Your Dream Large Cottages in Cornwall

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Joanne - Verified booking

  Read the reviews before you book!

  Elfin Cottage is a charming little property in a very handy, central location in Porthleven. Set back from the harbour (no view) with a small enclosed garden. Sadly we experienced most of the ‘issues’ previously detailed in the reviews left in the last 12 months or so…these include: • kitchen is tired and the provision is poor. We had to clean items taken out of the cupboards, which smelled damp and some of which had been put back dirty. The initial smell of bleach as we entered the cottage was overwhelming. The oven cut out twice which resulted in a 20 min meal taking over an hour - possibly due to a restriction on electric? Or a faulty thermostat? Difficult to see how this kitchen can cater for 6 people. The cooker hood needs a really good clean - the grease filters are filthy and it’s incredibly noisy! • water pressure and shower facilities were pretty poor. The shower cut out while showering a couple of times and dripped constantly. Both bathrooms have tiny, rusty towel rails which seemed pretty inadequate. • the garden is pretty neglected (the lovely rose bush in the photo at the front of the cottage is now dead) and needs quite a bit of tlc. Although there was a washing line (whirly gig) there was nowhere obvious to put it - it was also rusty. Fortunately hubby is resourceful and strung up a washing line! Thank goodness we didn’t have wetsuits to dry! We were also really concerned when our dog found a flat dead rat in the garden - although we do appreciate it could have been brought in by a cat or a bird? • There were a couple of safety bars missing from the windows (which could have done with a good clean). • there appear to be no recycling facilities available (apparently a requirement of the local authority?). With some TLC and a bit of investment this could be a delightful little cottage and I hope this feedback is acted on as-well as providing others with information we wish we had digested before booking (this is our only family holiday this year and we felt it was a lot to pay for what we got!) Having said all of the above, it is a beautiful area with lots to explore. Lovely shops, bars and restaurants. The Cornish welcome was very warm wherever we went - we will definitely be back to visit the area!

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• Nigel - Verified booking

  The following extract is from a letter sent to Sykes Cottages on 18/9/23: to date (14/11/23) I have heard nothing, not even an acknowledgement.

  ..Having hoped for a peaceful and restful holiday in a Cornish cottage, I am sorry to advise that the lasting memory from our stay in Elfin Cottage will be the barking and howling of two black Labrador dogs from the cottage opposite (Kyldenna?) which occurred constantly throughout the week. The situation reached a climax on Thursday 14th September when it appeared to us that the two dogs had been left unattended overnight and were barking and howling continuously throughout the night; I have video footage taken at 06:37 Friday morning as an example of the situation which we found distressing from an animal welfare perspective and had seriously disturbed our sleep. It would seem that our concerns were not alone as the matter had been reported by someone to the RSPCA. Whilst packing up on Saturday morning at 09:30, I noticed a local RSPCA Officer speaking with a gentleman at the front door of the neighbouring cottage (Salvay?). I have just spoken with the RSPCA national helpline and understand that the situation on Thursday/Friday had been reported to them locally, that a case had been opened and an Officer had been sent (presumably the lady RSPCA Officer I noticed on Saturday morning?) to investigate the situation. Whilst the RSPCA was not in a position, due to Data Protection, to give me the case reference number and any update, the ‘Call Handler’ I spoke with a moment ago was able to share the above general information with me....I have just posted a 2nd letter to Sykes Cottages asking that my comments be treated as a formal complaint under the Complaint's Policy.

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• Craig - Verified booking

  This was booked as a 'dog friendly' cottage.

  Upon arrival we noted that dogs were not allowed on furniture or upstairs, not very dog friendly. The cottage was difficult to find once nearby as the final directions weren't clear enough. Whilst it was reasonably clean, the kitchen was dated and had chipped worksurfaces. There was insufficient room for 6 people to dine or sit comfortably yet this was listed as a 6 berth cottage. The wheelie bin in the front garden was full and overflowing with additional bags of rubbish on the floor. These were pulled apart by birds. Not a very good look for us when we arrived. They didn't get removed until halfway through the week so we had to put up with the noise if the bags being ransacked. There was insufficient crockery or small glasses for 6 people. All of it was bits and pieces cobbled together from old sets which didn't look very nice. The smell of the plug in air fresheners was overwhelming upon arrival which meant we had to open windows & doors to get rid of the smell. Two of the bedrooms unbelievably had their windows wired shut. This represented a huge safety risk in the event of a fire. Although we didn't need to use it during our stay, the woodburner was dirty and needed to have the glass thoroughly cleaned. Providing logs for visitors would have been a nice touch but there weren't any. Ending on a positive note, it is a beautiful area and the 'welcome pack' of scones, cream, jam, biscuits etc was a nice touch.

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• Angela - Verified booking

  The cottage was generally dirty and smelled of 'dog' which to some extent was expected.

  However, we arrived early evening after a long journey and had to wash crockery and cutlery and clean the teapot. The freezer is in dire need of a defrost. The washing machine drawer was clogged up with crusted powder. I had to vacuum the place because of dog hairs which were also on the carpets (in clumps) upstairs in the bedrooms even though the cottage file requests no pest upstairs. There were also pet hairs attached to the duvet cover. The brushes on Henry (the vaccum cleaner) were worn down to the metal so were of little use. I vacuumed the sofa cushions as they had crumbs and sand in the seams (but didn't dare lift them in case there was further filth to view beneath) The bases of the uplighters were filthy. My husband cleaned the top of the fridge and found the same filth. One drinking glass had a crack in it. Unfortunately the photos in your catalogue are deceiving. There was limited information in the cottage file. It seems that this cottage has not had an inspection for a while. Porthleven is a lovely holiday destination spoiled by the lack of cottage cleanliness which as you can see was extremely disappointing considering the price we paid. We have photographic evidence of our discoveries. Please contact me for further information as I am unable to contact you via the telephone number displayed in your email.

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• Sascha - Verified booking

  We stayed here for a week and really enjoyed our trip.

  Having been to Cornwall for the first time we were surprised by the beauty of the landscape in this are. We had the most wonderful stay at Raven Cottage and highly recommend it. Everything was perfect from start to finish. The house was clean upon arrival, creating an immediate sense of comfort and relaxation. The beds were incredibly comfortable, ensuring a good night's sleep. After coming back from our daily trips to beautiful places we were more than happy to enjoy the evening in the winter garden with this stunning view. We will surely miss sitting here and watching endless waters and seagulls right in front of our (temporary) home. The kitchen was another highlight of our stay. It was fully equipped with everything one could possibly need to prepare meals, from pots and pans to utensils and appliances. Overall, Raven Cottage provided the perfect setting for a peaceful and enjoyable getaway. The attention to detail in every aspect of the house made our stay truly exceptional. We would not hesitate to return and strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable and well-appointed place to stay. Thank you for making our trip so memorable!

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