or pets needs to be aware it is not a secure garden so won’t be able to relax.

  Read more less >

• Louise - Verified booking

  Property is advertised as dog friendly but dogs are not allowed upstairs which I understand but would be beneficial if advertised.

  Whilst in correspondence about this, the owner kindly agreed to put a bed downstairs for me to be with the dog as he is unwell but on arrival this had not happened and she was away. Also advertised is can pre order meals to be put in the freezer, I did order three but none were left. The property was not clean. It smelt dirty, was dusty, mouldy in party and the toilet brush was floating in a holder of excrement on arrival. There were several flies about so we contacted Sykes who contacted owner after one night but we were not offered a solution. On the third night we had around 200 /300 flies come in from somewhere which was hideous. I had to move my 86 year old mum out at 10.30 pm due to this. The owners response was, this happens sometimes. Not a situation I would like other guests to be in.

  Read more less >