Dog Friendly Villas In South East

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Leonie - Verified booking

  We had a great week at Camber Sands and our family of four were perfectly comfortable in Hakuna Matata.

  We all slept extremely well and appreciated the games, books and really great selection of DVD's. The house is located in a lovely development and it felt very safe - our daughters enjoyed reading on the bench in the small communal garden just in front of the house and it was safe for them to cycle. The beach is just a few minutes away and we particularly enjoyed going there to see the sunset in the evening. We had great weather and swam in the sea on three days. The beach is huge so even when busy we were able to stay safe - a windbreak is good to have for shade and privacy. Also a shout out to E:Bikes, a local business who provide great service. We hired bikes on two separate days - cycling to Lydd and Rye along the lovely countryside cycle paths. Do bring a picnic if going to Lydd as nothing at all was open, but it's a charming place and worth a visit. Downsides were that the kitchen could have been slightly better equipped ie a wooden spatula, chopping board, a measuring jug and couple more oven proof dishes. Also the housekeeping wasn't the best - there was an empty coke bottle and sweets under the bed, however as we wanted to spray all surfaces with anti-bac ourselves this wasn't the issue it might have been. The decor is a little tatty in places and the cottage could do with a coat of paint and some minor plumbing repairs to really realise the potential of the great location. On another note we travelled from London via public transport from Victoria and the journey was safe and efficient. We used a large taxi outside Rye station but there is also a bus (only once an hour so check timings). The local food shops weren't great so we were glad we had an Ocado delivery. If you do come by car or take a trip to Rye we recommend Jempsons supermarket near Rye station which is really good.

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• Carole - Verified booking

  I am going to write a totally honest review based on our stay here from 28/9 to 3rd Oct.

  First the positives: Camber Sands is a nice area if now a little dated. The beach is gorgeous with plenty of area for dog walking and the fact that we were out of season meant it was pretty quiet, which was nice. We would thoroughly recommend The Owl pub just a five minute walk away which although a little pricey is very nice. The food is lovely, the ambience of the pub very nice and the staff lovely. Rye itself is very pretty and quaint and would also recommend the Simply Italian restaurant. All in all a lovely area. Now to the property itself; it isn't a "cottage", it is a 2 bedroomed house (like a starter home) on a residential development. It is in a terrace of 6 or 7 with most of the houses being holiday homes. When we first arrived we thought it seemed quite nice, perfectly adequate for a 5 day stay with pretty much everything we needed. From that point on unfortunately that changed. There are many maintenance issues with this property; missing lightbulbs with no replacements, taps that don't work properly in the bathroom, the garden is weedy and not suitable for small children and dogs with nettles being an issue. A hoover that doesn't work, a dirty oven. We had a nightmare situation with a burglar alarm that went off in the middle of the night, no alarm codes to be found, woke all the neighbours, a stressful situation that was not resolved before we left. It turns out the owner lives overseas and there is no maintenance contract on the property. Sykes suggested we pack up and go home. My recommendation to Sykes is to remove this property from their website until issues are resolved. My advice would be don't book this property, you will be disappointed.

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• Srilatha - Verified booking

  One of the first things that caught our eye was the numerous house plants around, and this really makes this property stands out, as this really is a home away from home.

  We were unfortunate in one sense to experience very cold weather at the end of April 2024, but on the other hand, it meant that we spent a lot of time enjoying the cottage. We loved the view of the garden from the kitchen and the dining room (the bright red acer was gorgeous!). We all slept well (thanks for ear plugs!) - yes, the clock does strike on the hour every hour, but you do get used to it. The living areas are very well-appointed, and the window seat area with a dual aspect of the garden was a favourite. The kitchen was a joy to cook in. Oven gloves, tea towels, blue wipey clothes and 3 dishwashing tablets provided (plus we found clingfilm, foil and greaseproof paper). We used the fire everyday due to the unseasonable cold weather (logs £8.99 in the local shop – cheaper than the supermarket). Beds were super comfy, with great sheets and towels (which we always appreciate). House is super clean, and well-equipped – a real home away from home. We also used the Kent A-Z and their local OS maps, and they have a great range of books too. The location is super as lots of attractions within 30min. The Tesco “superstore” in Hawkhurst may be smaller than expected but had everything needed, plus Waitrose just opposite too. Tips for visitors: Local shop (2 min down the road) opens from 6.30am and has fresh croissants, and local produce (Sussex crisps). The telephone box library is pretty good too. Walk to the windmill, past the school opposite the petrol station. Farm shop Eggs and Apples & Hartleys (good jam donuts) recommended. Just mind the pot holes!

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• Maureen - Verified booking

  The house was very clean, tidy, comfortable and had all that we needed to help us enjoy our weeks stay.

  The single beds are a tad narrow for adults though perfect for children.The garden was a small space, however we found that we hardly spent any time in the garden. The house was around the corner from a short cut through that took you directly to the dunes and a short walk to the local dog friendly pub "The Owl". Lovely food and pub; the staff friendly & helpful. The house is a great base, not only for visiting Camber Sands and it's amazing beach it is also perfect for exploring the surrounding area. Beautiful Rye is a short drive and other places of interest are also fairly easy to get to and generally 25 - 45 mins by car. We visited several places while we were here including Battle & Bodiam Castle & we took the light train from Hythe to Dungeness. None of us a train spotter but we all enjoyed it non-the-less. Had we realised how close we were to a good water sports venue we would have booked a SUP course in advanced. The property would benefit from having wi-fi as its become the norm to offer this facility in holiday lets/rentals. We all had a great time & would definitely recommend visiting this part of the world.

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• Sue - Verified booking

  The bin was full when we arrived which made dealing with our own rubbish very difficult.

  ..we left two tied bin bags in the back yard as didn’t feel it was appropriate to leave it out the front. There didn’t appear to be any re-cycling bins although other properties did. WiFi would have been nice. There was a mop bucket but no mop so bought one and also no hand towels for toilets so bought those too. I contacted Sykes prior to holiday as it was my daughter’s birthday on the 1st Nov asking how well stocked the kitchen was and listed specific items so we could bring anything needed. I was in communication with Molly who was very polite and helpful. She contacted the owners who said that of the things listed all we needed was weighing scales. When we arrived there was no mixing bowl and no lasagne dish so had to buy these too which was disappointing. Other than that an ok cottage, clean and 10 minutes walk from the beach; very small but ok for a short break. The only other niggle was the washer/drier which washed but didn’t dry so we gave up in the end and used the airers that were on site.

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