Beachside

Wonderful location for a base on holiday in North Cornwall.

Loved the very comfortable upper floor living setup. Numerous seating areas in the garden to catch the sun or keep in the shade. Good cooking equipment, extra freezer in the shed a real bonus as fridge in the kitchen not very big. Lovely bonus of welcome pack- thank you. Note that 3 of the glasses were broken on arrival. Minimal space and storage in the bedrooms. Great to have 3 showers (including one outside - great for getting rid of the sand!!). We hope to return next year

Love the new conservatory!

We had a lovely stay!!!

John Bray Customer Services Good morning – thanks for sending a review linked with ref – 3VG2R-24-EN Our family stayed at Beachside in Polzeath from 17th October – 1 week.

I class myself as a loyal customer with John Bray looking at my history of booking I think we have booked for the last 20+ years One reservation sometimes two cottages a year. I have never had to write a complaint email as we have always had good, well equipped and clean rentals. Unfortunately, this last week we had several issues with Beachside. It started on our arrival on Friday when we had no hot water or hearting to the upstairs of the property – which is the kitchen and sitting room After looking in the manual left on the table the pages regarding the heating / hot water were missing. We managed that evening and boiled the kettle several times so wash – up etc. On Saturday at 1050 I decided to call the Emergency number as the thought of no water and heating for the week was not a holiday. The service was good and an emergency reference was given via txt – COR- 448914-CF and we would have a visit from an engineer to see what the issue was. The engineer came after lunch but as he was unaware of the property and its maintenance he had to come back later the same day. 1700hrs he visited the property to look at the new boiler which was infer warranty reset it and we had water and heating. It was suggested to leave running the water for a while and let the boiler warm up with the heating which is what we did When we ran the tap half an hour later it tripped the boiler again, so we had to call the emergency number to ask the engineer to come back and reset it. Engineer arrived 45 mins later – 3rd visit to the property and reset the boiler. It was suggested to maybe leave the water and just use the boiler for the heating – he also kindly brought two emergency electric heaters so if it happened again we had a back up. As it was Sunday the next day, he said they could not call out a specialised engineer for that boiler till Monday – he didn’t want to work on it as it was a new boiler and under the warranty. So, on Sunday we refrained from using the tap in the kitchen so not to trip the boiler and loose the heating. Monday, we attempted using the tap as we know we could as for the Boiler Engineer to come and look at it – luckily it was working Looking back at it that was Friday – Monday with water and heating issues – not a good start to our much needed only holiday of the year. Moving on to the rest of the week we had other small issues – but maybe bigger ones for the property owners I would think. Obviously, there were bad storms last week – but realised that the conservatory roof had quite a significant leak and water was coming through the ceiling. We got a bowl for the rest of the time we were there it dripped away. From the bedroom there was also drips heard above us in the roof space so I imagine there may be a bigger problem. The downstairs end shower /toilet room had clogged drains. Which meant having a shower had to be a quick process otherwise the tray would overflow. Same with the small hand sink in the same bathroom. It’s good to have washing facilities but unfortunately the tumble dryer was broken and not working. Lastly, we always make a good effort as a family to give the house a good clean before we leave so its not far from when we start our rental. We went to the shed and found the hoover was also not working this again was extremely disappointing this resulted in using a very cheap dustpan and brush for the whole house. As you can see from the above points our only holiday was not as smooth as it could have been due to the property issues and I only hope the family who take the house this week don’t have ALL the same issues. We feel as a family we should reimbursed with a small amount of compensation for the numerous issues we have had during our week stay. The property is fabulous location and one of the best we have booked – we might be keen to reserve it next year if the issues are resolved We look forward to your reply in all of these matters. Regards The Daw family

Lovely stay lovely location not a lot of wardrobes or cupboards in bed rooms but this is a minor point would definitely stay again

Wonderful location.

Clean, comfortable and well equipped. (Just need a new vacuum cleaner though.) Ideal for dogs too. We all would very much like to stay there again.

Fantastic location, lovely views over the beach.

Outdoor shower -great idea. House would have been even better with a decent clean. There is a downstairs “lounge” area which would have been great to convert into twin/double bedroom rather than have a small,dark single bedroom.

The location is unbeatable.

Only 1 minute to the beach. Some people mentioned the noise of the extractor fan from the Waterfront bar, but we barely noticed it. We liked the house. We had to keep our food on the kitchen counter as the kitchen cupboards were full of unnecessary crockery. We would have liked another fridge in the shed where the washing machine is. The under the counter fridge was too small. Parking was great. Overall a good place to stay.

Beachside is a fabulous holiday home.

It's location is perfect for accessing the beach, shops and pub. The property is equipped with everything you need to fully enjoy your holiday and would certainly return.

We loved our holiday in this house!

It worked really well to have the living area upstairs, and the bedrooms downstairs, and sitting on the balcony looking out at the beach and sea was just perfect. You couldn't really ask for a better location, and everything we needed was included in the property too.

We really like the location, beds were ok and linen nice, secure garden for dogs and balcony with amazing view.

The place is dated and the tiled shower room in much need of a good scrub and paint. Lots of mould on the grout. General cleanliness was ok but there were loads of high level cobwebs, mould on the window shutters and the shower room was a bit gross. Location fab so that makes up for the cleanliness, kitchen well equipped, smaller than appears on advert so difficult to clothing away (clever storage solutions needed).

We have stayed once before and enjoy this beachside house very much.

Perfect location, all facilities that you need and all round a lively spot to stay. A bit compact in the bedrooms and bathrooms but who cares when you are on hols? Would recommend

Having read the reviews we were aware of the restaurant vent noise but luckily ( unfortunately for us) the weather was not good enough to need to keep the door open to the balcony.

The property is certainly “compact “ and a bit of a squeeze for 5 . The beds and pillows were very comfortable and the linen soft and clean. Towels were a welcome addition and also soft and clean. There is no kitchen storage for any food items and I needed to defrost the small freezer section of the fridge, as someone had left it on but not shut the freezer door properly so it was full of ice and we couldn’t put anything in it. There are frying pans which are flaking off the non stick surface which definitely need replacing. I couldn’t find a potato masher. I would agree that the position of the property sells itself and also accounts for the high price . Everything else worked fine. No box for glass recycling so we either had to take it to campsite or put it in green bin, which it says not to do . Property did smell damp downstairs and there were areas where black mould had been cleaned off. We did live by coast in past so are aware this is often an issue in coastal properties. Property was clean enough

Fantastic location and loved the balcony.

Clean bedlinen and plenty of towels. But the house could have done with a more thorough clean (under sofa and in corners).

Great location across from beach handy outside shower and utility shed lots of room for parking.

House needs more storage space very compact not much room in the bathrooms. Had two kettles, one was broken the other leaked water very dangerous call was made and was replaced. A new freezer turned up with no prior warning on day two. Had a great holiday

The house is lovely and in a great location .

So much parking. It would be lovely to have better furniture on the balcony as that’s where we spent most of our time and had to use our beach chairs. The freezer in the shed didn’t work so we only had the small section on the fridge to use. The tv reception was very bad and unusable most of the time. Every room could do with a good clean . I was in the twin and there were cobwebs between the bedside cabinets and beds. The window sills behind the blinds hadn’t been cleaned. The double divan base was stained on the sides. The bedside lamp shades were broken. The washing machine drawer has black mould in it. There is also no storage cupboard for food in the kitchen. We had a great week thanks just things that maybe other guests haven’t reported.

We love this quirky house with unrivalled access to Polzeath beach and a magnificent view.

The very small shower rooms and mini-kitchen might make the house tricky for older people and children, but for everyone else this is a great-value option!

Stayed here last year and had a good time so booked again.

We love the property and proximity to the beach. It has everything we need. A welcome addition were the two new sun loungers which we put to good use when the weather was hot. It was also appreciated that the outdoor shower canopy had been replaced and extended over the entrance door. It was disappointing that the BT Internet and TV did not work on arrival. However John Bray responded to my call on the Saturday morning. They sent a man round to check who came back later to check the voltage on the tv and brought a dongle so we could connect to the Internet. The tv still did not work so they provided a replacement. Can't fault John Brays response at all. The issue was deemed to be a BT issue but after we had watched Eurovision we didn't really need the TV. The owner's collection of DVD's kept us entertained. The house was warm and had everything we needed. Even a washing machine and tumble dryer out in the shed. Both of the bathrooms could do with a paint update, but in the bigger ofvthe two the shower cubicle had been updated since our last visit. In some rooms the cleaners could pay a bit more attention to dusting the skirting boards and the louvre doors as they were thick eith dust in the room with 2 single beds. The rooms could do with some shelves for storing things like hair dryer and make up as the one unit with two drawers is not big enough. Both bathrooms need more shelves as there is not enough room to put anything. The wet room also gets wet from the shower and leaks under the door into the hall so a towel has to be put down in the hall and it definitely needs more storage in there. As I said at the start this is our second stay abd despite the small niggles we love it and hope to return again next year.

Great location, good use of internal space to give as much comfort as possible but I am not sure the bathroom doors / size of bathrooms are accessible for those with mobility restrictions.

I also think the damp /Mold in bedrooms needs to be dealt with or declared in the listing. I have chronic asthma, luckily I have it under control but anyone with a young asthmatic or someone with immune / breathing issues would find this problematic and possible cause of a deterioration in health. Kitchen and house was well equipped, especially compared to latitude 50 houses in the area. But dishwasher is awful - better to get my teenager to do it badly but quicker… Would have been nice to have a washing line and a few more tumblers / water glasses in ratio to wine glasses! I know from having lived near the sea, windows are problematic but they desperately need a clean.

-excellent location/ proximity to beach -Good parking space -Good outside garden space -great outside shower to rinse off wet suits -Loads of wine glasses -Lovely clean comfy beds -Great to have ben linen and house towels included -Needs new drying rack for wet clothes and swim suits -old style Windows in lounge area not placed low enough to appreciate view from sofa -old style Windows in downstairs bedrooms can’t be left open at night for safety and security reasons so not adequate for ventilation especially when hot weather -Heater in twin bedroom is on permanently which is a big problem in very hot weather -Old Leather sofas really need replacing -No cleaning products or equipment to clean up properly when leaving -Not much kitchen equipment -no clear instructions on how to leave linens and towels on exit - totally unnecessary and aggressive tone in documentation regarding failure to comply with cleaning and breakage etc especially as there was no further instruction or cleaning products or broom/ washing up sponge etc or what to do with bed linen and towels Overall good but probably could be cheaper Mid and High season price are way too high

When we arrived there was no running hot water - we discovered that the boiler fuse was turned off.

Once it was on every time we turned on the hot tap there was a loud reverberating noise throughout the house. There was also a bedroom radiator that we could not turn off in the heat. The main light overhead of the steep stairs was not working (I have an 88 year old husband) and we had to ring for an electrician. All of these should have been checked and sorted before we arrived. Much of the china was really dirty and we had to rewash it before use. There was only 1 dishwasher tablet (maybe why everything was so grubby), no vegetable peeler, washing up brush, recycling bags as demanded by the green recyling bin outside etc. There were less cereal bowls than the house accommodates - odd mismatching selection of tired china. No House instructions on what was required pre leaving We put on a dvd (great selection) but it would only show black and white so we gave up. Opposite the enticing looking balcony is an extremely loud extractor fan running all hours from the restaurant in front of the property. Under the sofas etc there was dust everywhere. Sadly someone had gone to some trouble to design the place and decorate it and its central position with a sea view is great. The parking and little garden too was a bonus. It needed proper maintenance and care.

We had a great stay.

Admittedly the property is looking a bit tired in places, the walls and skirting boards need a paint and some of the windows have broken handles. The downstairs small bathroom has a dodgy toilet roll holder as it fell off the bracket. Overall the quality of the crockery and cutlery were high, there were ample of each and the pots and pans were clean and plenty of them. The appliances were all good and clean. The only criticism I had with the kitchen was a lack of cupboard space to store our food, but a bit of juggling I made some room. The sofas are also tired and do sag a bit but I understand it is rented out to dog owners as well and dogs will climb on even though they shouldn't. The bedding was all crisp and clean as were the towels and the beds were comfortable. Wardrobes were a bit small and not enough hangers. Although I did make use of anns cottage for their free ones to use. It was a bonus having the utility area with washer and dryer that came in useful. The garden was a good size and a real suntrap we enjoyed sitting out in. The supply of tea towels and washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets was appreciated. It wasn't quite a home from home but close and certainly better than our two previous rentals. Would definitely stay again. Location was fantastic being so close to the beach. A little bit of tlc with decorating would make it perfect. I again had issues with the cleaning as hair was left in the plughole in the white shower and dust bunnies in the corners and as per the last rental we stayed in no-one bothers to move the beds to vacuum but that is on the cleaners not the owners. Another review from March 2023 really gave this property a bad review but after staying I disagree with that review. The noisy extractor fan of the waterfront restaurant that she complained about had me worried as I am a light sleeper, but honestly it is noisy in the day but only if our door open or you are outside but it switches off about 10-11pm and only starts again when they open in the morning so wasn't an issue. Just goes to show people react differently to things.

Lovely position, close to beach, shops and restaurants with nice view from lounge.

Behind Waterfront restaurant so some extractor noise from restaurant but not a problem. The settees were extremely uncomfortable. The double bed felt small, no hanging space for clothes in bedrooms. Initially internet did not work but established it was not plugged in, good when fixed. Central heating came on overnight and required a call out to fix it. Could do with a smart TV. Impressed with the 47 wine glasses, enough for everyone. Overall we had a good time and the property with the location it had was well priced. Good value for money.

Location of property for the beach is great and that’s about it.

It took me a couple of days to realize that what I thought was the sound of the sea was in fact the giant extractors from restaurant in front of the property. Property is really tired and needs care i would have expected this to be air b&b at a lowe price as it felt an extension of someone’s home and not to the standard I was expecting. Cleanliness was on the lower end - Blinds were showing mold The kitchen window seem to be welded shut slung with some other windows no ventilation when cooking No control of heating set to a timer and was to hot There was no Wi-Fi pick up of what was detailed in the notes The cooker would randomly start to beeb The sofa was torn and when sat on seem to be broken or very sunken / worn with the cushions that looked and felt dirty the toilet / showers were tiny Your clothes couldn’t hang correctly in the wardrobe as they were so small. I’m really sorry to give this feedback but for the price i was so disappointed when you work hard and pay a decent price for a holiday cottage I would expect a better standard . I definitely will not be using Sykes again.

My husband and I had a wonderful stay at beachside with our dogs.

We will definitely be back! Thank you so much xx

What a fantastic position this property is in.

It is exactly as named, a beach house. Cosy and compact downstairs, quirky with a bit of a view upstairs. We love Polzeath and being so close to the beach elevates this for us.

Lovely house, fantastic location.

Well equipped.

This house was perfect.

Direct access to the beach and an outdoor shower to rinse off before going inside. However, we found that some of the crockery was dirty and needed rewashing. Underneath the sofa needed dusting and the bulbs didn't work in the dining area. This did not impact our visit as it was August. Dust I can live with but I would have loved clean crockery. Absolutely gorgeous house, slept really well. Would definitely recommend. Jackie

This property is in a great location near the beach & village.

Good points: Location Parking; ample parking for 4 cars. Upside down layout with living area upstairs. Garden space. Plenty of DVD’s supplied. Bad points: Second (non electric) shower never got hot. Garden areas scruffy & needs weeding. Quite a lot of furnishings warn & needs replacing, including string needs replacing on most blinds, shower with electric shower needs grouting as mouldy in places, not enough glasses & relying on glasses ‘pinched from the pub’, but plenty of champagne flutes(!), mismatched/old crockery & pans eg 6 pan lids & 3 small pans, saucers with no cups, dishwasher needs replacing as does not clean as evidenced by dirty crockery when we arrived & fridge in kitchen needs replacing as old & worn out. In summary someone needs to spend a couple of days in the property fixing & checking. John Bray holidays feedback. We phoned on first morning to advise no pans big enough to cook for family of four. Chased next day, pans eventually arrived 4 days into our week. In reality this property is blocked solid so will always do well, but for the money just needs a bit of smartening up.

The location of this property was perfect for us.

The outside shower for our wetsuits was a great asset. It was remarkably quiet. The house itself was lovely with the living room upstairs. We would love to return next year but cannot see any availability.

Our third visit and coming back in August as we love this house, for its quirkiness and location.

If we were picky we would say the grass needed cutting but everything else was perfect thank you.