Cornwall Self Catering cottage, Windrush, Newquay, sleeps 8

Needs TLC & safety measures
This property is in desperate need of some TLC, upgrades and repairs. Promotional photos on Sykes cottages website are not the reality of what you get with this accommodation. We paid a premium price as we expected to, for a Christmas week rental, however we were extremely disappointed with the standard of the facilities and the cleanliness of the property. This is not a premium rental; this is only 1 star at best and that rating is based purely on its fabulous location. Sykes cottages need to urgently re-evaluate the current 4 star rating to give a more accurate representation of this tired property. The property smelt damp and musty. The first day was spent purchasing fragranced diffusers, cleaning products and Christmas decorations to make the rooms look festive. The single token Christmas tree provided in the lounge was old, dusty and looked like it had been dragged up from the basement. The welcome offerings were very minimal for a party of 8 adults. Dusty fittings and plenty of cobwebs, dirty skirting boards and patio door surrounds. Tired and very distressed furniture, including the beds. The internal bannister is held together by black plastic bag ties. The dining table sits 6 adults at most. The internal doors are chipped and scuffed with large chunks missing from the door closures. Black mould was present around the window frames of the first-floor double bedroom and around the en suite bathroom shower. The top floor shower outlet was blocked and nearly caused a flood first time it was used. Fortunately, there was a plunger on site, so we were able to unblock the hair and debris blocking the drain. Guests should not have to do this. The duvets on every bed were paper thin and had duvet covers that were not long enough so did not fit, old blankets were used to disguise the gap. The pillows were ancient, flat and well used, the ones that had pillow protectors were dirty. The mattress covers were older than the pillows and of a very poor state of repair. The TV remote was broken and a challenge to use to even get the TV to come on. The information booklets are tattered, dated and do not resemble half the appliances. We were promised a basket of logs for the open fire and got a few lumps of coal left for us instead. The garden is overgrown and unkept with little resemblance to the promotional photos. There was an upturned patio table full of stagnant water on the balcony and old rusty furniture piled up in a heap at the back of the property. Generally, the external lighting is poor, some lights appear not to work which overall is a potential safety hazard when arriving back in the dark as the steps are slippery when wet. There is a section of clothesline strung across the top of the path that nearly garrotted a guest as it was not visible in the dark. There is no handrail for the steps leading up to the front door for those guests with restricted mobility. The limited access to the property was not mentioned on the Sykes cottages bookings page. It gives no pleasure to have to write this review, but this rental property is not value for money on any level. We had no choice but to make the best of it due to the large party of our friends and family travelling to Cornwall who were already booked into their own far superior accommodation across Mawgan Porth. Not a property we would consider ever visiting again
1944ianm
2019-12-29