New Year Cottages in Cornwall

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Nh - Verified booking

  There is no doubt that Penarvon House is a near perfect setting for a holiday.

  Two bedrooms, the main living space and the kitchen have fabulous views across the Helford. And I mean totally fabulous... why go anywhere else when Cornwall is sunny! This was a week-long break for us, our adult children, plus one partner and the mother-in-law, plus two dogs. Oh, and the World Cup was on, so a good space to watch the England games was a must. Sounds stressful, but this was a perfect rental for the group. The living space is huge, with plenty of room for the footie fans at one end, and others to play cards and games etc at the other end... and that's ignoring the Games Room downstairs. The dogs were well enclosed within the garden, and there were some lovely walks nearby, we'd have done more, but our older dog finds hills a bit tough these days. It's a short walk into the village, and also to the ferry for Helford Passage. Frenchmans Creek is also a short walk away. Helford village itself with it's little shop and a delightful cafe (Holy Mackerel) is charming. To be fair, Helford, and particularly Orchard Lane, is a little bit of a challenge for drivers unused to the tiniest of Cornish lanes, but there's also a sense of delight to have grass from the hedgerows brushing both sides of the car! I would recommend hiring a boat (if you're not a sailor) from Sailaway - they operate from the jetty by the pedestrian ferry, but make sure you ring to book in advance. It was a really fun day, and even the wobbly mother-in-law managed it. Another recommendation is the New Yard restaurant at Trelowarren... locally sourced ingredients in season - delicious. Penarvon House is very much the upper end of the rental market, hence the slight niggles, I'm afraid. Towels were included, but we were only left with the bare minimum number, and there weren't any hand towels left for the ground floor toilet, the utility room or the kitchen; and we were left with no tea-towels at all. It felt a bit odd to make do with a large bath sheet instead. Lovely as it is to have fabulous east facing views from the two main bedrooms, they also get a LOT of light through in the early morning. If it were my property I would ensure that the blind in the master bedroom and the curtains in the lower bedroom were effective at blocking the light. The fact that we found a sleep mask downstairs indicates that others have had the same issue. The worst problem though, I felt, was the difficulty we had making the toilet in the master ensuite flush - you had to keep pressing and pressing the button over and over again to get it to respond. It wasn't electric, but it was extremely reluctant. I also think the cracked floor tiles throughout the property slightly spoil the luxury edge. Sorry to have the niggles, but overall we had a lovely and very relaxing week.

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• Sandra - Verified booking

  Just returned from a week at Pound Rocks.

  What a super place to stay, just around the corner from the main street but quiet and private. Spacious and a great mix of traditional and modern. Modern where it is really appreciated (Kitchen and bathroom) with traditional features such as the hallway tiles and doorknobs adding character and charm. Very well equipped, with everything you would need to cook and clear up with too. We ate out quite a lot but it was nice to know everything was there if we wanted to cook. Also do read the information book, the instructions for every appliance are there, along with quite a few guides to local attractions. The water in the shower was hot, could have done with being just a little cooler but couldn't work out how to achieve that but great to have the option of a very deep bath or a shower. The garden is charming and is bigger than the photo's suggest, the rear garden is completely escape proof so the dog can have a run around while you stay dry in the conservatory. Sadly the weather was a little cool to get the most out of the conservatory but I would imagine it's great in warmer months. The only thing we had difficulty with was the sofa. Stylish and comfortable but a little low. The first time I sat on it I sank into the comfort but was like an overturned beetle getting back up - my husband rescued me otherwise I might still have been there. The beds are very comfortable and good quality bed linen and towels are included. A few thoughtful extra's were found and enjoyed. I wouldn't hesitate to return to Pound Rocks and would strongly recommend this accommodation to all.

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• Ross - Verified booking

  The House. the Views and the Surroundings were fantastic!

  Getting in was a major problem as the paperwork said about a key on a hook, not in a new key box!. Getting hold of someone to give us a code (both Sykes and the Cleaner were chased) took nearly two hours and it was pouring with rain, not a good start, we were told this was because Sykes had not up rated their website. NOTE: Sykes, there is no way to contact anyone other than sales and they were not very helpful. We got in to a house smelling of major sewer spill down stairs in the main bedroom and had to pour a bottle of bleach down the shower drain to remove it, this did come back twice more, very unpleasant. We hovered up some pop corn in the main room on the first day and cleaned the moldy shower in the down stairs in the main bedroom as much as we could, it was unpleasant. The house and fittings were tired but acceptable ( the pool ques had no tips or were bent so not able to use) We had a house in port Issac last year similar in size and price which was immaculate and I am basing my feedback on this and the feed back to them was very good. Lastly I don't like the constant monetary threats that seemed to be part of this hire (£100 per half hour of not leaving on time) etc. Will I get a £100 per half hour for the time I had to wait to get in? I don't think so! The fact you are asked to take the sheets off to save the cleaners time. You should pay the cleaners more maybe? Otherwise the family had a very good time but could have been even better! and less stressful. Regards Ross

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• Dawn - Verified booking

  We have just returned from a 2 week holiday staying at Pound Rocks.

  Our positive feedback is: Ideally situated to walk into the village with its many shops and places to eat. The bungalow was very comfortable, spacious and had all the home comforts. The bathroom is stunning and has a wonderful shower, a lovely bath and there was always plenty of hot water. Our negative feedback is: We unfortunately had an issue with the garden. We overlooked the unkept lawn which had not been mowed for some time and it did not affect being able to sit out in the garden. On the first Monday we were there, our 6 month old mischievous retriever managed to escape from the garden. We went into total panic, called her a few times, no response, so we started to walk to the area at the back of the bungalow. Luckily we received a phone call from a lovely gentleman who had found our dog sat in his porch! We had a look at where she had escaped and even though the gap is behind shrubs, there is a large area where dogs or toddlers could get out. As any parent or loving pet owner knows, you only have to turn your back for a second and they are gone! I am sure that in time the fence will be repaired, but unfortunately for us, we were constantly chasing to get it repaired, were told a few times that someone was coming to repair it but it never happened. We are very disappointed that this was not taken more seriously, but have been told by Sykes Cottages that the owner is aware of the situation and it will be rectified for future guests.

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• Dawne - Verified booking

  We thoroughly enjoyed our week at Penarvon House.

  Having not visited Cornwall prior to this week, we could not have picked a better spot to drink it all in. The views from the patio are spectacular and the charm and convenience of the little village of Helford down the hillside were exactly what we were seeking. Our only hitches were that the Welcome Email from Sykes did not specify the combination code for the key in the lockbox. We had a mild panic but after a few calls were able to sort it out with the housekeeper. The second hitch was we misinterpreted the description of the bedrooms being on the main level. They are not. We improvised and fashioned a bedroom for my mobility challenged mother in the laundry room and were able to wheel her down the yard and around to the lower level to shower, so it worked out. Just for future information if someone is not able to do any stairs, this is not the home for you. Again the experience at Penarvon was absolutely wonderful and I highly recommend it if you plan to cook any of your meals (which you will if you stay here because the Kitchen is absolutely wonderful!) I've never stayed in a vacation home with a better stocked kitchen which literally had EVERY tool, pan, knife, serving dish, etc. we needed. This is a 5 Star vacation home and I can't recommend it highly enough!

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