Last Minute Cottages in Torquay

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jenni-emily - Verified booking

  Overall we enjoyed our stay at Sienna Cottage.

  It provided a great, comfortable base for our holiday and we would reccommend to others and return ourselves. The sofa was particularly nice, very comfy and the beds and mattresses were comfy too which is great. Its in the perfect location for exploring the English Riviera and South West Coast Path and although is in a busily area inside the cottage is peaceful and quiet. The added benefit of off road parking was welcome, especially due to the road being very narrow and often tricky to navigate due to all the other parked cars and potholes. However we did find that it lacked a few essentials and other things that we would usually expect to find in a cottage of this calibre and price point. Essentials wise, the grill pan was missing its handle which is a H&S issue, there was no hand soap provided in the bathroom or kitchen and no cleaning stuff or bin bags in the kitchen to keep it clean during our stay - we would not usually expect to have to provide these things ourselves. When arriving there was only half a roll of toilet paper in each toilet, quite a measly offering. The cleanliness of the main bathroom could have been better, we found the bath plug hole blocked up with a huge matt of hair and grime which was unpleasant to remove but necessary as the bath wasnt draining properly and the handles on the bathroom drawers were dirty and flaky. The cottage was otherwise very clean and presentable. The heating was set very high and came on by itself during the night and the instructions to operate the temperature were not obvious. The front window in the master bedroom did not shut properly meaning a lot of noise was let in at night. Finally, the welcome book gives no where near enough information on things like refuse/recycling expectations, the state in which you expect us to leave the cottage (where to leave towels & linen ect) it was very very minimal and could really benefit from an update. Additionally, a couple of things that would be appreciated/nice to have and would vastly improve the comfort of a stay at the cottage: Curtains in the bedroom: although the wooden blinds look great, they do not block out any light and also offer no heat or sound insulation. We found ourselves being woken early by the light coming in and often by noises coming through. Curtains would have been very much appreciated and would fix this issue. A shoe rack in the hall would be great, there is space for a good sized one behind the front door and would help to keep the hall tidy during a stay. A key ring on the key would be really helpful, as would a second key. There were times when we really could have done with a second key and this is something that's been available in any other place weve stayed. There was no lock on the gates as is advised on the listing. It would be great if some of these comments could be taken into consideration. Nothing said above is meant as criticism, all just feedback on things that either really do need addressing or would be beneficial to add/improve.

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• Bridget - Verified booking

  Having been assured that the house would be deep cleaned before our stay I was horrified by the state of the place.

  It was extremely disappointing. On opening the front door and seeing the place for the first time I really didn’t know if I actually could bear to stay there for a whole week. Putting new geraniums in pots outside was no answer to making the rooms fresh and clean and clearing out all the clutter. The big bedroom on the right was so very dirty that no one would sleep in it. We found cloth and huge dust balls under the bed. It was disgraceful. The pillows and under sheet were not clean in the other two bedrooms. Only one bedroom on the right was of a decent standard. The carpets were so grubby and not suitable for my 9 month granddaughter to crawl on. The kitchen was haphazard and badly equipped. We had to take a door off the kitchen cupboard on the first night as it was loose and dangerous. The whole place was fusty and grubby. It was actually creepy to be there. The patio was unswept. The list goes on. As I had been in touch with Sykes before about the state of the house and been reassured that it would be deep cleaned I was hugely disappointed to find such an unbelievably dirty place. I expected some refund. I also recommend that you take this property off your books as it doesn’t reflect well on your company to have such a substandard property on your books. I shall email photos.

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• Andrew - Verified booking

  The house was great and ideally situated to visit the local area.

  However, in the description it says off road parking for 2 cars. From this, and the photos I assumed I would be able to park on the property. This was basically impossible. The property is situated on a private road / lane. Many residents park in this narrow road which caused a problem when trying to get into the gate. Eventually after much shunting I got my Ford Kuga down the side of the property with minimal clearance each side of the car. However, I could only get the car into the property in reverse due to the difficult access. By reversing all the way to the bottom my passengers could exit the vehicle, but I couldn't. We also couldn't open the hatchback. I had to drive back out of the gate and park outside on the road. Unfortunately the adjacent neighbour had a motorbike and a car parked outside their house and part of our house. I had to park across the gateway. This then made it difficult for the neighbour opposite to exit his drive. So I think the listing description needs to make it clear that parking is outside the property in the lane / road. It in fact does state this in the file of information inside the property. As I've already said though the house was fine. Maybe a more comprehensive information file? The only technical info in there was for the heating.

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• Deborah - Verified booking

  The cottage was lovely & well presented when we arrived.

  Great location if not a little hilly but close to the harbour which was excellent. Nice little touches for our dog. A few board games we made use of on our first night as it was very wet out. However, description of cottage doesn’t mention shared outdoor space. This is access for an apartment. Could do with knowing this before booking. Outdoor space hasn’t been used by anyone for a long time! Was quite hot when we were there would have been nice to sit out but covered by trees and cobwebs. No blinds at that rear door so people passing through can see in! Make sure you’re dressed! Only one pan to cook up a ‘culinary delight’ as advertised. Not many utensils but we weren’t that bothered as we ate out every night. The sofa could do with being replaced. Very flat and old and very uncomfortable. No mention of the parking being at the bottom of a dark driveway. Only one security light stayed on for seconds. Not enough to get up the hill to the house. The photo in the advert shows parking bays at the front door. These seem to be for the owners only. Misleading. We had an issue with neighbours one night which was very scary, shouting in the street then in the premises. Torquay itself, we had a great week away.

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• John - Verified booking

  As advertised there is parking for two cars but the entrance is not wide so the combination of a largish vehicle and parked cars and bins in the lane made access difficult.

  On a couple of days the wind was strong enough to move the gates so one had to be held open. Tricky if you are alone. Maybe a couple of hooks to hold them in place? We did speculate that why so many people waxed lyrical about the bus service was because once parked they didn't want to repeat the process too often. The parking and outside seating areas look unkempt with grass and weeds growing in the block paving. In a self-catering property you should not expect anything but on previous stays in Sykes cottages we have found fresh eggs, home-made cake and even bottles of wine on arrival. So we were somewhat surprised at Siena when there wasn't even a bag in the rubbish bin. However, liquid soap was provided (Covid related?). The only other things we found were a teabag in an open sachet and a single tube of sugar - the welcome pack? We were only two people so the cottage was more than adequate for our needs and apart from some long hairs behind the bathroom door and dust on parts of the skirting boards it was very clean.

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