Large Cottages in the Cotswolds

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Rebecca - Verified booking

  We unfortunately booked Eastnor for a weeks break with my parents and my two children aged 2.

  5years and 8 months respectively. We were very disappointed for several reasons. The property stinks of dog and the floor was covered in dog hairs. The sofa in the living area was smelly and dingy, and the throw covering it also stunk and made your clothes stink when you sat on it. There were clumps of dog hair on the kitchen floor. Not ideal when you have a curious baby and a toddler in tow. There were rats in the back yard and planks of wood with exposed rusty nails lying about. Again, not ideal with kids around. We arrived on a Friday pm bank holiday so we weren’t able to report out dissatisfaction until the Tuesday, where upon the house was cleaned and a new throw provided for the sofa (other than by calling the emergency number which we didn’t think was justified). So from a cleanliness/health and safety point of view we were not impressed. Onto more practical points particularly relating to having small children. I would not recommend this property for anyone with small children. The stairs are treacherous and my dad did actually slip half way down one flight but luckily caught himself with not a minor injury to his arm. One stair gate was provided for 2 flights of stairs. We had to use it at the top of one flight of stairs in case our toddler wandered in the night, although it wasn’t technically suitable for use at the top of stairs because it creates a trip hazard on an already awkward set of stairs, so the owners might want to consider this if they plan to continue letting the property to families. The travel cot provided had no mattress so I had to co-sleep with our baby and my husband went into the bunk beds with our toddler. The terrace was only safely accessible via the toddlers bedroom (bunk room) so we were unable to make use of it after she went to bed which is when we would have had time to enjoy it. The alternative route onto the terrace via a tiny spiral staircase did not feel safe to us, particularly for my mother who has impaired vision. The property opens out onto one of the Cotswolds busiest A roads so not ideal with kids or for parking/loading and unloading of the car. We were unable to view the most recent feedback prior to booking which would have deterred us from booking our stay- there seems to be a convenient delay in posting negative feedback. We noted that the price of letting this property was slashed to almost half what we paid for the week after we stayed and we suggested that partial compensation might be offered to us to bring our payment online with this ie approx £1500 down to £800, but the owners flatly declined. Sykes have provided awful customer service and we won’t be using them again

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• Carol - Verified booking

  We had a reasonable week but there were a few niggling problems.

  I know we could have reported issues to the management but we were on holiday and didn't want intrusions. The kitchen work surfaces and table were grimy along with some of the crockery. The fridge door is broken so not able to store opened cartons. The fridge also froze the contents of the salad drawer. The microwave was very temperamental as was the cooker. I think the television also needs replacing/upgrading to a smart tv. The wall brackets seemed to be broken so the tv slants downwards. I know a lot of people won't be bothered by not having an up to date tele but they don't have to use it and that's their choice......but for those that do like to view then the facility of stuff like "catch up" should be available in a "high end" property such as this. One last moan.....the en-suite bathroom in the attic bedroom. It's a lovely room but please provide a bit of privacy in the form of a blind for the clear glass window. The attic bedroom can provide a bit of a challenge for the less mobile but at 73 years old I managed the staircase and the low bed. Our 2 grandsons shared the twin room and loved it. My Husband has health issues so he had the 1st floor double bedroom and was happy with it. . On the positive side the building was charming and sympathetically restored with lots of original features. It's a very quiet area as well so not much passing traffic. It's also located in a beautiful part of the country which is central to many other places of interest. . Sadly we probably wouldn't return to this cottage but what doesn't suit us might not be a problem to others. We've rented very many properties over very many years so have a lot of experience in rating. For us we would rate this property as "middle" because there is room for improvement in facilities and cleanliness.You can't alter the layout of the property but despite having a reasonable sleep in the attic bedroom I wouldn't choose to do it again. I've no doubt that younger people wouldn't feel the same way though.......they would probably love it. ;-)

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• Deborah - Verified booking

  We have been before and it was disappointing that more had not been done to make the garden more secure for the dog.

  Also, a shame that more cannot be done about the old barn. However, these are problems that we were aware of and prepared to live with. What was not acceptable was the later check-in time of 6pm to find that the property was less clean than the first time we booked. There were sticky marks on the kitchen floor from previous spillages, which we wiped to find the cloth was black with dirt and the skirting boards were very dusty. We also found, on striping our own beds, that some of the bedding and protectors were stained. It is interesting to note that, although assured in the welcome folder that mattress and pillow protectors are washed between bookings, it was requested that these were left on even though it was requested that we strip the beds. The biggest disappointment still, was that the bed in the upper bedroom was broken. This was only discovered when sleeping on it and it became more like a hammock in the middle of the night. We attempted to fix the problem, which turned out to be loose base supports, but again they moved in the middle of the night. The people sleeping in that bed were leaving a day early so at that point there was little point in calling in maintenance. Either way, it should not have been left in this state for someone to sleep on, surely this would have been known about when the bed was changed last time? It was also noted, on attempting to fix the bed, that underneath was a pile of disused wood and again more dust and dirt. I have photographs if anyone would like them as evidence of the poor state of maintenance. Sadly, we will not be returning next year. It is such a shame these issues have let down what is otherwise a beautiful property that is well equipped and in a lovely location, if only it was cared for properly.

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• Jacqueline - Verified booking

  We hired the cottage for a mini Christmas break.

  2 adults, 3 children. The cottage was plenty big enough for all of us. (Although the living room is probably the 'coziest' for space of an evening) It was clean and warm with everything we could need and we would definitely stay again! The welcome gift was thoughtful and essentials in the fridge and cupboards etc were very gratefully received - Thank you!! It was a perfect location we used it as our base and then explored Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, The Slaughters, Bibury and Blenheim Palace, it was such a beautiful break. Practical things that I'm sure other reviews mention, yes the barn right next to the property isn't pretty, but they are open and honest about it, it's seen in the pictures and if you can just look past it, it shouldn't detract from how great everything else is. Some light bulbs didn't work, some kitchen pieces had a few minor breaks, all of which would probably be rectified if the owners were aware I have no doubt. The only negative comment I have regarding my whole stay was the mattress in the attic room. It is a memory foam mattress and I'm not sure if it has been damaged, or the slats underneath to support are damaged? But I spent my nights sleeping, feeling like I was falling into a definite dip. By the end I had two pillows over the area to level me out, but if this is a permanent issue I can see it would agitate many guests! It is a beautiful home in a gorgeous location!

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• John - Verified booking

  A comfortable and interesting holiday home .

  The house has a great deal of character and the kitchen, in particular, is large and very well equipped. The milk and biscuits provided as a welcome pack were a nice touch. It was very sunny during our stay and the roof terrace was a pleasant place to have an early evening drink and relax at the end of the day. We had a very good break and we hope to return to Eastnor for a longer holiday in the future Plenty to see in and around Moreton- in - Marsh . Many shops, good pubs and restaurants are all within a few minutes walk . There is a supermarket directly opposite the cottage ( but not in an intrusive way) which is also very convenient ( Some previous reviews strike me as harsh - it is not possible to park directly outside to pack/unpack but there is plenty of street parking close by and even with a fair in town during our stay ( taking up a large section of the high street) we could park close to the house whenever we needed to . I've also seen criticism that the stairs are a bit steep - that is correct but it is clearly stated in the property info and in keeping with the character of an old property so not a surprise) Thank you !

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