Last Minute Cottages in the West Midlands

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Philip - Verified booking

  First the good news !

  This is a pretty little cottage within the courtyard of a restored & converted stable block. The village of West Felton is a lovely quiet Shropshire village just off the main A5 trunk road but far enough off it to be very quiet and peaceful. All the villagers we met were friendly & chatty and there is a very useful village shop and post office (post office open Wednesdays a.m.only). Sadly the village pub, the Punch Bowl, has seen better times and needs a big chunk of investment to compete with the nearby Queens Head just a mile down the road. Hope it survives ! Oswestry is just a few minutes down the road where there is more choice & several supermarkets. The cottage itself has been updated with new kitchen, bathroom and two very pleasant bedrooms (one with super king bed !). The cottage is small, ok for two but we though four adults would struggle. The refurbished bathroom is downstairs next to the kitchen which can be a bit of a hassle if you need a quick dash to the loo in the night ! This involves negotiating the steep narrow staircase with some strange step arrangements where they meet the bedrooms - needs a lot of care to negotiate safely ! The "not so good" bits ! - We have stayed at lots of Sykes cottages but this is the first one where we almost turned round and left when we saw the lounge carpet. It truly looked as though someone had held a pop festival on it, grubby, badly stained. Only fit for the skip I'm afraid. Really needs a hard floor to be in keeping with the cottage character & to cope with the wear & tear it obviously gets. The place needs a bit of TLC in a few places too - my first shower had to be aborted due to the shower waste not working properly. Had to set to and clean it out which was a bit unexpected. Similar the dishwasher which needed its filters cleaning out to work properly and the detergent dispenser wouldn't close so it was hand washing up - again not a show stopper. To maximise space the lounge has a fold down dining table with some integrated dining chairs - truly the most uncomfortable things we have ever sat on even with the addition of a cushion ! Its a shame that a bit more attention to detail & maintenance hadn't been paid because its a lovely place & could be a lot better. The owners were away when we were there otherwise we would have knocked on the door and explained all of this to them. Don't be put off, its a nice place but bear in mind the downstairs bathroom, steep narrow stairs if you have mobility issues. This is a dog friendly cottage & we had our dog with us - however the two black cats & the free range hens are boss so watch the dog !!

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• Belinda - Verified booking

  My Husband and I stayed at this property for a week following lockdown.

  The property is a traditional farmhouse full of character and original features but with modern kitchen and bathrooms. It looks very Impressive as you come over the hill on the approach. It stands in its own large garden overlooking open countryside. There are a couple of other properties nearby yet you are not overlooked. The covered hot tub area is ideal; it is decked out allowing easy access to the large well maintained hot tub. It looked exactly as on the pictures and is a nice private area. It allowed us to spend many relaxing hours looking out at the lovely countryside; even had the privilege of seeing the Tawny Owl flying past (what a bonus). The owl box is in the large tree at the side of the hot tub area so you can hear him hooting around 9pm as he prepares to go off hunting. The house is well kitted out, even a few basic food provisions to get you started. Plenty of logs for the two log burners too. Bedding and towels are of good quality with luxury mattress toppers and pillow protectors. Made for a good nights sleep as the bed was very comfortable. We are keen walkers and the surrounding area provided lots of opportunity for easy or strenuous walks. You can even walk from the door. The owners are really lovely people, very friendly and approachable. Their home is fairly close but your privacy is well respected; they are not at all intrusive. We felt they went to great lengths to ensure our stay was enjoyable; nothing was too much trouble (super hosts in fact

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• Maureen - Verified booking

  We usually have three or four holidays each year in the UK.

  Over the years we’ve never gone back to the same place twice, preferring to explore different parts of the country on our trips away. Lower Hodre is the only exception to this ‘rule’ of ours. We first discovered it in 2019 and loved it so much we booked again for 2020. (The first time we’ve ever done this.). Unfortunately Covid lockdowns scuppered these plans and that holiday was held over until this year - the week we’ve just come back from last Friday. It’s still the most comfortable, luxurious home and tranquil location we remembered so fondly from our previous visit. Emma, the owner, is still the most superb Host: nothing is too much trouble for her and she really does go the extra mile to ensure her guests have anything and everything they need. In short, Lower Hodre is definitely our most favourite holiday let anywhere in the UK. So much so I shall be ringing you tomorrow (Monday September 13th) to book yet another week at this fabulous place for next year. We’re hoping to reserve the week from the 9th to the 16th September in 2022. Now you can’t get a better recommendation than that, can you?!

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• Cyndi - Verified booking

  I booked Lower Hodre to celebrate my 30th birthday with a group of close friends.

  I wanted to stay somewhere secluded, big enough, cosy enough and with a hot tub and enjoy a weekend away in the countryside.... I was not disappointed!! Everyone had an amazing time. Emma, the host, was so accommodating, kind, friendly and welcoming of us into her home. You can tell Emma has a genuine care for her guests and wants them to enjoy their stay in her property which was really lovely to experience. The place was immaculate. Check in was mega easy. I think this was the best hot tub I've been in - extremely clean and maintained very well. Bonus that it was so close to the house and undercover too. There was plenty of space for us all. The house itself was gorgeous. The kitchen was very well equipped too, with all the essentials. I couldn't have picked a better place for us to stay. Emma, thank you so much. I'd love to come back one day! All the best xx

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• Tania - Verified booking

  We stayed at Lower Hodre for 90th birthday celebrations there was 9 adults, 2 children & a dog.

  It was a very rural location which was perfect for the get away we had in mind. There are local amenities within a 10 minute drive away. There is limited phone signal but there was internet provided which worked in certain areas of the property. The host, Emma, was extremely friendly & helpful. We had read from previous reviews that Emma had put on food for previous guests so we asked for a buffet to be put on which was outstanding, there was plenty left over! The 90th birthday boy used a walking stick & managed to navigate the house safely, there are a number of stairs & low beams to be aware of. The hot tub went down a treat with the children. Plenty of beautiful walks surrounding the area which proved popular with the dog. The property has a natural rustic feel with ample heating. The log fires were laid ready for our use with spectacular views.

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