Puffin Cottage

A great cottage, exactly as described with fantastic views

As a long time Sykes Cottages supplier, and provider of holiday rental accomomodation I have to report on a very poor holiday experience at Puffin Cottage this year.

We did take this property last year and we therefore have some basis for comparison, and for our expectations. The small print of the owner, is an extensive document which covers her fully from any criticism which might be made by a tenant. It is a detailed list of the many do’s and dont’s involved in THIS property. What it doesn’t say is as important as what it does say, so you have to be at your intellectual best to prepare for this stay. 1. Tenant’s who often rent holiday property will be used to the provision of cleaning materials by the owners, which are generally used by their cleaners at changeover. Puffin Cottage provide the dregs of a small washing up liquid 2 dishwasher tablets, a dish cloth and ONE tea towel. 2. Last year a small selection of spices, oil, salt & pepper, tea bags had been left by previous tenants, but this year the place had been stripped bare. It cost over £50 at the local Coop to get salt & pepper, scourers , washing up liquid, cleaner, etc what you might expect, based on custom and practice, does not apply here….it’s in the small print. 3. Last year I recall that a washing machine was provided in the downstairs bedroom, but that door was locked this year, so no easy way to wash a few clothes. 4. This year we found the bed in the main bedroom was a serious problem. For 3 nights we could not get a comfortable night’s sleep. The nights were hot and still, no fan is provided, (nowadays mandatory in hotel rooms without a/c.) We were too hot , sweaty and sleepless. Looking deeper for the problem we found that the mattress has been covered with no less than 4 toppers, making a sandwich of 2x regular topper and 2x WATERPROOF topper, ensuring the the mattress would be perfectly dry, while the sleepers and bedding above would be wet through with sweat. 5. There are unlit, difficult steps down to the road from the cottage. The owners instructions offer a torch and the PIR light on the front of the house, but neither worked. 6. The owner expects tenants to strip bedding etc , bundle it and place it in the summer house for collection. I refuse to pay these prices and do the cleaners job as well. In summary, our holiday was ruined by poor sleeping conditions. It is a mark of serious disrespect to the tenant that an owner would go to these lengths with the bedding, which are typical of a nursing home with incontinent people, but the owner clearly values her property above the comfort of her tenants. We will certainly not be back at this cottage next year, having returned home tired out from coping with life at Puffin Cottage.

We had a totally fab week at Puffin Cottage.

Lovely, large and extremely comfy bed upstairs, very well-equipped kitchen, gorgeous views, great outside space, and super communication with owner/housekeeper when we couldn’t find the cutlery drawer! I do think the bright red sofa/curtains and some of the art could be replaced for something more Cornish feeling. Then the place would be perfect!! Worth nothing: if there are four of you, there is basically no storage space in the second bedroom. There were four of us for just two nights of our holiday and it worked well for that, but a whole week for four would have been a stretch! We would most certainly return to Puffin Cottage after our wonderful first holiday here.

The kitchen cupboards are high and present a challenge to shorter people.

There is no step ladder do the options are going without or climbing on a stool which is always unwise. I am 5'2" and had difficulty.

Beautiful cottage with great views over St Mawes from the bedroom and lounge, with a very well placed bench in the front garden to soak up the views.

Very clean throughout and well described with all equipment you need for your stay. We were a family of 3 and our short stay was just not long enough, so we'll just have to come back for another stay in Puffin Cottage.

Puffin cottage has been renovated to a high standard and is thoughtfully kitted out.

The information on arrival was simple and early access was appreciated. The views are stunning and you could never bore of them, I wish we could bring them home. Despite an issue with the heating, which every effort and alternative solution was found, we were very comfortable. We would definitely come back and recommend to others! If there is a small thing that could be added it would be some tea, coffee etc on arrival.

An wonderful cottage.

Clean and with everything that we needed to have a great holiday. Great location and with views over the harbour, highly recommended.

The pro's: unexpectedly well equipped kitchen, good knives.

Great views, pleasant outdoor dining situation. The con's: the sitting room furniture was uncomfortable and unless you bought logs and had a fire, very dull.

A wonderful cottage, comfortable and clean with stunning views across st Mawes.

The cottage was an absolute delight.

With great views of the harbour and beyond

The cottage was as described and was very well appointed.

We had a truly delightful stay in Puffin Cottage.

The views are stunning, house was in excellent condition and we had everything we needed.

Lovely cottage with wonderful views.

Incredibly clean and well prepared. Really enjoyed being in the property, especially reading on the lovely window seats. The cottage is very much as described. My only negative (and its a very minor point) is the chunky wine glasses. They are unusable. Unfortunately the glasses that were purchased by a previous occupant appear to have been removed. I had a email exchange with the owner who responded very promptly and very favourably. Unlike an earlier comment I certainly didn't feel I was in someone else's house. Hope to return soon.

We loved Puffin Cottage and view was lovely.

Comfortable bed in main upstairs bedroom with amazing views. Great for two people but felt it would not suit four. Crockery very limited and dining in the kitchen would be very cramped for four adults. Second bedroom has no windows and only gains light from shower room. Cottage next door has access across front of Puffin cottage which is very narrow if sitting out on front bench. One bath towel each for a week with no washing machine.

Lovely cottage with amazing views.

Already planning our next trip.

The location of Puffin Cottage is perfect and the views are wonderful.

It was lovely to sit on the window seat in the bedroom to watch the views over the harbour. It is a very steep walk up to the cottage but we were made aware of this and it did not pose too much of a problem. There is no available parking near to the cottage which is a challenge when offloading luggage. Again, we were made aware of this. Puffin Cottage is extremely clean and comfortable but we did experience a few minor issues. When we arrived, there were no keys in the key holder but after a phone call to housekeeper, she arrived with a key within 10 minutes. We had only one key to the outer porch door and nothing for the front door - this did not really pose a problem but, had I stayed at the cottage alone (without my husband), I would have felt vulnerable leaving the front door unlocked. There was a very long list of instructions which we were made aware of after booking. Shoes must be removed indoors, all surfaces are covered with protective fabric - the tables, the sofas, the window seats and the dressing table, which seems a little excessive. The main bedroom has a very large comfortable bed with beautiful white bed linen. However, the bed is a little too large for the room and there is only one bedside table. It is a real squeeze to get past the wardrobe as this is so close to the bed. Both bedrooms would be much more comfortable if the locked cupboards could be opened and used as storage which would clear more space. We stayed in the cottage from 28th December over the New Year period and were a little disappointed that there were no festive decorations and no welcome pack. The bathrooms are extremely clean and the fixtures high quality with powerful showers. The kitchen is very well kitted out but we were disappointed with the chunky heavy wine glasses so we purchased 4 wine glasses for our use and left them for the owner to keep. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Puffin Cottage but we did feel that we were staying in the owners home, with the locked cupboards and the protected surfaces, rather than being welcomed as paying guests.

The cottage was first class however more should be made of the steep climb from the village as many less fit individuals might have severe difficulty.

Beautiful cottage with amazing views.

Very comfortable. Stunning place.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week's stay in Puffin Cottage.

Although it states it is a compact cottage, there is everything you need for an enjoyable stay and there was ample space for 4 adults. The cottage was spotlessly clean and well appointed. It is at the top of a very steep hill, but well worth the climb for the magnificent views over the harbour. I would say that if you are not very fit or fully mobile, this is probably not an ideal location for you. The second bedroom on the ground floor which is a double, does not have much space around the bed, but is perfectly adequate and the comfort of the bed makes up for the lack of space. There is no wardrobe in the second bedroom, but it does have hanging space and 2 large drawers under the bed for storing clothes. We did not have a problem with this and my husband does tend to overpack!!! There is plenty of space and storage in the king sized room upstairs. The kitchen is well equipped and outside the kitchen is a lovely decked patio area with a table and 4 chairs for al fresco dining. There are lovely pubs/hotels in St Mawes where you can eat (we did have to book due to Covid19) but managed to get in. It is a lovely walk along the harbour front with beautiful views and plenty of space to sit on the beach. This is very pebbly in places, but so lovely. A small harbour town, relatively quiet but perfect. We would definitely return to St Mawes and Puffin Cottage. Excellent!!!!!

A very comfortable cottage in a lovely location.

the cottage was warm and very comfortable (ideal given the very changeable weather) - and the standard of all the fittings and furniture was excellent.

Good to have outside space to relax - bench at the front has fabulous views of the harbour - rear enclosed garden perfect for eating al fresco (weather permitting!)