Christmas Cottages in Wales

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jeffrey - Verified booking

  The property itself offered all we hoped for in terms of accommodation and location, which was in a lovely setting close to the coast.

  Unfortunately however things didn’t get off to a good start when we arrived at the cabin to find the cleaner still busily sorting out the place from the previous occupants. He had apparently been informed he had till 4 pm to complete his task, when in fact our contract with Sykes stated we would have full access to the property from 3 pm! Having waited some 15-20 minutes for him to finish we then entered the cabin and were immediately confronted by the overwhelming odour of damp dog! Closer inspection also showed remnants of what appeared to be evidence of dog biscuit/chews scattered about the carpeted area of the lounge. Coupled with this the glass doors leading out to the decking were visibly smeared with unsightly dog slaver and paw marks. After opening all the doors and windows as wide as possible I then found the vacuum cleaner in one of the cupboards. Before switching it on however I was shocked to find it completely choked with dirt and dog hairs which rendered it useless in picking up anything at all! (Photos of this were sent to Sykes as proof) After spending several minutes emptying and cleaning it I then set about hoovering all the carpeted areas throughout the cabin, which, to my amazement, half filled the hoover back up again. Later in the afternoon following a visit to nearby New Quay in stopped to pick up some carpet deodoriser and air freshener from a local store. On our return to the cabin I then liberally sprinkled the deodoriser over the entire carpet and once again set to hoovering throughout. This process had to be repeated several times during our stay as the smell of dogs kept returning! This unpleasant situation plus the absence of any bin bags which were promised AND missing cushions from the decking furniture, which had obviously been removed prior to our arrival and were nowhere to be found, all added up to a disappointing experience on a trip we had very much been looking forward to! I understand that people are encouraged to bring their pets with them to properties of this nature, which I have no problem with at all! What I would expect however is for property owners to conduct a thorough and extensive clean after each visit, to ensure future occupants don’t have to endure a similar experience to ours!

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• Kim - Verified booking

  When we arrived the cottage had quite a few cleanliness and maintenance issues.

  Blood on mattress protector, dirty, greasy oven and trays, windows dirty inside and out, dirty toilet brush and holder, dirty bathmat, bucket full cigarette ends under patio table, messy backyard, rail in bedroom broken, cracked glass panels in window,piece broken glass in bedroom drawer, no plug in kitchen sink. It was a shame we spent the first few hours after a long journey trying to sort these things out. Phoned sykes who were helpful and arranged another clean. Cleaners turned up the next morning and threw toilet brush and bathmat away. Tried to clean oven and trays as best they could, this is where a plug was needed in sink as the trays don't fit in sink bowl. They cleaned over and it felt fresher afterwards. They told us they're not responsible for any windows and outside cleaning. We managed to fix the clothes rail but it needs new one as it sways when clothes are hung. I spoke to the owner who said she was unaware of the cleaning problems and will sort maintenance issues out at a later date. Fresh flowers were left in cottage and the owner kept bringing them up but it's no good leaving fresh flowers if you're not concentrating on the cleanliness, the money on flowers would be better spent on other things. The cottage has alot of potential to be alot better, it has no identity with mismatched furniture and with a few tweaks could be much better. The area is outstanding beauty with glorious beaches. We visited Harlech, caernarfon Castle, Portmeirion,Shell Island. Had lovely meals in Norbar few times and Nineteen 57.

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• Kathryn - Verified booking

  We had a lovely week in Wales and managed to explore lots of local areas.

  The cottage is in a beautiful location. Just a few things let it down. The cleanliness was below average in comparison to other rentals we have stayed in. The facilities were disappointing in that the WiFi did not work for the latter part of the week and the spa bath didn't work. Several lights didn't work and the remote controls for the various TV's also didn't work. The cooker hood fan also didn't work. Many of the maintenance issues had been reported by previous tennants but nothing had been done about them. There was a lot of different kitchen pots/pans etc but a lot were dirty and old which put us off using them. We felt like just a small amount of tlc could really make a difference in this house. The bathroom and kitchen both need to be re-sealed. And a general de-clutter in the whole house as some areas were quite dusty and musty. There was a jigsaw which had missing pieces which was also disappointing and the garden area was cluttered and overgrown. The lounge/dining area was a lovely space and the settee was really comfortable. Later on in the week we discovered some equipment for the beach (body board, skimming board etc) which i think should be advertised as being available, perhaps in a welcome pack and the ability to hang some clothes outside but under cover was also really useful. The shower was a good, powerful shower. There are many good things about this property and the location and we feel it has the potential for so much more. Thank you.

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• John - Verified booking

  I booked Palau Farm for a surprise family get together for my wife’s 60th birthday and all I can say is ‘wow’.

  The location is amazing and the views stunning. The property itself was perfect for us with the large open plan kitchen and seating area at one end with doors opening up to that view providing a great place to sit and chat/play board games and eat. The kitchen and utility room were extremely well equipped although a vacuum cleaner and broom would have been useful to be able to tidy up before leaving. Had it been cold enough to use, the wood burner and supply of wood in the lounge the other end of the property would have been another great facility. We couldn’t get the Sky boxes to work but the internet was reliable and fast enough for the ample supply of apps pre loaded on the TV’s to provide something to watch in the evenings. During the day, who needs tv with a view like that! Many hours spent watching the sheep and goats roaming in the farms ground. The icing on the cake for us was standing outside and seeing the Northern Lights. Not supplied by the property :) but a fantastic part of our time there. We have only been back a day and are already missing the views. A big thank you to the owner for the effort put into making Pyllau Farm a fantastic holiday home, we will definitely be returning.

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• Louise - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage, situated in a great location.

  Road was a little busy it's on, but you could hardly hear the traffic unless you had the windows open obviously. We found a parking space every evening. Further down the road on the right was a car park you could turn around in too which was handy as the roads are narrow all around the area. Cottage had all the amenities you need. Even foil, cling film and cleaning products too which was great! There was a little shop just over the bridge which was handy. It would be good if the TV wasn't flat against the wall but able to swivel as difficult to watch from both sofas. We like to watch movies in the evening after a busy day exploring. We visited Barmouth, Harlech, Portmerion, Beddgelert and Porthmadog! There is a lovely waterfall about 5 mins around the corner too in the car! It's expensive to park near the beaches, costing around £5+ for the day, but a few machines you could download an app and pay on which was handy given you didn't have to find change! It's better to pre-book tickets for Harlech Castle and Portmerion too. Harlech Castle was mandatory to book before you went due to Covid too. It's worth doing for Portmerion to avoid queuing! We walked past a big queue of people waiting.

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