Christmas Cottages in Wales

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Kevin - Verified booking

  Perfect location for us.

  This property is located over the bridge from the main town of Builth Wells very close to the Showground. The local Co-operative/petrol station is within easy walking distance (under 10 mins) and the main town only a little further over the bridge. Lovely park in town which runs along the River Wye. Another nice walk, also along the River Wye, just over the road from the property, behind the church. The house is located right next to a Primary school (used to be the headmaster's home), but other than that, it is away from other properties. Quiet, apart from a little road traffic noise, which died down at night anyway. The property is quite old and has a farmhouse feel, with large kitchen with wood burning stove, stone/wood floorboards and rush type mats. Heating (oil) excellent and we didn't need to use stove at all. Tumble drier is provided (not spin drier as described) and washing machine - both in a little outhouse accessed from a "boot room", the latter being extremely useful for hanging up wet anoraks, rubbing down dogs etc. The garden is quite large with a fairly steep slope and essentially rough grass. It is fenced, although I would not go so far as to call it dog proof, as much of it is post and rail, easily penetrated by smaller dogs. Nice area for doggy games though. Appreciated the little touches, such as the tea and milk provided, and the owner, Philip, was very friendly and lives quite close, so was always available if there were any minor problems or queries. A very enjoyable stay and I would not hesitate to recommend this property to anyone.

  Read more less >

• Janet - Verified booking

  There are a number of issues at this property the most serious being the garden which does not comply with Health and Safety regulations and is not suitable for small children and or elderly/disabled people.

  There is an unprotected edge from the patio level to the garden level below and delaminated paving on the patio which is a trip hazard. The cooker is not fit for purpose as all the number settings are worn away and you are unable to see what temperature you are cooking on (the owner advised me that she was already aware of this) The furniture is very old and tired and there is a strong musty smell in the cottage and in particular in the wardrobes. The only good thing about this property is the view from the garden of Red Wharf Bay I contacted the owner of the property who agreed to refund her part of the booking fee but who now seems to have backtracked on her offer and does not return my messages she also asked me not to take to social media with any negative comments. Sykes have also refused to refund anything at all as they say that the photographs of the garden should have been enough for us to see the drop and felt that they did not need to put a disclaimer on their website. I have sent photographic evidence to Sykes of how dangerous the garden is but have heard nothing back. Clearly they do not care about the safety of their clients. We had to vacate the property after two hours and find alternative accommodation at our own expense with another holiday company (Boltholes & Hideaways, who were exceptionally helpful). We are now almost £1300 out of pocket. This is a warning to anyone thinking of booking this property to steer well clear of it if you have vulnerable/disable people in your party.

  Read more less >

• Beverly - Verified booking

  We’ve just got home after lovely week in this beautiful cottage.

  The layout of the house is perfect, interesting and everyone had their own little space to just be and do what they wanted. Cosy and country style. Views kept us all glued to the back of the house and watching the tide come and go was very peaceful. No other people close by and very private. Rear garden all enclosed so dogs were free range and they spent lots of time out there surfing the breeze. Plenty seating around the cottage which was great. Both baths and showers have really good pressure. The kitchen is a mishmash of wooden drawers and cupboards which took us all week to get used to, it is so well equipped! The middle cupboard under the island had herbs salt pepper etc which we were grateful of. The fire was already made all ready to light and this was the best welcome gift ever! Sheets crisp and clean, beds comfortable and plenty room. Upstairs above the 2nd king bedroom is pretty steep to access, but our 8 yr old loved the rocking chair and desk, lots of space to herself and was happy just chilling up there. It’s all low low ceilings upstairs. I would recommend you take a plug in night light as she found it tricky to navigate her way down in the dark while needing a wee! Utility room has all you need. We fit a camper van and big car no problem on the drive, was easier to reverse on than attempt to reverse off. Ship Inn down the road has most delicious food - make sure you book. We would all like to return to Ty’n Cae and enjoy the peaceful cosy vibe of it again.

  Read more less >

• L - Verified booking

  The cottage was so lovely and relaxing.

  Great garden for the dogs and it was lovely and private with no neighbours overlooking or nearby. The views are priceless and we loved sitting with a coffee in the mornings just looking out over the big windows over the bay. Close to the local pub which is just a short walk away. Be careful if going along the main road though as there's no pavement and as its the only road into the bay, it gets very busy. Can be tricky with dogs and is very dark at night so bring torches. The kitchen was fully stocked with allsorts of gadgets and the living room was so cozy in the evenings. Only a couple of issues in the house itself. There were no facilities for getting ready in the smaller double bedroom. Could really do with a mirror near a plug or a dressing table. The small room above also needs a thicker blind on the windows to stop the sunlight in the morning that hits one side of the bed under the stairs. We drew the existing blind but it didn't block the sun out very much and the guests were woke early. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the break though and we were sad to leave. The bistro and the pub in the bay serve lovely food and there are so many lovely places to visit just a short drive away.

  Read more less >

• Amy Crowther - Verified booking

  We absolutely loved our stay at T’yn Cae.

  The view across the bay and watching the sunrise each morning was extra special. The house was warm, cosy and very welcoming - the owners have done a great job with decorating and furnishings. Would have rated 5* however there were a few things that could be improved for future guests. We were told that there would be a hair dryer provided, however it was not - luckily I had brought my own. Despite this I have to say we were all very impressed with the amount that was provided - just little things like cling film, tin foil etc. Which you wouldn’t think to bring yourself but always comes in useful! In the manual it states that the freezer leaks a little so we needed to shut it carefully. We found even when shutting it carefully it still leaked. The kitchen tap also leaks from the bottom so the bench surface was always quite wet. Despite these little things we still had a throughly enjoyable stay and would love to return to the cottage again - they didn’t detract from our stay. Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful cottage for our Christmas break.

  Read more less >