Cottages That Sleep 12 In England

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Gillian - Verified booking

  This is a really beautiful house in a brilliant location.

  It's very spacious, comfortable, attractively furnished, well equipped, all the appliances and the plumbing work well, and the sea views are stunning. It's only a 5-minute walk to the beach (down a fairly steep hill), or perhaps 10 minutes if you prefer a route with a more gentle gradient. It's only a short walk to the shops and town centre and the 3 parking spaces are so useful. We really loved the house and would very happily stay here again. The house is already wonderful as it is, but to make it even more comfortable for future guests, I've got a few minor suggestions. The family bathroom would benefit from a lock on the door - not all guests can be trusted to notice/respect signs! A few bedrooms only have Venetian blinds at the windows which don't keep out early morning light very effectively, so the addition of curtains would benefit light sleepers. I would have found oven gloves very useful, although I realise perhaps they aren't provided as it may be hard to keep them clean. An additional drying rack for washing would be useful for guests who prefer not to use a tumble dryer. There's plenty of kitchen equipment provided, but I didn't find any baking trays, and a big draining spoon for vegetables would have been handy. It would also have been a nice touch to find soap and dishwasher tablets provided in the kitchen. More importantly, the helpful email containing comprehensive guest information arrived on Saturday morning after we had already set off on our long journey to Cornwall, and I didn't find it until a couple of days into our holiday. It would be very helpful to send this email out a few days earlier, and additionally to provide a printed copy of the information in the house itself. The email attachment contained lots of useful information, but I struggled to read it on a tiny mobile phone screen. It would also be very helpful to have a sign on the kitchen wall with a clear explanation of the recycling, as there are multiple bins and coloured bags. I had to search the council's website for an explanation of which items went in which containers, not helped by the fact that there were some new food caddies by the bins which I believe were delivered for a recycling scheme that hasn't been introduced yet. I would also have welcomed instructions on what to do with the beds before departing - I wasn't sure whether to strip them or not. But please be assured that these suggestions are only intended to be helpful, and to make a wonderful house even more perfect than it already is!

  Read more less >

• Kathryn - Verified booking

  While this property is very nice, well positioned and nicely furnished there are several issues of which have affected our stay and need addressing as a matter of urgency.

  The bed in my granddaughter’s bed had been held together with rubber bands which broke when she sat on it. I appreciate that after 2 days it was replaced by a folding bed with the mattress on it, no apology or explanation was given as to why the bed had been left in a poor state of repair was received. The decking is rotten in many areas and dangerous in a few (I have taken photos) with the wood collapsing in a number of areas causing rusty nails to be exposed and creating trip hazards, in one area it is obvious that the decking has collapsed and rather than repairing it properly it has been botched leaving the decking at an angle thus creating a trip hazard for elderly guests, the banister around the decking is completely rotten in a few places meaning it is not attached to the uprights again this is dangerous and I believe a health and safety issue . The hinges to flaps on the balcony table are broken and sharp, I assume the owners are aware of this as the flaps are held on with bungie cord. There are broken and missing tiles in the main bathroom with sharp edges, and there is no pull cord meaning that this light is permanently on. Many taps are loose throughout the property and cupboard doors not properly attached as well as broken and damaged crockery and glasses on the shelves and in the cupboards, the bent front door key mentioned by a guest in september 22 is still present in the accomodation and as mentioned by these guests no hand soap or cleaning products are available just empty bottles. One of the bed side lights in the annex cannot be plugged in as the flex does not reach the socket, this has been mentioned by previous guests but never remedied. The advice book in the annex gives a contact number for emergency contact, I contacted this number when the day bed broke, the couple who I contacted were surprised as they sold surfs edge 13 years ago, this I feel is an indication of the lack of care which the property is afforded by the current company which owns it. The property is in serious need of love and care before a guest is injured.

  Read more less >

• Christine - Verified booking

  Some of the mattresses are very old and dirty.

  They have clean mattress protectors on but, when stripping the beds at the end, the protectors came away too revealing very old mattresses. I didn't check all of them just the two I stripped. In May a review mentioned the stained settee. The owners answer was to cover up with what looked like quilted throws off the beds. They didn't fit well and were constantly slipping off the settee. The coffee table in the lounge which was originally black had chips of white all over it so it never looked clean. The vacuum cleaner didn't pick anything up. When I checked the brushes they were completely clogged with dirt, hair and fluff. It would have been a long job to breathe life back into it. I only hope the cleaners were using their own equipment.The owner needs to check that equipment is in a usable state. The wash basins in the bathrooms were very small and, with a glass shelf above, impossible to get your face over. I think the three star rating should really be 2 star. My family all agreed it felt like student digs. On the plus side the location is excellent. There was plenty of space for the 6 young children to run around. The kitchen was well equipped for a large group. You get parking for 2 cars for the week for free and extra parking permits are available for £5 for each 24hrs from the owner but you are not guaranteed a parking spot especially at the weekends. However, Sainsbury's is a 10 minute walk away and my son parked there for the week for £21. Finally be aware that because of Covid you can't get in the property until 5pm and you have to vacate at 9am. The cleaners arrived at 9.02am. These were not the times I was given when I made the booking earlier and it was quite a rush to get 9 adults and 6 children breakfasted, packed, beds stripped etc. and out by 9am on leaving day.

  Read more less >

• Missbah - Verified booking

  Review Thank you so much for our stay, We had the best time ever for our sisters Hen do!

  All the guests were very delighted to have been in such an amazing property that offers their guests the highest levels of luxury through personalized services, a vast range of amenities, and a very well sophisticated accommodation. Archstone house offers luxurious décor and carefully selected furnishings with high attention to detail. The guestrooms and suites are tastefully decorated with high quality furnishings and consistent design, ample space, king sized beds and premium bedding. Archstone house was very clean when we had arrived! We are quite lucky in the sense that we have been one of the first to be able to visit as there is no snagging or anything in the property. The only thing I would like to add is,( now this is not a complaint but please take it as feedback, as it may help guests in the future) it would be nice to add some different types of cleaning products, ( fairy, sponges, cleaning sprays, wipes), Maybe some complimentary toiletries in the bathroom (shampoo, conditioner, body wash) As we had to go out and buy our own, It was a slight inconvenience as we were not familiar with the area yet. For example these are everyday essentials which we could have bought from home, but we had thought for the price we had paid these would be provided as you would in any 5* hotel. It would also be good to add some door hooks, door locks in bedrooms and bath mats and shower mats. Lastly I would like to appreciate the communication between us and the booking was on point, the whole booking process was made easy, with us having a large group, some of us had questions to ask, so anytime we asked anything Becky was to hand and able to answer anything. Thank you so much to the team at Archstone house, we hope to visit again soon.

  Read more less >

• R - Verified booking

  We were so pleased when we arrived at the property.

  The house is beautiful and was spotlessly clean in all areas . It is well maintained and cared for . Everything worked well and easy to operate ie showers and heating , cooking facilities. There was so much space for us all, the house is huge and has lots of character. We were two families, Those who had the top floor were delighted with their rooms especially as they could escape and get some privacy . They felt they had their own apartment. They love reading so they used the top floor settee for a reading area. The beds were super comfy and large . All the bedrooms were spacious and beautifully furnished . The bunk room was a bit smaller but still ample space for the teenager. Lovely view from the 2nd floor front bedroom with two seats strategically placed so that we could sit in the huge window and relax . The kitchen was well equipped . It has two fridges and a freezer which was useful with a large group . Lovely comfortable furniture throughout the house. It felt very home from home and we could have gladly stayed another week . We really fell in love with the house . A short distance from the beach and shops . This was helpful as the older children were able to walk into town independently. I’m sure we came home much fitter due to the incline back to the house but even for two seniors it wasn’t a difficult walk and it was enhanced by the view. The weather was mixed but it didn’t spoil our enjoyment. The games room provided much entertainment for the children and teens . The neighbours were very friendly and helpful too . Last but not least, Sue , the owner was extremely friendly, welcoming , patient and helpful with all our enquiries and easily contactable. When we return to St. Ives we would definitely want to stay in this property .

  Read more less >