Dorset Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• David - Verified booking

  The cottage has everything you could want.

  The road outside is narrow, but it's a short way to the main road and entirely manageable. Certainly the dustman seemed to manage OK. There was a bus going along it one day as well, and although it has passing points it seems like a motorway compared to some of the Devon roads we've had to contend with on holiday. Bridport is great - quite alternative, with some lovely cafes and shops, plus two supermarkets, so stocking up is easy. Burton Bradstock (Hive N.T) beach was the highlight for us; miles of coastline and quite sandy, with a coffee shop on site, and toilets. West Bay is smaller and more 'boaty' with a marina and some nice cafes. Big car park as well. Just Park seems to be the local car parking app of choice, so worth getting it set up before you leave, to save standing in the rain trying to get your credit card details accepted with an iffy signal (we've all done it). As for the cottage, it was very clean and had all the usual bits and pieces available. Our dog refused to go upstairs (the first three steps are polished wood, which I think put her off), but was content with her bed in the lounge. It is very dark there, so a night-light was useful just to get everyone safely to the downstairs loo in the middle of the night (and dog relaxed in new surroundings). The only thing I would change is the usual holiday cottage bath/shower combo which they all have, and tend to be as successful as all compromises in life. Personally I would just have a shower, but then I'm not turning up with children who need to be bathed, so compromises are usually necessary in these cases, and we can all cope with them for a week. The toilet is in the bathroom, so mornings might be stressful if two couples were staying there, especially if one likes longer showers! Fine for families though (or quick showerers). Dave, the owner (very nice and most accommodating) said some changes were being planned, and I presume a separate loo and shower are part of that equation. Overall, the cottage has everything you need to have a successful and comfortable stay. The heating system is particularly good (when required), and hot water always available. Small but well stocked kitchen meets all needs. Thoroughly recommended.

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• Carolyn - Verified booking

  On the whole we had a lovely stay at the cottage and the positives certainly outweighed the negatives.

  On the positive side the cottage was plenty big enough and was in a marvelous elevated position with lovely views of the sea and cliffs, the garden was so peaceful to sit out in and we enjoyed many hours in the late afternoon in particular in the garden. Both our dogs enjoyed the garden as well, it was so nice that on one of the days we decided to relax at the cottage for most of the day. The shower was powerful and it was very nice to use and very refreshing. Negatives were more annoying than deal breakers but some could be addressed I think. One difficult one though would be the entrance from the very narrow lane into the property, we decided to bring our Astra rather than our Electric SUV as we didn't want the hassle of charging, and am so pleased we did as I think getting a car larger than an Astra/Focus into the property would be very difficult. Getting out at the bottom of the lane was also quite difficult at times as there are cars parked on the main road at the bottom both left and right and this made for a pretty hairy exit on occasions. There were 2 sections to the garden, one section was very overgrown and it was difficult to see how secure it was for the dogs, it would be really helpful if this area was gated off. One other point on the garden, one of the garden chairs collapsed as the bolts had come undone, this could have been dangerous for an older person, I did leave a note as I couldn't find any tools to repair it other than finger tight, I think the garden furniture could really do with replacing if I'm I honest. Whilst the view from the lounge was lovely and to sit and be able to see the sea was very nice, we come from Leicester so it was a treat for us, however the furniture in lounge really wasn't comfortable and this I think would put you off spending too much time there as it wasn't relaxing. I would say the bedroom was small and the 2 single beds narrow and its a shame the room doesn't take a double bed but I guess its clear when booking its single beds but again not the most relaxing sleep. We had a lovely stay at the cottage overall and whilst we wouldn't go back to Lyme Regis or the cottage we had a nice holiday.

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• Bob - Verified booking

  This property is far below the normal standard of Sykes.

  It got colder so we turned the heating up but it started to bang. Looking in the house guide, we found a section on heating which showed that the heating was last serviced in May 2022. The boiler sticker confirmed the same. As the service engineer is also responsible for checking alarms, we assume these had not been checked neither. For safety we checked PAT testing and found that these were dated April 2022 and re-test should have been done 2023. We were concerned also that there was no fire blanket/extinguisher. We did find them eventually hidden behind the kitchen door. If there had been a fire in the kitchen, who would think to close the door to find them? Apart from these major safety issues, the bathroom smells with black mould around the toilet outlet and bath seal. The undersink cupboard cannot be used due to damp and grime. If an extractor fan were to be fitted, this would relieve the situation and also stop the water running down the windows making the window ledge un-useable. A mirror that could be accessed would be helpful as the one behind the toilet is not lit or easy to use and too far away from the shaver point. Although the cleaning was efficient, perhaps a bit more thought as to the basics for a vacation. No oven gloves, no scourer, no towel for the kitchen, only one tea-towel. A kitchen roll would be nice, as would some cleaning cloth for the bathroom. I honestly thought that paying over £700 for a holiday let would offer some level of comfort, safety and cleanliness. I look forward to your comments

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• Daveena - Verified booking

  We have stayed at Penny Plot Cottage before and enjoyed our stay.

  I would point out a couple of observations regarding our stay from 1 - 10 June 2024. The cottage is dog friendly which is brilliant. However, when we stayed there previously, our dog was a few years younger. She is now 14 and has arthritis. My advice to anyone taking an older dog, please take runners with you as our girl struggled to get up on the hardwood lounge floor and walk on it. I have a mobility impairment so the fact that the cottage is a bungalow is ideal. However, I am lucky enough to be quite slim and the bathroom is relatively small. Anyone who is of larger proportions may find using the bathroom a bit difficult as there is a relatively small space between the toilet and bath. The property was clean and well maintained. It could perhaps benefit from updating. It took us a while to work out how to use the cooker as it is quite old. The kitchen is well equipped. However, it wasn't obvious where some equipment was kept and it would be helpful if it were. For example, I spilt sugar on the kitchen floor and looked everywhere for a dustpan a brush and couldn't find them. A couple of days later, I moved a door that had been left open and found a large brush plus dustpan and brush. All in all, it's a lovely place to stay. Very quiet, private and picturesque and the garden is not overlooked by neighbours. The garden is secure and our dog loved it. I recommend this cottage and would happily stay there again in the future.

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• Karen - Verified booking

  Extremely disappointed with this property, & would not recommend, or be using again.

  There were cobwebs everywhere, & the place was full of wasps, dead ones that had been there a while as were stuck to the floor, as well as many live dopey ones, mainly in the kitchen, dining area, bathroom, & bedroom, & looked to be coming from the cupboard behind the door in the bathroom. My poor husband spent most of our few days there constantly hoovering them up! Not what I anticipated when I booked this, hoping for a relaxing surprise short break for his birthday. This place was described as 'rustic'. No, it's neglected, run down, & in desperate need of updating! Especially the old metal framed windows that constantly poured with condensation. The bathroom windowsill was literally a puddle. Also disappointed to find single beds here, although this was my fault for missing this on the listing. The only good thing was the lounge, which was clearly a newer addition to the property, although the sofa was stained which was a bit off-putting. Oh, & there was also something quite large scratching around noisily at night in the roof space above the bedroom! I'm just glad the weather was amazing, & we could get out of the place during the day. & that I'd only booked 3 nights here, & not a whole week! This could be an amazing little place with some money spent on it, as it's in a lovely setting, peaceful, & a lovely view of the sea. Until then, it's a big thumbs down from me.

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