Large Cottages in Dorset for Group Holidays

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Kate - Verified booking

  The Lodge is a lovely quaint little seasidey cottage, the views out the back are wonderful and the property is stocked with most things we needed.

  The welcome pack was a nice touch and very much appreciated after a long drive. The property's proximity to Lyme Regis centre is great as it was just a short walk to the restaurants, shops and beach. However, for the price we paid our expectations were higher so I'm afraid we left a little disappointed. There were aspects of the property which were in poor condition (damaged walls, broken window catches, stains on the carpets, stains on the grout in the bathrooms). On first glance it appeared clean, but we moved the footstool in the living room and found dirty tissues and other rubbish underneath, many areas were dusty, and handrails and light switches were grubby. I think the listing should also mention that the property may not be suitable for those with limited mobility. Not only is it on a steep hill, but the stairs are steep, winding and uneven. The ensuite in the double bedroom is tiny and I suspect that a larger individual would struggle to get in and out the shower and move about, probably something that should also be mentioned in the details. The details mention the restricted parking which was really helpful, but unfortunately the neighbour kept parking in one of our allocated spaces which made things even more awkward. We had a few questions before our visit, and Lyme Bay Holiday answered quickly and efficiently through WhatsApp. Unfortunately one of the answers was wrong (yes, they do have a cafetiere (two in fact), we didn't need to bring our own after all), and the W3W address in the pre-arrival information needs to be corrected (it's currently directing you to a location in Trinidad!). We have rented a lot of holiday properties in the past, this was our first with Lyme Bay Holidays. Sadly they wouldn't be my first choice if I were to visit the area again.

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• Linda - Verified booking

  Well appointed house in residential area close to beach.

  It is a 10 minute stroll along prom to the busier part of the beach where you will find the donkeys, small fair rides and a bit further there are more rides and towards the pavillion a larger fair. It's about a 20 minutes walk to the bustling harbour where you will find bars and places to eat. Over the bridge to more eateries and the Brewers Quay. You will find the boat rides this side too. Walking the other way takes you to lovely gardens with a cafe and live music on Sundays. This side is more upmarket and the beach is half pebble and sand. The sea is shallow and calm and perfect for little ones. The house is 3 storey with an exceptionally large bathroom. A lovely big shower enclosure with glass door. The outdoor space is decked with table, chairs and loungers and is a good sun trap. The downstairs shower room and toilet is under the stairs and does have a musty aroma but it is clean although none of us used this shower. The bedrooms vary in size the largest being on the 1st floor which overlooks the street which can be a bit noisy when folk going home. As mentioned in previous reviews the rooms do not have wardrobes, except for top floor where one is on landing. However there are strong rails with plenty of hangers. Unfortunately no drawers in bedrooms on 1st floor only bedside cabinets so tshirts etc either out of case or on floor. There were 6 adults and 1 toddler staying for a fortnight in total and the house suited us well. A bonus was the paid parking in the Swannery car park which is about 10 minutes away. Would recommend you take earplugs though, the dawn chorus if seagulls is very loud.

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• Sarah - Verified booking

  Blythe cottage Location of the house is great for those without a car - walking distance to train station, local beaches, shops, cafes and lots of places to eat out.

  The house is in a quiet area just next to a quiet pebble beach where local swimmers gather. Weymouth beach is busy but nice - they have a fun fair on the beach, nice sand and swimming too. You're able to hire chairs and windbreaks etc quite cheaply. Felt restful and peaceful but also local things to do if you're interested. House is really lovely - nicely decorated with well equipped kitchen for cooking. Recycling is only possible taking it to local centre so probably not viable unless you have car. Bathroom is downstairs. Stairs are all quite narrow and steep so something to bear in mind if you have mobility issues. Would be suitable for couple, group or family but note that one of the bedrooms leads to another if privacy would be an issue. No streaming accounts pre-given on TV but can sign into your own streaming accounts. Nice garden, but with the sea so close by that's definitely the main draw! Couple notes: toilet seat doesn't currently fit so that needs some attention from the owners/management company. Also, couldn't see that there were any summer (low tog) duvets provided (although may have missed them) - didn't affect us as weather wasn't that warm, but in hotter weather other options would be helpful. There is underfloor heating on the ground floor which we had to turn on as it got a bit chilly, but bear in mind if takes about 3-4 hours to heat up and even then it's only in certain areas. There is a gas fire which we couldn't figure out but to be fair we're not super familiar with them. All in all we had a lovely stay!

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• Margaret - Verified booking

  We arrived at the time stated for entry to the property, 4pm.

  We were not expected and a lady was in the premises “cleaning”. She apologised and said she had not been notified of our booking and thought the property was vacant for the week. We had to wait over half an hour before being allowed in. The cleaning left something to be desired, there were dead insects on the window sills and the carpet looked grubby, there was dust in the bedroom. I think the property is in need of a deep clean, skirting boards, ceiling corners etc. We were visiting with a pet but were amazed to see the cottage being cleaned with two dogs in attendance in and out of the premises. There are no facilities for recycling, just the suggestion we travel to Bridport for the recycling centre, think this is a necessity. Only 2 bin bags provided, I do not think we should be expected to provide them. The TV needs updating, very few channels available on freeview, I know this is a minor thing but just thought I’d mention it. Admittedly we may have been spoilt by our previous stays at another property we’ve rented from yourselves, Bridgehouse apartment, which we couldn’t fault in any way. Regardless of these comments we enjoyed our stay, the property is in a good position, you need to inform prospective clients of the summer fair in the field opposite as some might not like the noise especially if they have young children. The kitchen is well equipped, and the size of the cottage is adequate for 5 people.

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• Victoria - Verified booking

  It has been noted in the visitors book for the last 4 years that the fridge is not fit for purpose.

  The bottom drawer is missing, the top freezer part doesn’t work and there are two small shelves that are shallow and you can’t even fit a pizza box in it. Seeing as the house is supposed to accommodate 5 adults there is no way that it is fit for use. As the visitors book only goes back 4 years and this has been a constant issue it really is about time they invest in an appropriate fridge. Inadequate cooking pots and pans for 5 adults. Both tin openers were broken. The oven when put on set the smoke alarm off so had to try and cook with the back door open so when it’s 2 degrees outside was a challenge. Maybe cleaning the oven would have prevented this. One of the bedrooms had no heating and as we rented the property in the winter this was unbearably cold. No hand towels in any toilet or bathroom which would have been helpful when washing hands. Light bulbs were missing in lamps and some main lights the bulbs had blown. The reason we rented the property was because my mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and it was an opportunity for all the family to come together one last time. We had to spend most of the time at the house due to mums illness and needed to cook for her daily which was challenging with what we had available to use. Overall we were disappointed.

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