Holiday Cottages in Kent

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Martin - Verified booking

  Dovecote would have been a lovely place to stay probably a decade ago.

  It is unfortunately now run down and shabby looking. Overall it radiates a lack of love injected into it, with no ornaments, pictures on the wall, tired looking decor...etc. The building itself and the surroundings are lovely, in a lovely location. We read the reviews, but because they were last years reviews, we hoped there would have been an improvement, and also we know that it is a personal preference and standards that lead to certain reviews. With a hindsight we wish we listemed to those reviews. Our first impression on arrival was the lovely oak front door, with its window pannel taped with a duck tape, that has clearly been there ages, as it is coming off. The kitchen is a bit dated, with a mish mash, dated equipment. It wouldn't cost much to get some decent crockery and cutlery, couple of nice mugs, cereal bowls, couple of nice pots and pans... The inside of the cupboards were not all that clean either. It would have helped to be provided with a dish cloth ( we bought it ourselves and used well!) The toilet seat was loose and came off couple of times. The bathroom on the whole was not all that clean, and shabby looking. There was a strong smell of drain in the bathroom and we pulled out a nasty clump of hair from the shower drain.... We were provided with blue, old looking towels. There is no wifi at the Dovecote, with poor satellite signal , so not a chance to watch a bit of TV without it glitching. The mattrace in the main bedrrom felt it had a dip, perhaps in need of replacing. The hot tub is nice touch but we felt like we needed to have a good shower aftetwards as the water didn't look all that clean. It did say to bring your own hairdryer, but it would not cost much to provide a small one, as well as soap for the bathroom. Perhaps some books, games and a folder with ideas and recomendations for trips would have make a difference? . A guess book to leave a message was not there either. The cottage really needs an investment to bring it up to standard. It lacks the cosiness and and comfort. And it is such a shame, as it is such a lovely building, it just needs the love that it deserves. We paid for 4 night stay but stayed only 3 nights, we felt it was enough here..

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• Stefano - Verified booking

  Harbourne Oast is an absolute gem nestled in the Kent countryside, with beautiful views in every direction and a gorgeous pond with 4 delightful ducks and a school of fish.

  It is conveniently located near to Tenterden, which is a charming market town and there are plenty of places to visit nearby, including Camber Sands, which is only a 1/2 hr drive. From the moment we arrived our hosts made every effort to ensure we had what we needed to enjoy our stay. Everything about the facilities has been well thought through. As a family of 10 - 4 kids (ages 1-8) 4 parents and 2 grandparents - we wanted somewhere that could support differing needs. The Annexe or “Grannexe”, was a particularly excellent feature. Allowing grandparents a haven from the noise of the kids, while being a destination of choice most mornings tor the little ones to acquire a second breakfast! Great memories have been made and will be cherished for many years to come. A few of words of caution, this is an historic house, so comes with many of the features one might expect, such as some very creaky floorboards and doors. Also, if you are taller than 5.11, watch your head on some of the low door frames! For any older guests and/or those with mobility issues, the annexe is perfect. Beautifully presented and perfectly apportioned. The main house proved a little difficult for my mother to access at first, however, Matthew swiftly constructed a wooden step to allow her to be able to join us for family meals in the fantastic kitchen and dining areas! This was hugely appreciated and indicative of the lengths to which our hosts went to ensure we were comfortable. One final note, the 9am checkout (due to COVID) is a little challenging, so would recommend packing the night before! The pictures online really don’t do it justice, has it to be seen. All in all would highly recommend!

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• John - Verified booking

  This is a wonderful property.

  The attention to detail is exquisite. The main bedroom with all it's panelling really does look that good in real life, and the furniture in that bedroom is extremely good quality and very classy. There is a huge amount of room in the cottage, and the allocated lawn area is also very generous - although when we stayed, it was a little cold to be sitting out there. Although we did not need it, I thought the addition of a concrete ramp to access the garden instead of trying to get a wheelchair up a 6" edge was a very thoughtful touch. The toiletries selection was the best I have ever seen. There were over 10 different types of Molton Brown toiletries in the main bathroom, as well as decent hair and body washes in the shower. The owners are just next door, and are attentive to any issues. They even brought us some lovely fresh apples upon arrival. The welcome pack was all Waitrose goods, and included tea bags, milk, Prosecco, biscuits, as well as the good selection of coffee pods for the maker. We were shown the owners' sheep, and our son enjoyed feeding them their Rich Tea Finger biscuits! :) There is just one drawback to this property, which is the upstairs bedroom, which is a little height restricted - this is honestly depicted in the online pictures. There is a wood burner stove in the lounge, but we did not have much luck with it - that's probably us just not really knowing how to use it. We would have absolutely no reservations about returning to this property. It is ideally located and is a pleasure to stay in.

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• He - Verified booking

  Last minute booking for 4 families to get together.

  Everyone was happy with the property and surroundings. Property is clean and with extra cleaning due to pandemic. The communication to the owner was nice and easy! Plenty of places to visit in the surrounding area, and its big enough for you to stay in and chill out. We managed to do sky watching during our stay, we saw shooting stars and the Milky-way! This was really an additional to our holiday! My hubby and I get to stay at the Annex, it is not linked to the main barn, but not far away! Its good to have our own little space with quiet and peace. Most of beds are really comfortable. One thing I need to mention is that we were not left enough coffee capsules, only 10. Yes, there are some instant coffee sachets, could be nice to supply more capsules, at least one per person per day. Nor enough dish washer tablets, or washing machine detergent supplied. They are minor, but would be perfect if we would not have to buy our own.

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• Donna - Verified booking

  This is a beautiful place to stay and would definitely appreciate finer attention to detail for it to be totally on point.

  Small things like curtains and blinds. These do not close properly, are thin, old fashioned, hanging on cheap, flimsy poles and curtain rings, which impact hugely on the light coming through. The bathroom is very dated, so lots of engrained limescale which then appears unclean. The main bed is very comfy but needs some attention cos it creeks a lot. The equipment in the kitchen is ok, but I’ve stayed at places before that have used basic items sold at Dunelm and they are a low cost but quality items, which this accommodation would benefit from. It feels like the home has a lack of love injected into it, yet the building and surroundings are beautiful and the location is great. On a whole I enjoyed my stay, but feel these small, yet important adjustments could really transform the reviews and peoples overall stay.

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