School Holidays 2017 Cottages In Kingsbridge

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Dan - Verified booking

  On the whole the property is a characterful, beautiful and historic cottage, it has ample outside space and the setting is fantastic.

  Unfortunately on arrival, we thought that the property was not cleaned to an acceptable standard. Whilst areas had been cleaned, much of the homes carpets and upholstery were not clean, dusty corners, cobwebs, and just a general feeling of uncleanliness was evident throughout all rooms, the kitchen floor in need of a scrub and polish, in addition to a lingering odour that bestows homes of dusty and slightly dirty nature. At 6pm following a full days travelling, we really did not intend to contact the holiday agent to commence a dispute, so we spent the first hour of our holiday hoovering and cleaning. We are practical and down to earth people, so it wasn't the end of the world to us. However, with a baby who would be crawling on the floors we needed to get it sorted there and then. We called into the Salcombe agents office for the property to inform them as we were passing by. We are not expecting action, we were just informing them of our experience. They suggested that we should have contacted them straight away and sent photos so that they could send cleaners out. This just wouldn't have been workable at 6pm on a Friday evening when we are knackered and need to get the kids down. Sending cleaners for a quick spruce up wouldn't have helped much, it's not necessarily the regular cleaning, but that the property needs a serious deep clean, the vac is a 25 year old Henry, so unless there's some emotional attachment to it, he probably needs replacing. The only mattress that seems fit for purpose is a single in the middle room, the rest, along with the pillows have the ability to reshape your back and neck into arrangements only a qualified chiropractor can sort out. A special mention to the fridge, whose noise became so loud at one point we thought it might be trying to communicate. A minor issue. Many areas were good however, the new cooker and hob were fantastic. The Amazon TV stick worked great for the kids. The single child's room decor was really fun. The house is of an age where you expect the quirks, and much of the decor fits well with that character and helps you disconnect from life back home. A side note, the nearest pub didn't do any food, although was welcoming. The Royal Oak further round was pretty bad, the bar lady served me whilst on her phone, empty glasses littered the place, with areas caked in dust. I love a dive bar now and again but this place took to a new level. We had fantastic weather with some brilliant visits to local villages and towns. We've made some wonderful memories and the cottage played a good part in that. The areas mentioned let it down, so I'm not sure we would return. I think the areas mentioned are fairly easy to address though.

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• Donna - Verified booking

  We arrived to ocean view and yes the views are incredible.

  However we were a little disappointed by the cleanliness of the property for the money we had paid. Firstly, all carpets need a deep clean. We have a baby and allowing her to crawl about wasn't hygienic in the bedrooms. The lock on the bathroom door doesn’t work. The tap in the kitchen leaks. The patio hadn't been cleaned or swept in years and we had to clean broken glass and cigarette ends up before we could use it. After we stripped the beds on Friday, our leaving day we were shocked to see the state of the beds. Staining was evident everywhere. I have taken a picture of one bed as it had a used incontinence pad under the sheet and my mother had been sleeping on it all week unaware. The fact that this was still on the bed from a previous guest means that the sheets clearly were not changed once they had left, or the cleaner had made a conscious decision to leave a used incontinence pad on the bed. There was years worth of dust and cobwebs behind the head boards in all bedrooms which became apartment when trying to retrieve a baby’s toy. The seat cushions around the table need a good clean as they are all dirty. Mould was prevalent in the grout and non-slip mats in the en-suite and main bathroom. In general the entire house could do with a proper deep clean or the owners should seriously consider lowering the price of staying here. We have stayed in hopecove many times before (Every year for the last 16 years) and thus have stayed in many rental properties and can safely say that despite being one of the most expensive properties to rent in Hope Cove it certainly does not provide value for money in its current state. We have always had an information book in every property we have stayed in, however we didn’t have one specific to this property this time so therefore had no idea what to do with rubbish and how to separate the recycling etc. The patio furniture is dated and broken with the cushions to practically all the furniture dirty and covered in dog hair. A dangerously rusty parasol base was provided but no parasol? We were very lucky with the weather so spent most days outside of the property and overall we did have a nice time. Its definitely one of the best properties in hope cove for parking, location and views, the whole house just needs a really deep clean and a little updating. Either that or the owners really should consider reducing the price to bring the expectations of visitors in-line with the reality of the property.

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• Jill - Verified booking

  We had a wonderful holiday.

  The apartment was lovely, as usual, and we were very lucky to have fantastic weather which meant we could make the most of the beach and the swimming pool. The new carpets in the bedrooms are very nice and it is convenient to have towels provided now. We did have some issues (some of which others have mentioned too): The washing machine had A LOT of black mould in it. The powder drawer and slot it fits into were covered in mould, as was the seal. It took me a very long time to clean it up before the machine could be used. I realise this is partly due to the flat being unoccupied at times but, perhaps the owners could leave a note to remind people to leave the drawer and door open? The fitted sheet for the double bed was too small and kept coming off. The trays in the oven were all very dirty with bits of food on them -we had to clean them all. The oven gloves were so dirty that I had to soak them before washing them. I realise that some of the issues are due to people not cleaning up after themselves, and that cleaners have limited time, but my general impression is that cleaning is not as good now that Sykes has taken over the company. We have been going to No 7 since 2011 and the standard of cleaning does seem to have deteriorated. We love the apartment, with a few minor tweaks it would be perfect!

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• Emma - Verified booking

  Good points The location of this property is excellent, extremely handy for the beaches and the local cafes / restaurants.

  The place was very clean on arrival and the kitchen was well equipped. Bad points There is no parking on site, which we were aware of, and there is a car park you can use nearby. However, it tells you there is a drop off point for bags - this is not true. There is a lane behind which is completely unaccessible from the top as the hotel have blocked it. Access from the bottom is impossible for a large car, and having spoken with a local cleaner they actually have to reverse up the very steep lane (they have a mini) Having 3 children and a car full of stuff, not being able to unload / load was extremely frustrating, especially when we arrived in the rain. We also damaged our car as we attempted to go up the lane until realising it wasn't possible. The whole situation was avoidable if the listing had been honest - we certainly wouldn't have booked anywhere where we couldn't unload close by. The cottage itself doesn't have any sound insulation and you can hear everything below and to the right of you so not good if you have children / light sleepers. The living space is very cramped with a table squeezed into the kitchen space and not enough seating in the lounge. All in all we left a bit disappointed about the accommodation, particularly when we'd spent so much money.

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• Vikki - Verified booking

  Do not stay here!

  !! (Have they all gone?) good. Because this is by far one of the loveliest cottages I have stayed in. The beds are the comfiest I have slept in, the cottage was clean and welcoming. Obviously the hi-light was watching the waves crash, the surfers surf and the sea in all its stages from the comfort of an arm chair, or with a glass of wine on the patio. This cottage is a family home, with all the comforts that allows; including gadgets, kitchenware and artwork. This just makes it more welcoming. To cover some other points: The cooker is tricky, but because it’s aimed to keep you safe, not faulty. Just keep your finger on the standby button to activate. The Hope and Anchor in the village is lovely, food, drinks, view and service. The staff are lovely. The Cove has a lady who is front of house, she is more aggressive than is necessary in a small restaurant. But the food lovely so duck and cover and enjoy! The Hotel is charming and the cocktails are very nice. Be warned the village shop is basic and expensive, which is a shame as it could be a goldmine, the staff again are lovely. So if you did read past the first line and have uncovered the secret that is Ocean View, I am sure you will have a wonderful time. We certainly did.

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