Villas In North Devon

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Rachel - Verified booking

  We booked Rose Cottage c.

  1 year ago as part of a 2 week holiday to Cornwall and Devon. Our first week was spent in Cornwall and we had an amazing time, then on the day we were due to leave for Devon and Rose Cottage, I happened to check my junk mail and saw that I had an email from the owner of Rose Cottage advising me that the access road was one mile long, off the public highway, had been damaged by heavy duty plant and as such was rather bumpy... The email had been sent the day before, so there was little I could have done about the situation at that point; it was far too late to seek alternative accommodation. It did make us revisit the listing with Sykes to see if we'd missed some vital information detailing a poor access road but there was nothing in the listing to warn us. We checked some previous reviews (written after we booked) and other people had experienced issues with the road so it was clearly apparent and not singular to us. Upon arrival the road really was a nightmare- broken bricks and stones made for a very uneven surface for the first third of the 'driveway'. There was some reprieve when it turned to concrete and even though much of it was covered in mud, made access easier. Then we hit the monumental pot holes and thick mud where the fish farm were clearly undertaking work. After this you hit the section of drive much like the first. The first 3 days saw your typical British summer time weather- a mixture of some rain, some sunshine and plenty of cloud. During this time we scraped the underneath of the car when leaving the property and let me be clear here, we drove at about 5 mph MAXIMUM when the terrain permitted and this still happened. The edge of the bumper was also scraped on several occasions. We own a standard family saloon. We arrived on the 14th August. On the 17th Barnstaple saw torrential rain and flooding. I totally appreciate this was out of the owner's hands. It was completely out of my hands too. But it made access nigh on impossible. As a result and with inclement weather heading our way, after another day we decided to cut our holiday short for fear that we would actually not be able to get the car out once loaded with 2 week's worth of packing. Naturally, this has been raised with Sykes because we weren't properly advised of the condition of the property and its access and felt we were mis-sold. The response from the owner has been nothing short of incredulous- it was the weather's fault, it can't be helped (what about the first 3 days!?) and actually it could have been helped because you should have made the listing very clear to people who own a standard car. Despite losing 2 days of our precious family holiday, the owners aren't willing to accept any liability. That said, they have accepted responsibility by very recently purchasing lots of gravel to fill in the pot holes. The cottage itself was clean, equipped with everything you would expect of a 4 tick property, including loads of wood lice. They liked to appear in the bed so you'd have to remove one or two most evenings. The floor in the downstairs loo is very spongy, I don't know what would cause this (perhaps rot?) but whatever it was likely contributed to the smell in there. Enjoy your holiday folks, the views from the property are second to none. I hope nothing goes awry as you will very likely receive no support, understanding or recompense.

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• Graham - Verified booking

  This is without a doubt one of the best cottages we have ever stayed in.

  The attention to detail was exceptional and the décor and furnishings were delightful. The theme of light blues and creams were perfect for the location, being not far from the sea. Rose Cottage has an amazing view from all windows, not only of the owners walled garden but stretching to the horizon many miles away. The bedrooms were so comfortable and the super-king size bed was heavenly for tall people like us. We loved the kitchen with the breakfast table overlooking the garden and we sat there every morning and only used the big dining table in the evening. The kitchen was so well equipped and had a range of quality pans and utensils, again showing attention to detail. We love to cook so it was a delight to find all the equipment we needed plus a dishwasher. The sitting room area was light and spacious and had a large dining table which lent itself to sitting and painting or playing board games as well as eating! Outside there was a large terrace with a table and chairs which we would have used if the weather had been better. What we loved the most was the quietness. The cottage is a long way from the main road so all you hear are the sounds of the countryside. The stars were amazing as the skies in this area are so clear. This has been one of the best holidays we have ever had and has allowed us to discover some interesting NT properties and gardens and have long beach walks. It is a gem of a place and we would love to go back in the Spring and start all over again.

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• Gillian - Verified booking

  The views are amazing from this apartment.

  We sat outside on the balcony for breakfast on several occasions and also enjoyed a glass of wine out there in the evening. It is very relaxing to just sit and enjoy the view. The beds are extremely comfortable and to be able to lay in bed and enjoy the view was lovely. The kitchen was very well equipped and both bathrooms were superb. A very small niggle would be on the odd occasion we had the tv on we found it was too high on the wall to sit comfortably and watch (this didn't affect our overall enjoyment in any way!). The apartment is in a great location to explore the local area. We enjoyed a daily walk to Lynmouth, a visit to the Valley of Rocks, the Watersmeet walk, as well as a longer walk to Hunters Inn and back (highly recommend this walk, the scenery and views were some of the best we have seen). We ate out at several different venues and we would definitely recommend a visit to The Crown where the staff were brilliant, especially Mark who was very friendly and gave us valuable advice on the local area.

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• Carole - Verified booking

  Rose Cottage is a truly beautiful place to stay.

  It is light, airy, comfortable, wonderfully appointed and blissfully quiet. The gardens surrounding the cottage are amazing and the views of the sunset each evening are breathtaking. The whole cottage is perfectly clean and finished to a wonderfully high standard. The kitchen is as well equipped as any good holiday cottage and the bedrooms are warm and comfortable. It’s not clear from the photos, but the bathroom has a separate rainfall shower and shower head in addition to the shower over the bath, so please don’t let the thought of a lack of a standing shower put you off (as it nearly did us) as there is one! I would say the only slight downside is the state of the access road to the cottage - it is unmade and very pot-holey. But this also adds to the peace of the cottage, so it is definitely worth the wobble to get here. Finally, the welcome we received when we arrived was wonderful. Scones, jam, clotted cream and milk in the fridge - a really lovely touch. We hope to make it back here one day!

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• Sarah - Verified booking

  Unfortunately we were really disappointed with the maintenance of the apartment.

  On arrival the fridge wasn’t cold, only half the toaster worked, the router still hadn’t been fixed and the towel rail in the ensuite didn’t heat up nor did the light work on the mirror. The outside balcony space could do with a paint as looking at what appears to be black mold isn’t ideal. When we reported these issues we were told the ‘owners’ would order a new router. That was it, no update and nothing was fixed during our stay. This and the tired furnishings gave us the impression that the apartment wasn’t really loved or cared about. This apartment has so much potential and doesn’t require much spent on it to make it great again. The views are amazing, no doubt about that, but the inside really lets it down especially if the weather isn’t great and you have to be inside! We are booked to return in September and hope the owners take onboard our constructive comments as with a little tlc this apartment could be perfect.

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