Dog Friendly Cottages In Ireland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jordana - Verified booking

  We had a great stay over the new year with plenty of walking, pubs, saunas and home cooked dinners.

  John was a lovely host, very welcoming and the house has so much to recommend itself. The open plan living space is wonderful and we loved having a fire. On the down side, it is a shame the hedge is so tall on the patio we were denied any of the stunning view of the surrounding countryside. There is a really good selection of top quality kitchen utensils (excellent knives) serving dishes, good pans and a lovely dining service so meals were always lovely to have on the large table.  The bedrooms are all a generous size and the quality of the beds and bedding is top notch (The best night's sleep I've had in ages). However, the floor "click clack" laminate flooring that has shrunk or been poorly fitted with gaps everywhere. The Velux windows in the master bedroom were also filthy. I would also say the bathrooms need a bit of attention - some form of heat in them would be good...It is clear there are some red flags that the house itself might not be so regularly maintained. The info pack was useful with lots of tips which we followed and there are a tonne of DVDs and some games for wet days. I would suggest a couple of maps of the area would have been so helpful for local walks - an idea for future stays. Really good to note there is a great washing machine and dryer which was much needed after a couple of very wet walks! [ IMPORTANT - Can this part just be shared with the owner and not posted publicly ] Alas upon our stay there was no underfloor heating working in the bedrooms or bathrooms so we had a couple of cold December nights although John did rescue us with portable oil heaters on day 2. The bathrooms were freezing (no heating at all) and we had only tepid warm water throughout, so this was the least enjoyable part of the stay - especially after long winter walks (Thank goodness for the Sauna which we used 3 times!)  John stayed in touch to see how the heating was behaving which was appreciated - and he did what he could to solve the issues, however, had we been a family with children I think it would have been a real issue. I hope this honest review really helps him identify any snags so he can make the necessary improvements to make it as delightful a holiday cottage as it has the potential to be.

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• John - Verified booking

  The one good thing about the property is that it was well cleaned.

  As for the rest, No towels provided despite the website stating they would be. Property freezing on arrival, no heating on and storage heaters took overnight to heat up, one not working. Small electric heaters were in property but no use for providing real warmth. Had to go out and purchase briquettes and logs in local shop. Power cut, no candles etc in property, again trip to local shop. States on website, shop 0.1 mile, realistically half a mile away Blinds in front room broken on main window and blind on back door is missing. I managed to move main blind manually as there was no privacy. Some lights in kitchen and hall not working. No outside light, very dangerous in the dark. No shower mats, shower and floor slippy and dangerous. No cleaning materials or cloths, only one dish towel in property with a dirty glove under the sink. No instructions on how to get hot sink water on for downstairs, or shower which was not used. The small table in the front room had a loose top and this led to our first cups of tea being spilled, very dangerous. Loose cables hanging down from the tv, again health and safety issue and dangerous to young children etc. A lot of knobs missing from bedroom furniture and kitchen drawers, knife drawer is broken making them difficult to use. I fixed some myself so we could use them. Generally the property felt cold and damp, the upstairs airing cupboard where we eventually located the water heater has a lot of mould in it. We needed the fire going in the fireplace to keep warm despite the storage heaters etc. When we stripped the bed and duvet cover to leave in the utility room as per the instructions we discovered a thread bare duvet, explains part of the reason we were so cold at night. If anyone is interested in following up we took photographs to back our experience up. This is the first time we ever did this and was due the experience we had. We have visited many holiday properties in Ireland and have to say we have always had a positive experience. Unfortunately this trip can not be described as such I don't know if Hogan's check the property prior to putting your name to it?

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• Sharon - Verified booking

  We absolutely loved our stay at The Lodge, John was a lovely host.

  Close enough to offer help and ideas of where to go if needed, but far enough away to allow us privacy and solitude. His hospitality was very much appreciated, a welcome gift upon arrival, an apple pie on a rainy, although perfect day, and a tour of his home. Having said that, there are a couple of things that I must point out. The property NEEDS a deep clean, but I expect that will be done when it is a little quieter. I cannot fault the cleanliness of the kitchen, the bathrooms in general (the shower doors for example need a good scrub) or the general living area. The towels are extra fluffy and I loved the duvet. The laminate in the bedrooms needs a little work, but that's a small price to pay for the fabulous underfloor heating. We didn't get to sample the sauna, we were so busy, but we know it's there because John showed my husband how to use it. If you asked me, would we stay here again? 100% yes. Would I recommend it to family and friends? 100% yes.

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• Marian - Verified booking

  We had a lovely stay in this cottage in August.

  It is so well equipped and comfortable - ideal for us as a family of three (three bathrooms!) and spacious for a larger group. We loved the setting - so quiet, just the sound of cows and swallows flying over head - and Leap is ideally located to visit the stunning coast and countryside of West Cork, being 30 mins from Clonakilty and Skibbereen. We got used to driving up the winding lane from the village (about 10 mins by car) - sat nav was a godsend, as were the excellent instructions on how to find it (approach from the centre of the village). We loved the local Leap Inn and the waterfall. The owner was so kind, leaving us lovely scones and other snacks on our first evening and a beautiful bunch of local flowers, and very friendly. The decor could do with an update in places but this is completely outweighed by all the cleanliness, mod cons, helpful host and the location. Recommended!

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• Mark - Verified booking

  Although a little way from the nearest facilities it was lovely and quiet yet a great base for a holiday on the Cork coast.

  The facilities were fine and there was everything we needed for our stay. The house is very spacious and the gardens are lovely - although we did not sit out in the seating area as we were out and about so much. The sheepdog and his herd of cats was a lovely welcoming committee when we got back from a day touring. One suggestion we have is to provide an information pack explaining where everything is (e.g. local shops and facilities such as supermarkets etc.) and how everything works e.g.. the heating system and recycling / rubbish disposal- we worked them out (the smart TV was the biggest challenge) but written information would have helped. We would certainly recommend this cottage as it was comfortable and great value for money.

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