Somerhill

A lovely house and grounds with all you could require.

All 3 generations enjoyed the heated pool age 5 to 70. Ample parking for 4 cars. All of the rooms were very spacious and comfortable.

It’s been eight years since we last stayed here, and it remains a wonderful place for a multi‑generational family.

The heated pool was enjoyed every day, and there is plenty of space in the house for everyone to relax and spend time together comfortably. Overall, the property provided an enjoyable and memorable stay, and we appreciated the space, facilities, and setting.

The property is perfectly situation and has great views, only five minutes away from Lyme Regis high street.

The property is spacious with a well-equipped kitchen and comfy beds. However, it would do with a couple weeks of work. Much of the equipment (such as the white goods) were top spec in 2009. The property wasn't particularly clean when we arrived, so we had to wait on the second day for cleaners to arrive. The extras that were pre-agreed were not sorted either, such as the baby gate, which again we had to wait to be fitted. The late check out agreed on the phone wasn't honoured on check out either. Lastly, the stove kept shorting, the electric button didn't work so it required matches, the shower light in master kept flickering, there were no external lights, the lights in the porch didn't work, and the shower door in another ensuite wouldn't shut. Lots of dust on the radiators and in the extractors. Lots of rust spots on metal items (e.g. bin in downstairs loo) and on some blinds. Overall, it is a nice property, but would do with quite a bit of TLC for the price you pay. It would also be good for the management company to do a tour before guests arrive to make sure the cleaning is up to standard.

Lovely house, unfortunately the pool was not clean and the cooker did not work properly.

The pool was cleaned once reported but the cooker was not. The beds were not configured as requested prior to our first day. This was sorted once I phoned. Views and location were amazing.

We had a fantastic time at Somerhill.

The house was lovely and spacious and the beds were very comfortable. Could not fault anything other than a couple of cobwebs and that we immediately couldn't find the key to the gate for the pool. The pool was great but there really should have been a net to clear the leaves and debris from the trees. We had to by a fishing net to do this this. That aside, we had the most amazing time and would definitely go back. Thank you so much for the goodies on our arrival and and wonderful stay.

Fabulous house and a quality experience.

Great views of the bay from the house and garden. Kitchen is well equipped (we were a self catering three generation family group of 10 people - ages 10 months - 75 years). Big table in the kitchen-diner for us all to sit round (ditto outside table). Nice conservatory area that catches the sun. Cot and high chair supplied and good quality. All rooms are well furnished - double beds are large and comfortable. Smart tv with Sky, Netflicks etc. in the lounge with comfortable sofas and board games. Great heated pool with inflatables- well fenced and secure (pool key is in cupboard under stairs on a nail!). Lovely garden - well kept and very private. We walked into town easily (15 mins) but walk back is very steep. Good supermarket in Axminster. Arrangements for the key and directions worked well. After booking pretty impossible to speak to Sykes but this property is actually managed by Lyme Bay Holidays and they were very responsive and helpful. We had a wonderful week and I recommend without reservation.

Whilst the property had great space for family gatherings, and the pool was an added bonus, the general upkeep of the property and pool were poor.

The large garden umbrella was rusted through and had holes in it, and the whole umbrella sheared off in a light breeze. Thankfully, no one was near it when this happened as they would have been hurt. In addition, the downstairs toilet has a faulty cistern, which continued to run but wasn't noticed for 20 minutes until it started to flood the hallway. We temporarily fixed (and cleaned the hallway and dried the mats) it but it needs attention. Most of the locks on the doors are unaligned and so opening/closing any doors was difficult. The kitchen had to cleaned on arrival as every worktop was sticky to the point of things becoming stuck to them; their were hairs in several places; dead insects in window sills; and dirt near floors. Whilst it's nice to have a welcome pack of goodies, we would have preferred the practical basics that you get in most holiday cottages, such as kitchen roll, tin foil, etc. Despite these issues, we did have a great stay but would have preferred it to be stress free.

Absolutely fabulous holiday home.

So much space, the view of the coast is incredible, very clean, well equipped and the garden was very well maintained. The pool was definitely the highlight. There were a few previous review comments about maintenance but it was just some missing tiles and made absolutely no difference to our enjoyment. There’s even a toilet down by the pool. Lyme Regis was a lovely place to stay too - loads of nice shops and restaurants, and the beaches were lovely.

Great location and a comfortable, well equipped house for a large party.

The heated pool is also good if you have kids. However, communication with Lyme Bay Holidays was very hit and miss, both before and during our stay. We couldn’t find the pool key (or any sort of pool manual/info at all which seems odd) so I tried to call the number provided many times when we arrived on Friday and during the day on Saturday but it just rings out which is frustrating. I’m not sure what we would have done if we’d actually had an emergency. The pool area is not well kept or how we expected to find it given the price of our stay - tiles missing, old broken pool loungers, weeds, bird poo etc. I reported the loungers which they did offer to replace later in the stay but why were they left like that? On the whole the property is good for a family group and served our needs. When I did eventually speak to someone in the Lyme office they were helpful on each occasion, however having to deal with a centralised office makes it tricky actually get hold of someone locally which is stressful.

Whilst Somerhill is a beautiful property and we enjoyed our stay in the house which was as described in the blurb.

I had additional questions I wished to ask. The automated telephone system was not fit for purpose as it took 5 attempts over a week to finally speak with a actually person who quickly answered the questions. The house was beautifully clean however the last occupations dirty laundry was left in the hallway.

Overall a fabulous stay.

There were a few niggles which could be easily resolved.

We had a fantastic family Christmas at this wonderful house, spacious welcoming & clean.

The only negative comment is regarding the electrics in the kitchen which was referred to on previous reviews. I contacted Sykes after booking & was assured in writing that everything including the equipment would be checked over by an Electrician prior to our arrival. Unfortunately the integral microwave wasn't working so I rang Sykes & a stand alone replacement arrived quickly. The cooker also tripped the fuse box twice, there is a note in the house booklet regarding this. This did not in anyway spoil our holiday & had the rental price not doubled from when I booked the cottage in December 2023, I would have rebooked straight away for this Christmas.

Overall we enjoyed staying at Somerhill.

The accommodation was a generous size for the 10 in our group and the views were excellent. The broken microwave (with "Sykes aware" sign), only one tea towel, poor quality towels, insufficient clear/blue bags for laundry and pool tile repairs needed did not spoil our holiday.

Lovely property and location, prefect for our family of 9 to stay.

The beds were all very comfy, bathroom facilities were great and the heated pool was a highlight for us (and functional despite some concerns we had from reading previous reviews - some parts of the tiling / pool cover needing work, but safe to use and otherwise a great feature). The only slight disappointment was that the known issue with the electric in the kitchen (as there was a sticker about it in the house file) caused some issues with the cooker tripping out and that during our stay the microwave also tripped the electric and ceased working. We did hope to use the EV charger installed, but there were no instructions that we could find unfortunately. This would have been a really beneficial extra for our stay had we been able to use it. Overall, we had a excellent stay at Somerhill and made lots of very happy memories with the family. We would happily go back to stay here again.

A fabulous house in a stunning location.

Cleanliness good in some areas and needs attention in others. Pool area needs a parasol and maybe a table and chairs. The pool cover needs replacing and the pool needs some attention. Lounge and bedrooms very comfortable. Great showers. Sent a message to sykes about how to use the EV charger and never got any instructions, so couldn’t use. A number to call someone other than the company would be useful. Welcome pack was lovely. We would love to return and with a few adjustments it could be the perfect getaway.

The cottage was lovely and just the right size for 9 of us.

The pool was a big hit with the children (and adults). The cottage was clean and comfortable. The only niggles were that the larger oven and half the grill did not work, some tiles were coming off the floor of the pool and the recycling was not collected although we put the bin out. Extra recycling bins would have been helpful. As we are from Wales we are not used to throwing food in the general trash and have separate bags for food waste, cardboard, tins, plastics, paper, batteries. However, overall it was a lovely place to stay.

Absolutely beautiful house, with stunning views that take your breath away.

There were 9 adults and 1 toddler and we didn’t fall over each other at all. The pool was brilliant ( but could do with some TLC) and that made our holiday

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

The property was Immaculate, spacious, extremely comfortable and the pool was amazing! Would definitely recommend and look forward to returning

Beautiful, superbly equipped and comfortable property.

Pool was really warm - we used it every day - (end of March/April) even in the rain! Initial issue with cleanliness was dealt with quickly and efficiently. Easy walk downhill to Lyme Regis. Steep uphill walk back but there are taxis and buses available if necessary!

Somerhill is comfortable and homely place with stunning views.

Quiet area, easy downhill walk into town and would recommend Graham’s taxi for a ride back in the evenings. Group of 7 ladies, who meet up every year to spend time together for 3 nights. The house has space to allow separate activities from jigsaw in the conservatory, to paying games around the kitchen table and reading in the lounge. It worked very well, especially as we experienced very stormy, wet weather during our stay. We cooked a three course dinner together on one of the evenings. The house was well equipped with dishes, glasses and oven space. We brought an electric steamer with us for the vegetables which freed up room around the oven area. (Roasted duck and dauphinois potatoes plus heating the plates). On the whole the house is clean. A few areas for improvement cobwebs and a couple of large spiders in the lower corners of both en-suite bedrooms. In the bathrooms the showers and toilets were clean but for an excellent score need to a look at areas like the blind in one of the en-suites and corners on the floors. A few tips to make stay even better for us as seven individuals. Four of us had to share a bed ,which was our choice, but a having the ability to split the beds in one of the en-suite bedrooms would be beneficial. A coffee machine would be a great (Nespresso or similar). Also, as previously mentioned one or two larger saucepans. No problem with the showers, however a deep clean around the edges to get rid of the black would help. I am sure at some point an upgrade of the bathrooms will be planned. Would be helpful to have a handheld shower in the third floor bath. All the above are just observations and would not deter me from recommending Somerhill. We would have loved to use the pool but the wet and extremely windy weather was not on our side. Beautiful private gardens as well.

This house was amazing oven kept tripping out when we tried to cook lots of trays did not fit in the oven but everything else was fantastic.

will definitely think about going again.

Fantastic house, well equipped and spotlessly clean, thank you.

The swimming pool is safely behind a locked fence and the gardens are extensive, with beautiful views over the bay. (Additional points for the owner only - a drying rack or two would have been handy as we had bad weather and had to use the tumble drier and the airing cupboard. You probably have good reason not to supply a barbecue, but the place is crying out for one, so if there's any way to provide one it would be great.)

Beautiful, comfortable and well equipped home.

Breathtaking view of the Jurassic coast. We really enjoyed our stay. The only feedback for improvement I would add is with regard to the WIFI/broadband connection. The speed was slow and frequently dropped, especially when multiple people attempted to access it simultaneously. Additionally, there were areas with no connection at all. This is key for people working remotely while trying to take a short break.

Amazing time away house was lovely and well equipt would definitely stay again

The swimming pool was a wonderful treat particularly for the kids.

Thank you.

Stunning and spacious property and superbly well equipped.

Very nicely decorated and really comfortable beds, and the best views. We had the best time!

This property is amazing, just what we wanted for a family weekend away.

It is so comfortable, plenty of space and really clean. Felt really homely. The kitchen is well equipped for 10 people and the beautiful welcome pack of Dorset goodies is such a nice touch. We were able to enjoy the pool, which was a nice temperature. The only negative was that we requested the twin to made into a king and that wasn't done. Would highly recommend this property to stay in and I know the children have asked that we return.

A lovely house, well situated and very comfortable.

We all enjoyed our stay and may well return!

We had a wonderful stay at Somerville Three generations.

The grandchildren loved the pool It is a lovely house We think the toaster is faulty as it kept tripping the electric and the grill didn’t Work. Apart from that everything was fine. An addition of a bbq would have been good. Storm Noa made a mess of the pool cover but next day we were able to sort it out. The views from the windows were amazing. A very enjoyable stay.

Great property and wonderful views over the bay.

Very clean and everything we needed was there. Oven was a bit slow in cooking the food but seen other guests provide similar feedback, and certainly didn’t dampen our New Year stay.

Beautiful house and was a very high standard!

Very comfortable beds and all the home comforts were there. Stunning views across the sea and also a great location ! A couple of things to point out for future guests- the oven tripped the electrics and the left side then wouldn’t come back on so was a bit tricky to cook for 9 people on Boxing Day. The pipe work is very noisy and the kitchen tap kept dripping or turning itself on at random times. Neither things ruined our stay though but worth looking into for future guests. Would definitely recommend this house to our friends and families.

Great location, view and a lovely big house - however the property could do with a thorough clean!

Unfortunately, it was very dusty, the carpets needed cleaning and the cutlery and pans were dirty. These had to be cleaned before we could use them. We couldn't get the grill to work and one of the ovens stopped working. Another set of front door keys would be good, rather than random keys for other doors.

This is the third time I have stayed at a property run by Lyme Bay Holidays and I have had great service every time.

We had a lovely stay at Somerhill House, The description was very accurate.

Lyme Holidays were lovely to deal with, they answered any question immediately and made the transaction very easy. We would definitely use Lyme Holidays again and will definitely go back to the house. 10 out of 10 from us.

Wonderful property with great facilities in a gorgeous area.

Queries when we first got there handled quickly & efficiently. Would love to come back to this property but think it’s now out of our price range for next year.

The pool cover definitely needs replacing its so awkward to use.

It would be lovely to have a barbecue at the property. Otherwise everything was great. We would love to come back.