Richmond Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Thuy - Verified booking

  Positive points - peaceful location, owners responded to my emails promptly and visited quickly.

  Unfortunately - showers were not good, fluctuating temperatures from cold to boiling hot, water pressure poor. Even after a new tap was replaced. Floor in property was sticky and dirty. The property looked like two houses had been knocked into one, however all that was done, was a doorway being created between the two which meant there were two separate parts to the kitchen, no thought given to how the space would work best, layout was very odd and wasn't a nice space to cook in. WiFi only works on one side of the house well. Some of our mobiles could just about get reception in the lounge, others couldn't. Some basic equipment not provided such chopping board, kitchen scissors, drinking glasses (although plenty of pint glasses available), not enough bowls for a 6 bedroom property. Whilst there many tv's in the property (we didn't use ones in the bedrooms), the main one in the lounge is of poor quality. Lots of info provided regarding hot tub but none on essentials like where the switch for cooker is, or booster needs to be switched on for shower. Leaflet on local walks provided gave inaccurate information, we only found this out after attempting to do the walks. Owner then told us not to use the info they provided. Why not just take them out of the folder? In summary, it feels like the minimum effort was put into this holiday let, no care or thought given to customers, did not meet basic requirements, overpriced rental. Not a comfortable stay. I did take the time to email the owner to give feedback on our return, the reply was very disappointing, no apology given, no acknowledgement of poor quality provided, no reassurance that improvements will be made for future customers, just a very short 'thank you for the feedback'.

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• Stephanie - Verified booking

  Really rundown property, lots of issues with cleanliness and broken or damaged furniture including a bed propped up with a plastic container, screws sticking out of the hot tub lid which was also falling apart.

  Very overgrown gardens with insecure gates and very tired and dirty paintwork and bathroom grout. We also discovered a wasps nest on our last night after having an issue with wasps and flies all week. The cleanliness was a bigger issue as due to the pandemic we would have expected more care to be taken and at least some sanitisers or antibacterial spray provided. Two of the toilet seats were loose and the hot water pressure was non existent, the two showers gave a trickle of hot water and the bath we had to keep using the kettle to fill as it was so slow. The property whilst advertised as child friendly was not suitable as it had lots of steps and very slippery surfaces, the highchair provided was very grimy and the stinging nettles in the garden were an issue. Whilst the location of the property was picturesque the information pack left inside the property was outdated and lacking, and half of the advised walks were far too overgrown or in accessible yet not updated in the pack. As a family we made the best of our surroundings and the accommodation but it was a real shame that the property is not better cared for and the basics were not provided particularly during a pandemic and when people have not been able to see their families for such a long time. I hope the owners take this feedback on board as with the money we (and others) have paid I'm sure some of it could be spent on the upkeep of the property. Sykes also need to do their due diligence to ensure that properties are up to a minimum standard and are able to offer the facilities that we customers have paid for. Photos can be provided of the concerns raised in this feedback.

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• Gemma - Verified booking

  The advert says that there is a shop and pub within one mile.

  this is not possible to get to. the nearest village is a 6 mile drive and that's wear the pub and shop are. you cannot walk it with children. the cottage was not very clean on arrival. With sweet rappers and dirty tissues still in draws and socks and old food on the sofa and a grubby fridge and a general grubby kitchen and utensils.The bridges that your advert says you can walk over to get into gainford are all there . infact there are 3 bridges all within 2 miles of eachother. we walked to all 3. non of them are useable. all been blocked off with 8 foot iron fencing and look like they have been for many years so you cannot get to any village by foot.The owners didn't seem to know this but the villagers and farming locals did. the hot tub was nice but didn't have any chlorine tablets in the pot so after 3 days the water was slimey and pond like so therefore unusable after that.The actual place was beautiful. the scenery was stunning. the children liked the sheep ,llamas and cows.lovely to see them when you open the front door. the water pressure is a little low but not a major problem. the kitchen could benefit with a couple more pots and pans but that's all really. We had a lovely holiday and within an hour's drive there is quite a bit to do. I would highly recommended beamish museum . That is a full day out with lots for all ages to enjoy. If you could walk to the shop/pub as advertised and the cottage was cleaner then the holiday would of been amazing.

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• Adam - Verified booking

  Despite the later check in time, it was clear that a Covid deep clean had not been carried out.

  The place was not clean, with cobwebs everywhere, dirty dishes, and a filthy table. We did a lot of cleaning the first day. The hot water system was not great either. Constantly using the boost was the only way to get any, and even then you only get it in one half of the house. Despite there being lots of toilets, only one had an unbroken toilet seat. There were only a couple of them with locks though, and in one bathroom, as the Smiths song goes, there's a light that never goes out. We didn't try the log burner. Broken glass, and parts crumbling away did not give us any confidence. We didn't try the hottub, but next door did, sending smoke and a smell of rotten eggs our way. Also there was a whole folder full of what to do with the hot tub, and including two defunct walks, but no other information. There was nowhere for rubbish, seemingly no food waste area, and local bottle banks appeared to all be removed. Despite this we had a great time, because it's the people not the place. But even though the house is in a wonderful location, we wouldn't go back. It is in dire need of some TLC, and a new cleaning team who understand how to clean. This may be a more affordable option given how astronomical Sykes property prices are going, but it's still very overpriced. This was our third trip with Sykes, and if this passes their quality control, it definitely puts us off going through them again.

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• Angela - Verified booking

  We have had an amazing holiday at The Arches it really will be top of our list of Happy places to visit again very soon.

  The Arches is so spacious but cosy at the same time. We are a family of 6 adults and a 21 month old toddler also we have 3 border terriers but we all had our own space to chill and unwind. The decor and soft furnishings are amazing and of the highest quality. The kitchen is so well equipped with the bonus of a washing machine, dish washer and large fridge with a large freezer. All of our beds were so comfy and it was lovely to be awakened by the cockerels morning singing. The farmers and their family included us as they went about their daily work, we and loved seeing all the farm animals especially the puppies and the piglets not forgetting the sheep chickens cockerels sheepdogs and cats. The Arches is absolutely spectacular and we can’t fault it at all we have all arrived home with lots of ideas for home decor although ours won’t look a patch on The Arches as the beams and other original features are amazing. The perfect find for us. An excellent base to visit the Yorkshire National Park, Richmond, Harrogate,Barnard Castle , Layburn, Hawes and The Lakes. Thank you to the owners Angela and Graham for having us stay and being so approachable and contactable it was much appreciated. So if your thinking of booking don’t hesitate as you won’t be disappointed please leave space for us to return though. The Best Family xx

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