Large Cottages in Thorpeness with Hot Tubs

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Karen - Verified booking

  My husband and I (plus our dog) enjoyed our stay at Fishpond House.

  It's comfortable, spacious and tastefully decorated. It's also in a beautiful setting, 'away from it all' but within easy reach of all the pretty Suffolk towns and villages worthy of a visit. The house itself is well equipped and the hot tub is a luxurious treat after a day of exploring the area. One thing I would say to anyone wishing to bring their dog is that you must be prepared to have him or her on a lead within the immediate grounds of the house as the whole area is open to neighbouring fields and meadows, some of which contain livestock. We were OK with this as our dog was pretty worn out from all the long walks each day. He was happy with a quick lead-visit to the garden for his bed-time ablutions, and we secured him to a sturdy post when we were in the hot tub. I'm really not sure what he made of the visiting turkeys and the peacock through the patio windows, but it was another reason he would only be allowed outside on a lead. I was quite surprised at how brave the turkeys are. In fact, they seem very comfortable in human company. I had the honour of some close-up chit-chat with them outside. My husband wasn't so keen, though. He couldn't understand how I could be so comfortable in their company! Proves we're all different! On the last day, on loading the car to depart, we'd left the front door open to come back and forth for bags, etc. Imagine the gasps of shock from the non-bird fancier when he discovered one of the turkeys had come inside the house to check we were leaving the place clan and tidy! This was followed by much hilarity as we tried to shoo her out!!! Thank goodness the dog was already locked in the car before this happened! The only thing missing for me was a dressing table mirror in the master bedroom. There was a big wall mirror behind the bathtub, but I prefer to sit down at a proper dressing table. I borrowed a chair from the desk on the landing so I could sit and dry my hair, do my make-up, etc. at the table near the window. It wasn't very easy with my small hand-held mirror, but I managed. We presumed the Freeview TV would give us all the normal TV channels but all we could get was on-demand programmes from BBC I-Player, etc. and Netflix. If it was something we were doing wrong, perhaps some instructions for future guests might be a good idea. All in all, though, we had a relaxing stay and would happily book again.

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• Beverly - Verified booking

  This is, no doubt, a lovely cottage and was spotlessly clean inside.

  However, we found attention to simple detail disappointing in the following areas. 1. The TV was found not to be connected to Freeview, and it took a few hours to find out why. The aerial amplifier, hidden away in the electrical cupboard, was switched off and, judging by a comment in the guest book, had been like this for some time. The TV has now been re-tuned and left like this for future guests. 2. The microwave oven is impossibly complicated. Could not find a manual for it either in the cottage or online. We got it going eventually but not sure how we did it! The oven was a little easier to understand but a manual here would have been appreciated. 3. The twin socket in the kitchen where the toaster is plugged in was loose. 4. The toilet roll holder in the downstairs toilet is either not fitted correctly or broken, causing the roll to fall off and on to the floor. 5. The extractor fan in the downstairs toilet was blocked inside and outside making it ineffective. We have cleared all of the detritus blocking up the inside, and have partially cleared the mesh on the outside. It now works a lot better than how we found it. 6. The pull-switch on the extractor fan in the kitchen does not turn the fan off. This is achieved (if you have very long arms) by switching off the isolation switch above it. 7. Three of the hot tub cover securing clips were broken. This does not meet with the safety rules that have been documented in the cottage manual. 8. The black anti-slip pads on the decking outside the door and outside the downstairs bedroom doors, and also two of the chairs outside, were disgustingly and liberally covered in bird poo. I realize this can happen in the country, but this mess had obviously been there for a long time. I hope the fact that we took the time to clean up this horrible mess meets with your approval! Pictures of "before and after" most of the above are available if you wish.... Not sure if you want this feedback published... I've answered yes, but it's up to you.... In case you're wondering, none of the above ruined our stay at Fishponds.... we had a lovely time thankyou.

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• Julia - Verified booking

  I feel it is important to mention that we traveled as a family with two dogs.

  It is a lovely cottage but we have mixed feelings about some aspects of our stay. The property is a gorgeous two-story house, clean and cozy but encapsulated in privately owned farms so there are no pathways, no walking routes, and no fields to take your pets for a walk. The location is fairly quiet and almost tranquil as you might not see a single human for a whole day but you will see some free-roaming birds and let me say that those buggers are a loud bunch. We were woken up every morning around 5 am by pheasants and peacock shouting on the top of their lungs, one big bird was constantly knocking on second-floor window and waking up our daughter :) As already mentioned - there isn't anything around the property but there are quite a few large shops 20 min away, as well as a beach, nature reserve, smaller towns and farm shops. Also, please bear in mind that even though towels are included, you are not allowed to use them at the hot tub and should bring your own which I don't recall reading on the listing. Overall, there are quite a lot of rules you need to follow and some felt like overstretch but I won't comment on them. One thing, we were definitely perplexed is the selection of art on the walls as it is very peculiar and unusual ranging from 19th century engraving Marriage a la Mode to some aliens, butterfly spine and many more. Lastly, I would like to suggest to the owners to consider buying some kitchen essentials for guests to use as I can't imagine anyone bringing foil and cling film to their vacation.

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• Mrs King - Verified booking

  Vine Cottage is just what we hoped it would be. It’s large enough for all eleven of us ( eight adults, two children and a baby) plus two Labradors, to be together. Both the house and the garden are well equipped. We loved the hot tub. In the house we really appreciated having two fully equipped kitchens, including two fridge freezers and two dishwashers. The dining area was big enough for us all to eat together. There are two sitting rooms so one turned into a play room. The bedrooms were clean and attractive. The beds were comfortable. A great advantage, because of the children and dogs, was that upstairs is accessed by stairs with doors that can be closed. It’s just a stone’s throw from beautiful Walberswick beach, with its crabbing bridges. On the green there is a small play park for the little ones and several shops just a stroll away. We ate at The Anchor and the cafe, which were both enjoyable. A high spot was the ferry across the river to Southwold where we ate at the Harbour Inn and strolled into the town, returning along the beach. We thoroughly recommend Vine Cottage for a delightful break.

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• Clare - Verified booking

  As other people have said , beds need mattress toppers .

  Single beds are too narrow for adults. No ice cubes tray in freezer. No washing pods for washing machine. No extra bin bags. Deck and windows needed cleaning. Oven needs an extra tray. One of the trays was dirty so I scrubbed that - also oven not 100% clean. The downstairs bathroom began to smell of urine on the floor- not caused by anyone in our group as we were all women. The floor needs to be scrubbed very thoroughly and the tiles need to be sealed to prevent this from happening again. So note to owners- your house keepers are letting you down. We also arrived very late at night- it would be helpful for a larger floodlight to illuminate the car parking space Positives- love the house and location . Love the hot tub and log burner.

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