Romantic Cottages in Wales

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jayne - Verified booking

  A December review states Sea View was closed in November and all issues resolved but they were not.

  I have given the owner every opportunity to resolve this and I held back on posting my review but she hasn't even responded back to me.I contacted Sykes about the poor reviews about Seaview as we were arriving 19th Nov 22 for a very special birthday and due to my health issues we needed to be able to cook in the cottage.We were emailed to assure us that when the cottage was closed the owner would attend to all maintenance issues and check all was ok before we arrived.On arrival we found dirty floors with grit all over in the kitchen and utility. Someone had written in the dirt on the kitchen door window. Almost all kitchen bulbs were not working, there were insufficient pans to cook a meal and no welcome pack or log pack. There were no cleaning materials for us to clean the floors apart from a dirty dish cloth and the tea towels left in the kitchen were stained and dirty. In the lounge we found stains on the carpet and a lamp fitting was broken.In the dining room the blind was broken and radiator TRV was broken and not working. In the conservatory a window closure was broken and left on the sill and someone had tried to secure the window by putting a screw in from the outside but it had not worked so anyone could get in to the house. There was a broken bird on the sill and a glass vase that was broken on one side with a large hole with razor sharp edges which could have sliced a child's hand or arm off. None of the lights above the conservatory worked, neither did the majority of other garden lights. The patio furniture was covered up but the furniture was too dirty to use. The downstairs toilet latch was hanging off and the upstairs ensuite could not be used as it would not drain and was flooding the floor. The macerater toilet was still flushing hot water as you actually sat on the toilet, the tap was loose on the sink and the pop up plug did not work so the sink could not be filled. The heated towel rail was not working. Many of these problems had previously been reported so it was clear that nothing had been done while the cottage was closed apart from fitting a new oven. We had to stay in on our arrival day for the welcome pack to be delivered and for an electrician to come and fit light bulbs in the kitchen as it was too dark to be safely used. We also had to stay in on my birthday which was the next day because they were bringing pans over, and a locksmith had to call out because the entrance door would not lock and also the electrician needed to come back. The outside lighting bulbs were never replaced while we were there and we don't know what work the electrician did because he left without telling us. I had to make numerous calls until late in the evening on both days to get these things attended to and I went without a meal on the Saturday because I was not able to cook without the pans. I was told the delay was because the owner did not want to pay to address the problems and I was originally told I should jam a chair under the door to stop anyone breaking in because Sea View was too remote to get any one out. Eventually after much effort and calls from me someone did come out in the late evening on Saturday and in the day time on Sunday and then later that evening but by then my birthday and my holiday had been ruined and I was in tears. I told Sykes straight away about all the issues and I sent photographs of every fault I have mentioned but you have to be aware that if there are any problems you can only deal with the owner because that is who your contract is with. It is not with Sykes. I don't know how the last reviewer was able to message the owner but Sykes told me this was not possible and I was never able to speak to the owner. There were no contact details left in the cottage so I was only able to deal with Sykes and Coast and Country Holidays. Coast and Country holidays did do their best to help but didn't have the authority. It is a shame that photos can not be attached as I have many which confirm what I have said in this review. Sykes had already been in contact with the owner while we were in the cottage so thinking I would hear back from her I left it a while before I wrote a complaint letter to her and sent the photos. Despite this the owner has never even responded back to me so no apology from her for completely ruining my special holiday. I know my letter was received by the owner because it was signed for by her so it is very disappointing and upsetting that this is her attitude to problems. I would never stay here again.

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• Sophie - Verified booking

  3.5 stars: Initially impressive but sometimes disappointing when you try to do anything practical (e.

  G. cook) The positives: Great location Warm and cosy (mostly - radiator doesn’t seem to be working in twin bedroom) Lovely view from well-maintained garden Superb garden room Well-furnished, tastefully decorated rooms and decent towels Thoughtful touches such as changing area, board games, OS maps provided etc. Useful information file The negatives: Apart from handwash and half-used toilet rolls in each bathroom, little or nothing was provided: no welcome pack; no washing-up liquid (beyond some diluted remnants); no kitchen roll; no cloths or sponges to clean up; not a single dishwasher tablet; not even a few tea bags or small amount of coffee. The owners should try cooking in the kitchen, because it’s extremely challenging. The main obstacle is the barely-functioning oven: it refuses to work if you turn it up beyond 170 degrees C, and inexplicably requires you to start the timer for it to work in the first place. There is one oven temperature: too hot. Only half of the toaster works. No oven gloves. Microwave not tall enough for us to sterilise our baby’s bottles. Listed as four bedrooms, but there are really only three (certainly only three of the upstairs rooms have beds in them). Similarly, the advert indicates that there are three bathrooms, but there are actually two plus a downstairs toilet. Check-out time is inhumanely early at 09:30, especially if you have a six month-old baby. The toilet in the en suite is absurdly loud and often flushed itself as you’re using it, so it’s effectively unusable at night/when you’ve got a young baby sleeping upstairs. Only two food waste bags were provided for the whole week and there was no explanation of how the recycling system works. We put out the bins for collection on Tuesday, which went fine. Some slightly angry men came on Friday morning, looking for waste in orange bags. We noticed the orange bags earlier in the week, but what’s the point in them if everything has been collected three days previously?!

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• Caroline - Verified booking

  This is a perfect place for a relaxing break in beautiful countryside.

  Each of the two cottages has its own small, enclosed garden, but beyond that there are are lovely gardens planted with interesting shrubs and trees and two adjacent fields. There's plenty of space to sit outside and listen to the birds, and it's perfect territory for a dog to roam. Penny and Digby and their two dogs couldn't have been more welcoming. They gave us useful advice on places to visit, and were very quick to sort out a minor problem in our cottage. The welcome basket was a very nice touch, and our dog enjoyed the special treats provided! Upstairs there's a large and bright bedroom, and the bathroom. Downstairs the sitting room and kitchen are quite small and a little dark, but very comfy--fine if you keep things tidy! Everything was very clean and fresh. The bird-feeder outside the window attracts a wide range of birds--and squirrels! Wifi was fine, but turning it off and then on again is occasionally necessary to boost the signal. The Post Office/shop at the bridge, about 5 minutes' drive away (25 minutes' walk) has started offering very good coffee and home-made cakes--highly recommended!

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• Carole - Verified booking

  We have stayed in several cottages and this is by far the best.

  Wonderful location with stunning views from the large garden where furniture, a bbq and fire pit were provided. Ample parking and easy access to the property. The ground floor was spacious with everything you could wish for for a extremely pleasant, comfortable stay. Large kitchen with numerous kitchen appliances provided, a games room, WC, utility area which was useful after a day at the beach or walking. Lovely lounge, nice snug area and a dining area in the large conservatory opening up to the patio area in garden. Upstairs the bedrooms are generous in size with one on-suite and a further large bathroom with bath and shower. The owner was extremely helpful in replying to any questions we had and has given Sea View a very homely feel with some lovely finishes touches and a lot of thought, the generous hamper on arrival was very much appreciated. The area itself is beautiful and we enjoyed days on Newport Beach, exploring the delightful countryside and had a day out at Folly Farm. I have no hesitation in recommending Sea View and will be sure to return. Thank you.

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• John - Verified booking

  Amazing Cottage in West Wales!

  We recently spent 7 nights at Sea View Newport over the Christmas holidays and what a superb property it is too. After reading the reviews we were a little worried about the facilities at the house, but the owner closed the property for 2 weeks in November and resolved all issues. We have stayed at many U.K. properties and this by far is the best, especially with the kitchen being so well equipped. We were advised by Sykes to bring certain items just incase - but we didn’t need for anything. This house has it all! The only thing you need is an oven glove. We messaged Kathryn the owner a few days before getting to the house as it was much easier asking her questions than asking Sykes. Kathryn was super helpful and provided us with all the information we needed about the property and places in Newport to purchase food etc. before we arrived. The owner has thought of everything and made this house a very comfortable place to stay in. Thank you Kathryn for making our stay memorable. We’ll definitely be back again in the future!

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