Dog Friendly Villas In New Forest

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Andrew - Verified booking

  Looks can be deceiving - this property isn’t like the perfect pictures shown.

  We had no heating for 2 nights, it then took another 24 hours to warm through. Not good enough when heating is covered in the cost and an 83 year old was the ground floor resident. Malfunctions can’t be helped but the situation was made worse when after a conversation with the engineer on the Monday, it was clear this was a known issue. We were advised they would ‘try’ and get an engineer out on the Monday if not the Tuesday of our stay (we arrived Saturday). There was no ‘try’ required, he was already booked to come out when some parts were available having been at the property the week before. After WE requested, we were provided with 2 small electric heaters which helped take some chill off but didn’t heat a property of this size as required. We sat wrapped in blankets confided to the dining room so the downstairs bedroom could also benefit from a heater and we had no heat upstairs, all of which resulted in an inability to dry anything like towels and soggy clothing after heavy rain later on the Sunday. We feel we should have been made aware of this issue so we could of made an informed decision as to whether to proceed with our stay. The upstairs bathroom had a filthy mould rimmed shower tray, damp stains on the wall from the roof window and someone else’s hair in the bath. The heavy glass doors didn’t close correctly between the entrance hall and dining room. There were multiple bulbs out - 3 out of 6 in the master bedroom, 1 in the kitchen and only 1 light in the back garden worked which made for a near death trap with significantly wobbly patio slabs, fallen bricks from the dwarf wall, a step and the jungle of a garden. A shrub covered the kitchen window making it dark inside. All windows were in need of a good clean. Chipped crockery - only 2 plates weren’t chipped despite this having been raised in other residents previous feedback. Washing line unusable as coated in green algae. Broken highchair left outside next to the back door. A dent in the lounge wall remains despite being raised by numerous others in feedback a year ago too and despite owners assurances many things were being dealt with - a year on they remain in disrepair. There is a tear in the dining room carpet with other marks. All Venetian blinds had a thick coat of dust. Ground floor bedroom blind won’t open - must have been known as left closed for when we arrived though all others open. No natural daylight for a week in the ground floor bedroom - also raised in other feedback over a year ago. Issues with some of the lounge blinds too and no cleats or breakaways on any blinds so cords left dangling near floor level. This breaks health and safety regulations. No mirror/s upstairs (apart from bathroom) so can’t plug in hairdryer etc and see how to style hair for example. One of the ovens wasn’t working. No advices on a pedestrian gate out of the property and when found was in the main blocked by the 5 overflowing bins and also brambles from which we tore a jacket. Slow wi-fi which we tried to avoid using as it was a holiday to get away and relax, but sometimes everyday life calls. This was far from a relaxing property in which to stay and we left feeling let down, stressed and exhausted after also having to empty the hoover bag which had been left full, to enable us to hoover before leaving. As we visited with dogs it was made clear we’d loose our good housekeeping bond if we didn’t which was an absolute joke bearing all of the above in mind. Probably shouldn’t have stayed the week and actually wish we hadn’t. Extremely overpriced at over £1,200 out of season due to the significant lack of care and attention. We had seen some of the previous feedback but assumed and hoped these repeated issues raised would have been resolved. Sad as we were looking for a property in which we would make return visits in this area. It’s a beautiful location and loads of potential to be absolutely stunning but this property falls short on standards of cleanliness and many aspects of maintenance and is not the usual standard offered by Sykes Cottages. We have provided 16 photos to Sykes to demonstrate the points raised and await their further responses whilst they also liaise with the owner.

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• Rebecca - Verified booking

  The property was excellently located; a short walk into Lymington and with pubs (the Borough Arms and the Monkey Brewhouse) located at the end of Lower Buckland Road.

  The property was exceptionally clean - very high standards maintained with this. The beds were also extremely comfortable, the kitchen was extremely well equipped also. The downstairs area was really useful for cooking and then bringing to the table - this also has a small portable radiator which was extremely useful in the cold weather and where the conservatory looses heat very quickly. The modern interiors were lovely and the sunny extension was wonderful, even in rainy weather. There's plenty of storage space and the rooms have their own bathrooms which was extremely handy. The information packs were very thoughtfully laid out and had everything that we needed during our stay, including useful pointers on local places of interest. There were a few aspects that could use improvement. When we arrived the whole property was extremely cold and we had to leave the heating on for a long time for the property to heat up which was probably less than economical. There was a small portable radiator which did help but it might have been useful to have this on a remotely controlled timer for out of season guests to make sure it's not so cold on arrival but still make cost savings with it being switched off when empty. The first floor bathroom had an air evacuation flap which was loose and kept banging in the wind all through the night and also the shower temperature control was extremely difficult to control - stiff and very sensitive! In the top bedroom, we noticed half way through (as we weren't using that level) that the light was left on in the bathroom, probably during cleaning between residents. This is probably me being overly fussy as the kitchen was otherwise very well equipped, there wasn't an espresso machine which is usually found in most holiday properties (there was a french press though!). Finally, the cleaning supplies were quite limited (dishwasher tablets - we did leave some for the next guests which we purchased) and the cloths weren't really able to make sure we could wipe down properly before we left as requested in the check out pack. For future residents, I'd just be aware that the staircases are very steep. We attended with our dog and the poor thing did fall a couple of times because it was quite steep. Additionally, the garden isn't really very dog friendly, we were advised the back of the garden isn't fully enclosed which is fine. However, there is no grass and most dogs usually will only want to go on grass so if you are bringing a pooch, you might want to take them to the grassy patch a minute from the property in order to toilet.

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• Clare - Verified booking

  The property and its fittings are in need of uplift and maintenance.

  The bi-fold windows were unusable, virtually all of the window blinds were broken or in disrepair, the beds were uncomfortable, the bed linen (cheap) was either nylon or a very nasty and slippery polyester, the duvets seemed lumpy and not even. There was significant decorative damage throughout due to water staining around several of the glazed roof lights made the property feel unloved, hole in a plaster board wall - probably damage from a previous tenant but it could have been prevented with a simple door stop. The lawn area needs mowing as it had long grass (+4inches) and unkept planting. We appreciate its becoming the autumn but lots of leaves etc on arrival. The general cleanliness was poor with black mould in the shower, very aged cobwebs, dirty ovens and a greasy hob and extractor (yuk). The kitchen equipment had chipped plates, only 5 bowls for a 6-person letting, dull knives, broken scissors, no teapot all quite sad. During our stay the downstairs shower required repair, it literally fell off the wall, but fortunately the property manager resolved this promptly. The house manual has out of date details. With all of the other letting we have stayed at there has always been some form of welcome pack from a pint of milk a few tea bags and a packet of biscuits to more generous offerings, here nothing. The positives being the house is well positioned within the New Forest, it is large house and the furniture (not beds) quite comfortable., and a local pub is within 2-3mins walk. Having paid c.£1000 for a weeks off peak stay felt this was really poor value.

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• Chris - Verified booking

  We felt the property was disappointing given it was a premium rent.

  The kitchen was well equipped and laid out and probably the highlight of the property. There was a tired air in regards to maintenance and a lack of attention to detail. The property folder needs to have a list of what switches are what on them main light switch panel as bizarrely the back garden light is switched by the front door. The main bedroom is large with good storage but needs some mirrors. There was a problem with the property not being prepared for us on arrival but Selina the housekeeper was quick to put this right when we contacted her. She also very quickly managed a small maintenance problem during our stay. We feel that with more thought and attention to detail like upgrading the uncomfortable and worn out sofas for example and having easy to open bi fold doors it would greatly improve the comfort of the property. Not being able to adjust the heating is just plain silly. Without these issues being resolved it does not justify the premium rent. The location was perfect for getting around the New Forest and the surrounding area. The Fighting Cocks was very good and the New Pastures butchers is well worth visiting. Overall a well designed property (apart from bi-fold doors with carpets) but does not achieve its potential due a lack of attention to detail. We did raise some concerns with Sykes during the holiday but were given a brush off response from the owners which sums things up.

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• Jo - Verified booking

  This property is really nicely decorated and equipped.

  It has parking (probably easiest for one car only due to the telegraph pole) and is only 5 minutes walk into Lymington. We have stayed several times due to it's convenient location near to a relative. There are just a couple of niggles though. One is that the temperature for the shower in the top room can't be turned down more than a degree as the mechanism is jammed. So, if you don't like very hot showers you have to use the other ensuite. That is inconvenient and bot always possible. We have mentioned this before in a private message to the owners via Sykes cottages but it hasn't been dealt with, which is a shame. The other thing is that there are no instructions for the TV and BT box so it is difficult to work out how to use it. Finally there was no welcome pack which is very unusual. Just a small pack with some essentials like bread and milk, biscuits or a bottle of wine is common and makes your guests happy. If these things were sorted out then it would definitely means 5 stars across the board.

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