Brunston Castle

The inside of the lodge was looking rather tired and really needs upgrading.

The cooker was extremely difficult to operate and my wife found it quite stressful The non stick frying pan was very warn and should be replaced No toilet rolls were provided which caused a problem the first night ! The main bathroom really needs upgrading. although it was quite useable. Having said the above we really enjoyed our stay and would come again.

First time at a private lodge no welcome pack, cottage in need of a refurbishment, no freezer ( devastated) toilet door loose and got locked in twice, 2 wine glasses for a lodge of 6, 1 lamp bulb in the kitchen working, cd player didn’t work , worst when stripping the beds the duvet on the double bed was just the fleece with no covering ( disgusting).

Could be a great lodge as the location was perfect but definitely needs attention.

Bungalow cood gave been a lot cleaner.

Thick cobwebs above curtains and corner of floors and behind bed,which we had to move to get access to switch socket. Found 3 lge spiders. Door to lge bathroom door handle was so loose I got locked in as lock mechanism wdnt work. No label on switch to let you know which to use for hot water in kitchen. Bedroom closest to toilet, curtains had 4 missing hooks so didn't block out daylight in mornings. Pool was nice but cood av been warmer. Two of our Grandkids ended up with bad coughs by end of hols. Food choice very poor considering no other restaurant for miles. At 5pm only 2 types of paninis and pizza available . None of the above spoiled holiday but need rectified for next tenant.

Second time in the lodge great in all aspects !

! Would definitely recommend this to everyone (already have )

Property had a musty damp smell especially in one of the single beds.

The bathroom really needs updated as do the carpets. The flow of the shower is poor and the bath creaks and there is a dip in it. It's described as having 2 bathrooms- it doesn't. It has one bathroom and a separate toilet which was described as ensuite- it isn't. It's outside the double bedroom. We left after a few days as to top it off one of the sockets sparked when putting off the switch. Maintenance came the first time and changed the socket but it happened the next day and was reported again but we had decided to leave by then. We put in a complaint to sykes who have failed to respond, also to the owner.

The accommodation was a pleasant surprise.

The grounds and lodges are very well maintained. The lodge was spacious and met most of our needs. I felt it was rather dated and would benefit from having the decor modernised. The sofa and the mattress in the main bedroom were both very uncomfortable, too soft. Obviously, that's personal preference. But, I suspect a lot of people would feel the same. I think this would actually make a great retirement village. I'd live there.

Only let down was the weather ( can’t say that was anyone’s fault

The property was worth the money that we paid.

It could have done with the bathroom/toilet being updated but it was all clean in side. Kitchen was well stocked with cooking implements. Bedrooms needed 2 lamps in each instead of one. The outdoor seating needed updating. It was grubby and needed sweeping. 2 of the lightbulbs and clock weren’t working, which I have seen reported in a review in May. We asked reception to fix this which they did the next day after contacting owner. Reception staff were excellent, we were not aware that we could use facilities but were told we could, so that was a bonus. It was a shame it all closed at 8pm though.

Property was fine.

Maybe some basic information on use of cooker etc could of been left. With the village (Dailly) now having no Pubs at all some info on the nearest pubs would help visitors. Outside veranda area could of done with a good clean and the decking could do with a tidy up. Overall 6 adults enjoyed the holiday.

The site is really nice do thought this place would be good.

But disappointment hit us on going through the door. Firstly it smelled really musty then we came to realise how basic / stingy it was equipment wise and also how old much of it was going back to original features like the spa bath. Plastics were yellow to orange with age, some fittings were rusty and grubby. Headboards looked unhygienic and one wobbled backwards and forwards by 2 feet or more. Quilts / pillows were inappropriate - very thin or extremely old ( sheets good). Mare minimum of cutlery and crockery in kitchen. No point having dishwasher if only have 6 knives etc. It just shows lake of awareness of what is needed - more like what was the bare minimum needed. No instructions or welcome pack. There is no en-suite as described. There are just 2 toilets. Pull chords were filthy and bathroom / kitchen blinds dusty and rusty. No bath mat to stop from slipping, shower an ancient electric shower that was extremely weak. Shower screen creaked like mad, so did the bath. Found what I thought was a loose cable only to find out that worked the spa bath. But who would enjoy the experience in an environment in such a horrible bathroom. Door battered about and in need of a paint, lock dodgy - got stuck in it. Need I go on. Oh also main light in main bedroom didn’t work and another in sitting room. One bed light between 2 beds only. On a positive note the sofas were good. We were supposed to stay 4 nights and had paid good money but we only stayed one night as it was such a depressing experience. We had just come from a wonderful other holiday let so couldn’t believe this one. Site facilities were good if we had stayed and used them but this was no way up to the standards expected these days, was soulless, dirty, old and pretty depressing.

Dear Staff of Sykes Cottages, Unfortunately, we only spent one night at this cottage (paid for three nights).

There were several items that were not up to standard that I will highlight later, however the main issue was no hot water, this is quite unacceptable. I called reception twice to ascertain the location of the hot water immersion switch and was informed that it was either located behind the living room door, or in the kitchen. After switching every switch on in both locations, to no avail, there was still no hot water. I understand that it's a basic requirement to have this when renting a cottage. The kitchen: Only five dinner knives supplied. (we were a party of six) No operating instruction left for the appliances i.e., cooker oven /dishwasher. Bedrooms: Single bed under the window, (right hand side facing front of cottage) the bed sheets were damp. On putting on heater in the bedroom to try and dry it out, I was text alarmed by Brunston Castle to remind me of the rising electricity costs. Main Bathroom: black mould around the bath is not acceptable. Very poor performance from the shower. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience, I would have expected at bare minimum a guest information book containing all information relating to the cottage, this is standard practice in all cottages that I have rented from in the past. Regards.

Facilities were lovely, spacious with friendly helpful on site staff.

The decor was great with comfy beds. Lots of lovely open space for the children to play. They loved the free access to the swimming pool. Granny and grumpa enjoyed the stunning lounge room. The lodge was warm and cozy a perfect little retreat

Thank you for a relaxing holiday, eventually arrived after all the setbacks of a car being in a garage for over 10 days awaiting repair, thanks for the owners patience and understanding in putting up with us at this time, will definitely be back

Lodge was lovely, comfortable.

Plenty of space for 4 adults. The main bathroom would benefit from an upgrade, especially the bath, which creaked when stood having a shower. but was clean.

We had a great time at Brunston Castle lodges, the lodge was amazing, very clean,tidy and cosy,lot of space and very comfortable, the booking, checking in and communication was very good and professional.

We personally did not use dishwasher as we don't have at home. There was no washing machine but this was not an issue. Thank you for lovely, great lodge at Brunston Castle, we will definitely be making a return in the future.

The check in/out times given by Sykes differ from the receptions book in/out times.

Arrived at 15:20 as Sykes listed book in time at 15:00 was refused entry till 16:00. Not good when you’ve travelled 300 miles! Also Sykes say contact owner for key details, actually it is run by Hoseasons who require you to contact them. This caused a bit of confusion. I would suggest Sykes makes it known when booking this is a Hoseasons Complex, there was no mention of the site facilities and no mention of whether as a private guest we could use them, and given the attitude of reception on our arrival, I thought discretion was best utilised by not engaging with them during our stay,