“The property was well decorated, very clean, well equipped, warm and roomy.”
There's plenty of parking although getting in and out could be a little tricky unless you all went out at the same time, the main parking was around the rear down a slope, the rear entrance to the bungalow was up a steep stone staircase at the back not suitable for kids, disabled or elderly. Theres a few steps at the front, it states garden in the description but it was a couple of strips of grass around the parking area not a garden you could use and was unsafe for children to play there. There's no drive gate it's just an open space. The photos online are a little deceiving as it looks like the property is on its own but in fact it's surrounded by other houses with the hotel/pub behind it, although it didn't seem to be noisy. The other drawback was that the property was on a steep hill so as half our party had walking issues it wasn't very good. In the online photos we saw a garage door on the property and wrongly assumed we could use the garage to store our mobility scooters, but this was not available so we had to keep them in our car any time we went anywhere, we should have specified needing the garage storage. There was only one front door key and one back door key which also made things difficult, the property sleeps 7 so people were restricted on going out in separately. Most of the beds were good except for the twin bedroom where the mattresses were very uncomfortable you could feel springs. It may sound really silly but the other problem I had personally was that I have arthritis in my hands/fingers and all the internal door handles, they looked lovely but they had such a strong stiff mechanism that I could not open the doors. There was a sea view from the smallish balcony and in the advert it showed a patio table and chairs which was not actually there, only two rusty old fold up chairs which were very unsteady. As I said it's a lovely clean property just was not suitable for us, half our party left 3 days early, so we wouldn't stay there again.
It's disappointing that you did not find the property fitted your needs exactly. But, in fairness to me as the owner and to the property itself, I shall address your concerns one by one.
Firstly the parking. It is true that the parking, although ample and generous, can be challenging for some drivers
We have plans to change this in the coming years with the front of the property given over solely for parking. Also, the gateway will be widened.
The steps at the back are a fact of the property that cannot be changed. Again, in the future, they are to be replaced with a second balcony although, for fire safety reasons, there will still be steps. Steps and stairs are unfortunately a fact of life in many properties.
Most of my guests use the front steps to access the property where there is a rail.
The garden is sloping. Again there is very little I can do about this. As for the gate,I feel that any sort of barrier would make entrance onto the drive a hindrance.
The property is not on its own. I feel the pictures adequately illustrate this quite well
The hotel to the front, is never noisy. It is well run and guests usually find it convenient to pop in for a drink or a meal which are excellent.
As to the hill, I can do nothing to alter the topography surrounding the property.
The garage has never been part of the package. On booking the property, it is always advisable to contact Sykes who will then contact me. This way, any queries can be answered promptly, allowing a customer to make an informed choice and decision about the property they are booking.
If more keys are required, please ask. When I welcome guests at the property, I always invite them to approach me with a problem or request as I did with your party.
The beds and mattresses in the double room are about to be replaced as are the doorknobs.
The balcony may not be the largest but it certainly is not the smallest.
Patio furniture is normally placed on the balcony at the start of April when the weather improves.
Ad I have said, I am sorry the property did not suit you or your family.
I hope that on any future occasion when booking a cottage, you will have a better relationship with the property you select.
Property Owner
