Beach Lodges & Log Cabins In England

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Carol - Verified booking

  My husband and I enjoyed our holidays away with Sykes and when he died three years ago, my daughter and I started going away on holiday together to a Sykes property at least twice or three times a year.

  Cleanliness for us, is so important and we always book a property that has a rating of at least 4.8* Harbour Lodge had a good rating, so we were shocked when we walked into the lodge, opened the fridge freezer to find food still in the freezer compartment, the fridge itself very smelly. Then we opened the dishwasher which was full of crockery and cutlery. We needed to visit the bathroom after our journey and I was horrified when I lifted the toilet seat to see it had been used and not a nice sight at all! I went to flush the toilet, but the handle was falling off and wouldn’t work so I took off the cistern top and managed to screw the handle back on. Even though I flushed, the paper wouldn’t go down and there seemed to be some kind of blockage. We left the cistern to fill and carried on looking around, feeling very disillusioned. We couldn’t locate a hairdryer and there were no usual niceties that we usually find in the cottages, like information guides of the area or games. Just a small selection of books and old DVDs. We read the small information folder for the property and it advised to ring the owners who lived on site at their farm, if we had any concerns. I spoke to the very nice gentleman owner and explained our problems and he said he would come over to see us, which he did. He said that he used to look after the properties himself, but since developing Parkinson’s had handed the letting over to Sykes. He said he had rung Sykes and asked for cleaners to come out to the property and he also brought us a hairdryer. We waited on the bench outside and it wasn’t long before a friendly lady and gentleman arrived to sort the toilet problem and I also pointed out all the dirt and fluff in one of the bedrooms, which clearly hadn’t been cleaned. They lady emptied all the dishwasher and put away the crockery and the gentleman said he had cleared the toilet blockage and got us a new toilet brush and holder. They asked if there was anything else they could do, but we just wanted to unpack the car and put the kettle on for a well needed cuppa. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for coming out but maybe we should have said yes to their offer. My daughter opened the cutlery drawer to find a couple of spoons covered in mould and the more we inspected, the more dirt and dust we found. We actually considered getting back in the car and driving home! We were pleased that the water in the shower was nice and powerful even though the shower attachment was loose. We both had showers that night, but the following morning, the water was cold. I checked the water and heating control unit only to find the hot water, which should have been programmed to be on all day according to the blurb, had been switched off, but the central heating switch was on. I managed to change the settings and all was well with the hot water from then on, using the Boost facility if necessary. I really am not one to complain and have never had to in the past, but this experience spoiled our week’s holiday and my daughter and I don’t think we have the confidence to book with Sykes again. I feel sorry for the owners of the property, as I’m sure they would have maintained it to a much higher standard themselves. They run a lovely little farm with such well cared for goats, ducks, chickens and guinea fowl to name a few and keep the grass nicely trimmed back and the surroundings well kept in general. I hope Sykes will take note of our experience and ensure that ALL properties are cleansed and kept to a high standard.

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• Jane - Verified booking

  Beautiful property in a beautiful area.

  Due to it being new there are a few more things that are needed to make it perfect. Coffee machine supplied but not even 2 pods there so you can see which ones goes with that machine, theres just so many at the supermarket, we just dodnt know which one goes with that machine. Not even a salt and pepper pot, the cupboards were absolutely bare. We didn't realise we needed to take everything. There was a plate with some tea, coffee sachets, sugar sachets, 2 hot chocolate sachets and a couple of biscuits. We thought they would have some local products like scones, cream and jams as a meet and greet welcome gift, in the fridge there were a few small pots of milk. Let's face it, everyone who comes to Cornwall has a long drive there and it would be nice to have something there when you arrive. Very bare minimum kitchen utensils, could do with a masher for potatoes for example, due to being out of session a lot of places in the evening are closed so we cooked at the lodge. I think if they are going to continue to rent it out during the winter some more kitchen utensils are needed. We had a problem with the heating, they did try to fix it so for 3 nights we were freezing then on the last night it was fixed but went ro the extreme and it was like a sauna. There is no thermostat to control the heat, theres a hub but not even the staff new how to work it, so maybe an easier option would be better. There is no doubt that this is a top quality lodge, it just need tweaking. It looks brand new and it is truly beautiful, but things like the towels could be bigger and better quality to suit the lodge. There is even a wine cooler and a dishwasher (tablets supplied) but no spare bin bags or dish clothes. You don't go on holiday and thunk you need to buy theses things. No pillow protectors, could do with better quality pillows to be fair. Ironing board and iron. Somewhere to hang your washing, either in or outside. We asked for a clothes stand and they gave us one without a problem, they thought the washing machine was a dryer too, if it was we couldn't work it out. Maybe some instructions if it is. No Internet up in the lodge. We used up our data because we are too far away from the signal of the camp site so a booster up there would be great. I have my own business so I need Internet and it is advertised as having Internet just not in the lodge. Bins, very small bin in the kitchen. Could do with bins outside in a enclosed container to put your rubbish in and to be able to recycle better. You have to put your waist in your car and take it down to the main bins. We are not saying we wouldn't come back due to theses small tweaks, we are saying for the price of the lodge to bring it up to standard of the price you are paying. Staff very friendly and very beautiful location.

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• Christine - Verified booking

  Turnpike Lodge provides compact accommodation in the garden of the owners house.

  It is clean, well decorated and warm. Ivor and Dee, the owners are friendly and helpful. There is a bedroom with wardrobe and three chests of drawers at one end near the front of the property, a small open-plan sitting/dining room and kitchen in the middle and the bathroom, with toilet, sink and shower is accessed via a sliding door straight from the kitchen. The sitting room has patio doors out into Ivor and Dee's garden which you are invited to use. We often saw Ivor and Basil the dog pottering round the garden while we were relaxing indoors. Ivor, very helpfully, stood out on the main road outside Turnpike Lodge to wave us down when we arrived and then stopped the stream of traffic so that we could reverse into the parking space-and that's where the car stayed for the week that we were there. This is an excellent base for exploring the area. Broadsands beach is within walking distance with a good cafe and a burger/coffee bar. The bus service between Newton Abbott and Brixham runs from just around the corner and from Brixham you can catch a bus to Kingswear and across the ferry to Dartmouth. You can walk to Berryhead from Brixham and we also took the bus into Torquay one day and walked back to Paignton along the cliff path. There is a fish and chip restaurant just around the corner and a One Stop shop. Points to note; Turnpike Lodge is at the junction (traffic light controlled) of two very busy roads which might be tricky for visitors not used to the noise. There is a street light on the top main road which shines straight into the bedroom even when the curtains are closed so visitors liking total darkness at night night want to bring an eye mask for comfort. Apart from the fridge, there is no storage space for food which is the perfect excuse for eating out! They serve a full English breakfast down at the cafe on Broadsands beach! Turnpike Lodge is ideally placed to explore Torbay and beyond.

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• Tracy - Verified booking

  Had a nice stay at Smugglers Shack last week.

  The lodge is easy to find on a nice quiet edge of the park. It was very spacious, modern, nicely decorated and had some nice touches like the throws, cushions, lamps and candle holders. Making it a nice home from home and with the fire on in the lounge it was nice and cosy in the evenings. The tv was big and modern with Netflix and Amazon and my teenage son was able to set up his Xbox with ease! The kitchen was very well equipped and there was nothing I thought there should have been that wasn’t.. apart from forgetting to take my oven gloves as these are not provided and I didn’t read the small print! The Wi-fi was adequate and we appreciated the google smart speaker. The central hearing worked like a dream and the water pressure in the shower was very good. The only negative which I did read beforehand in other reviews was that the sofas and armchair really could do with new seat cushions. They were very low and flat and being as we spent quite a lot of down time reading and relaxing, felt we couldn’t sit for long periods as was so uncomfortable. We used the unused bed pillows to make it a bit more comfortable and I also resorted to sitting at the dining table most evenings. Really let’s down which was overall fantastic accommodation in a nice area. The walk into Polperro down a country lane beside the park didn’t take long but was very very steep. We visited Looe, Polperro, Plymouth, St Austell and the beach at Talland Bay that you can walk to from the park. The cafe at the beach was lovely. Would highly recommend and would definitely stay again. Thanks.

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• Ashley - Verified booking

  PRO'S: Claret Lodge was beautiful and perfect for a small group.

  It was very clean inside and the beds were comfortable. The hot tub was excellent and the combi boiler meant we always had hot water on demand. The TV had a good signal and internet signal was strong too. Overall the lodge itself lived up to expectation and we were happy with our stay. CONS: - there is a very noisy road at the back of the lodges which starts to get busy by 6am and as the bedrooms face this road as well as the hot tub, it wasnt as peaceful as we had hoped and we did not get to sleep in past 6am due to the traffic noise. - the sofa is very small and uncomfortable unfortunately. An L shaped sofa or recliners would have been better in this lodge to maximise comfort. - it would have been nice to have a larger fridge freezer. As this is self catering accommodation and with only 2 shelves and an icebox it meant we had to go to food shop everyday. There is a grey sideboard by the dining table which doesnt really serve a purpose and a 50/50 full size fridge freezer would fit there nicely.

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