Half Term Breaks In World

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Vivien - Verified booking

  All in all a great week after a shaky start!

  I complained and, to Sykes Cottages credit, within 24 hours the issues had been resolved. When we arrived I really felt like going home again. The table was sticky, there were bits on the floor. Some of the kitchen cupboards were unclean, resulting in me putting all the crockery through the dishwasher. The balcony, balcony table, the apartment windows and balcony balustrade glass were filthy - the amazing view was obscured through not just the weather on the glass but smears, where, possibly, others had tried wipe the glass in the past. I complained and, to Sykes Cottages credit, within 24 hours the cleaners had been back, cleaned the floor, balcony, outside table and apartment windows. (I had cleaned the table and crockery by this point) Though the balcony balustrade glass was not cleaned, we finally felt able to relax and enjoy the amazing view which is a key reason why we chose this apartment. The swimming pool was only available on 3 days of out stay - another key reason for choosing the apartment and, therefore, quite disappointing. We did throughly enjoy our stay, it is a beautiful apartment, just unfortunate that we needed to complain to see the accommodation brought up to standard. The local area that was rejuvenated for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Events is fantastic. A beautiful marina and walkway. The Boat that Rocks is a good place to eat. The apartment is walking distance to the beach where we spent much of our time paddle-boarding (we brought our own equipment but the national Sailing Academy is on Portland and courses / equipment hire are possible from here - sailing, wind surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, kite surfing) From our apartment we could watch ships arriving and departing port, sailing boats in the bay and the helicopters coming in to land and take off at the Heli National Training and Development Centre - which we throughly enjoyed. There is evidence of the demise of the area due to the Navy moving away: the derelict building next door, and run down pubs towards the port. There are lots of info boards about the history of Portland, through the ages, during Naval occupation and regarding the Olympics which are interesting to read. A D Day Museum, and Tanks and Torpedos on display on the kerbside - fascinating. We highly recommend the Frontline Cafe run by Firefighters - great cakes, coffee, ice cream and crepes; they are open in the evenings occasional for events too with a more extensive menu. Visit Portland Bill and the High Angle Gun Battery! FYI there are several maintenance issues with the apartment: the toiletry rack in the bathroom is rusting, water seeps onto the floor by the shower screen in the main bathroom, causing a lot of water to disperse onto the floor and around the toilet. It needs mopping up after each shower. The towel rails are rusting, the shower in the ensuite needs descaling or replacing and the kitchen tap is badly marked - I guess from cleaning agents - but it looks unsightly. One of the wicker chairs on the balcony has a damaged leg and is unusable.

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• Nicholas - Verified booking

  For publication: This apartment near Chesil Beach boasts a convenient location with captivating views of the harbour and bustling boat activity.

  It's conveniently close to the shingle beach and local attractions, with essential amenities like a small shop and Lidl within reach. Before booking, it's advisable to check out the area on Google Street View for a better understanding of the surroundings. The apartment itself is impressively spacious and filled with natural light. For enthusiasts, there are plenty of boat-related activities to enjoy (it's near the National Sailing Academy at the Marina), including the excitement of observing helicopters landing and taking off. While Chesil Beach may not have sandy shores, its unique shingle landscape offers a picturesque and distinctive experience. Additionally, the proximity to Portland Bill makes for an easy 10-minute drive to access stunning viewpoints and walking trails on the small island. With a mere 5-minute walk to the waterfront, this apartment offers both comfort and convenience for a memorable stay. PS either travel very light or take a trolley to help loading and unloading luggage (there is a lift) *** Not for publication: the Wi-Fi is not properly secured; it comes up with a message saying it is weak security( It would be a simple administrative fix to resolve). As a result we did not feel comfortable using it. This is an inconvenience at best and potentially far worse for users and we suggest it is resolved as soon as possible. There were some signs of inadequate preparation/checking by the maintenance/cleaning team: the boiler was switched off so there was no hot water; there was no towel pack for the kitchen; the cafetiere had parts missing and would not work; the casserole dish did not have a fitting lid, so we could not use it to cook dinner. All of these (except the casserole dish), were quickly resolved by the dream cottages representative, for which we were grateful.

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• Ralph - Verified booking

  The location of a property on the seafront was a prerequisite and it did not disappoint.

  However there are serious access issues :- 1. The gates to the carpark were permanently open and hence parking was insecure (worse than parking up outside as anyone could wander in and remain undetected). 2. A previous reviewer noted that the lift was broken and when we arrived it was "Out of Service". Therefore either it had not been functioning for weeks or it had broken down again. We had the inconvenience of hauling baggage up three flights of a narrow, steep, winding staircase. The lift was "fixed" during our stay but there was always a nagging doubt whether or not we would arrive at our destination as the doors sometimes did not shut properly. 3. The key pad for the side door did not function when the code was input. By chance, the owner of the downstairs cafe was outside and told us the press the "Tradesman's" button for access which worked. If we had not bumped into him, we would have been none the wiser. He was aware it had been broken for a long time. Beggars belief. 4. The numbers on the entrance door lock box are extremely difficult to read even with the additional light and the box is set at a height for giants. As a general note, the building has been designed by an Architect to look pretty rather than for the benefit of people who actually have to live in it eg The kitchen area is so dark the lights always needed to be on even in broad daylight, rabbit warren of corridors, badly positioned columns in the basement making parking a car a major operation.....

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• Jill - Verified booking

  Although the property was superficially clean it was generally grubby/filthy.

  Two bags of laundry were left in the hallway - these were, however, removed the next day after we had alerted Sykes. We contacted Sykes to complain about the issues of dirt, missing equipment (no Dyson as listed) and broken blind in the kitchen area. The en-suite was unusable as it was so filthy - old rust and dirt on the shower cable and caked on soap in the shower tray. The panel behind the toilet in the main bathroom was coming away from the wall. Both bathrooms had rusty shower caddies that rendered them unusable. The balcony area had not been cleaned - the table and chairs were filthy (as was one of the seat covers) and there was old food debris on the floor. Photos were attached and sent to Sykes - we did not here back during our holiday. We happened to speak with a couple of the complex cleaners (not the ones involved in our apartment on this occasion) and they informed us that the Dyson had been missing for a considerable period of time; also that the blind had been broken for a considerable period of time - both had been reported on several occasions. As Sykes and the owner have been made aware of these issues we feel that they should have been addressed before letting out the apartment again - we paid a considerable sum of money for the apartment and it was substandard. We are still waiting to hear what Sykes is going to do about this.

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• Jing - Verified booking

  The agency is great.

  We had to contact them for two occasions and both time they were very good. On arrival at the property, there were four bags of rubbish inside, we called the agency and they turned up in 10 minutes and collected the rubbish away. The third day we accidentally locked the keys inside, called up again and spare keys were ready within 5 minutes. The property is in a super location. It is next to the town bridge on the harbour, 15 minutes walk to main beach, 10 minutes to the fair and 5 minutes to the best crabbing spot. Shops and restaurants are literally downstairs. It was clean and everything provided was working fine. Bedrooms are big enough with sufficient storage. Two bathrooms with two individual showers. Dishwasher microwave oven fridge. However there is no wash machine. The downside is not the actual flat but the building communal area. All lights on ground floor are not working, the light in the hallway is not working. Button "0" in the lift is not working. We had to walk down the stair case every time. It's not very quiet in the evening due to close approximation to a few pubs. But looking at its location that is expected. There are loud seagulls waking me up in the morning but again expected when going that way. Overall good experience and we will go back.

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