Self-Catering York Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Julian - Verified booking

  Bathroom unusable due to extreme heat.

  Radiator could not be turned off. Shower was inside bath, so inaccessible for us both as disabled people. We washed in the kitchen sink. Many problems getting TV to work. Table and chairs in small back garden adjacent to gas extractor fan making it impossible to sit outside. Floors creaky and noisy. Steps up into and out from property steep and with no hand rails, difficult to manage. External ground mix of gravel and irregular paving slabs made getting to and from the car very difficult. The cottage appeared from the published description to be cosy and ideal for our needs, but on arrival it was apparent that the owner was not fully conversant with how things worked and had not properly prepared for our arrival. We were told, for instance, that radio was available throughout, but the owner could not explain how it worked, so we did not use it. We kept the central heating switched on throughout, as it was unclear how it could be turned on again if we turned it off. The thermostats in every room were difficult to regulate, so were either boiled alive or had no warmth at all. There was scant guidance provided on most things in the folder provided. There was very little storage space for our dry groceries, so they were mostly left on tables and work surfaces. We never went upstairs ourselves, but we gather from a friend who did so, that it was like an oven with no windows and the sun burning through the roof light. The cottage was well equipped and decorated, but more attention should have been given to detail and thought given to the overall holiday experience. When we hire a cottage, we expect not to have to keep asking for help and for the owner to have got everything working so that our holiday experience is stress free and without complication. The location was ideal for us, but I'm afraid we would neither wish to use the cottage again or recommend it to friends.

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• Margaret - Verified booking

  Damson Croft September 2023 This was our sixth visit to Damson Croft and once again it did not disappoint.

  It is always clean, bright and warm and has everything you need for a quiet, comfortable break away from home. It seems to be one of the dwindling number of cottages for couples or small families who want to spend time together and not as a large party of folk. This time we spent a day at Rievaulx Abbey and one at the Yorkshire Air Museum. Our Whitby trip was to beautiful Pannett Park and museum, finishing off with a visit to the café with an indulgent snack! If you go to the park, remember to take something for the squirrels! We spent one day in Lastingham and visited St. Mary’s church and church yard; the village itself is well worth a walk around, especially early in the year when the lambs are about and if you like photography there are many places to shoot. On our return to Damson Croft we walked around the owners' wonderful garden and disturbed the fluffy chickens! Helmsley (about 14 miles away) is also worth exploring, with many small shops but be aware that Friday is market day and parking is limited to the main long stay car park near to the castle (so get there early). For breakfast or a snack, check out Barkers Café Bar just off the market square. Many thanks to Patsie and Rob (who are excellent hosts) for their kindness and concern when we had car exhaust problems (but we got home safely); and one of the first things we did was to book our 2024 stay at Damson Croft.

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• Ian James Thomas - Verified booking

  This is a lovely property in a great location for the city.

  There are two problems, though: heating and hot water. It's a room on the second floor and in the roof and has sash windows, so even with the radiators on full it struggles to stay warm on a cold day. The hot water is provided by a small electric boiler which simply isn't reliable or powerful enough. On the first night it didn't work at all so we couldn't wash up or have a bath. We had a rather strange conversation with the owner late that evening when we rang to find out how to get hot water. She first insisted it was working (when it wasn't), then suggested we leave it 10 minutes and it would work (it didn't) and then after we complained further suggested we pack up and leave! Ten minutes later she rang asking to start the conversation again, the upshot of which was that we were "being picky" to expect hot water in a flat that was so well-priced for its location. We resorted to using the electric shower, which has a thermostat problem such that the water is either extremely hot or cold. On the second day, the hot water started working (no idea why), but the size of the heater means it's impossible to have a bath. All in all, although it's a lovely property in a great location, we couldn't recommend it because of the hot water situation, the heating (in winter) and the rude approach of the owner to a reasonable question of how to work the hot water.

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• Trudy - Verified booking

  Ideally located just a short walk from York Minster.

  Allocated parking space makes a big difference and proximity to local supermarket is useful for stocking up on supplies. The apartment is small but works well for a couple or single person - like a hotel room with a kitchen. Very clean and lovely communal areas with very little noise from other residents. Hot water can be a little erratic starting hot and going cold after a short while, but as it was very hot summer days, colder washing wasn’t an issue. Would recommend taking a fan with you if weather very hot as it can get muggy at night, but can leave windows open. I would imagine the older windows may struggle to keep heat in during winter though. Bed is very soft so if you have back issues and need more support then it may not be ideal, but the bedding was clean and although the duvet wasn’t needed, it was quite thick to keep you warm if colder weather. Kitchen facilities are fine and little touches like toiletries in the bathroom and Prosecco and chocolates to welcome you are lovely. Key and entry instructions are clear, although keys were in slightly different location within the post box, but we found them with a bit of searching. Overall, if you stay in summer and don’t need much room, then this apartment is perfect for exploring York.

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• Annette - Verified booking

  Nice little apartment just out side the wall.

  Location is great, apartment was spotlessly clean. Easy arrival and departure. Has everything you need equipment wise for a good stay. Bottle of presseco was lovely surprise. Did message the owner a few times, they always responded quickly. Which was great. A few things would improve the stay. The apartment is quite cold. And we stayed on a warm weekend for the time of year. Kept the heating on the whole visit and the little fire in the evenings on our return. But still cold. I appreciate double glazing is not possible but decent thick curtains would help. There is quite a draft coming through the windows. The curtains don't fit properly and are thin as sheets so light is coming through from sunrise and stops no drafts. The shower isn't great unfortunately, pressure is poor and goes hot/cold. Lastly we found the bed awful. I am mindful that it is quite a personal thing. But for us it was very lumpy and super soft. These are little things that i felt would definitely of made it a more enjoyable stay. It was nice Little place just needs a few little adjustments to make it perfect.

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