Dolce Casa

Very let down considering the amount i paid.

Could have been cleaner, blinds need cleaned as thick with dust. The back garden needs serious attention, it is a health & safety issue, i have taken photos. Back garden decking area not suitable for children or elderly. There is an electric point in the back garden that should have a lock on it. Would not go back to Dolce Casa in Grantown on Spey.

Beds uncomfortable ,floor really slippy that I a disabled person fell, sofa far to low and not easy to get of .

Garden not secure, decking needs sanding ,and varnish Shower in the snug went cold had to use the electric shower . Need things in place for disabled people to help them get up from the toilet Would not stay here again

Fantastic place to stay.

Very spacious. Comfy and everything needed is supplied. The property is central to a lot nearby places to explore.

This was a beautiful clean and comfortable cottage.

It was well equipped and had everything we needed. We were a party of 6 adults and two children and had plenty of space both inside and out. The garden was ideal of the children - very child friendly and the children enjoyed many a treasure hunt. The house was well situated for the shops and the pubs - the Ben Mhor and the Claymore being out favourites. Anagach woods was on the doorstep and it was lovely for an evening walk with the children to tire them out. There was also a lovely welcome pack to greet us which everyone enjoyed. A 5 out of 5 cottage. Thank you.

This is a beautiful house, always spotless when we turn up, well equipped and furnished.

It is perfect for visits to Grantown with my 87 year old mother as it has ground floor facilities for her. I think we've visited 5 or 6 times now. My only negative feedback is the garden which badly needs some love and care. It's in a pretty awful state. Feel free to edit my last sentence out and then publish review

The property was amazing.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a starter pack with drinks and snack food along with a booklet with instructions on all the appliances within the cottage and the housekeepers numbers if needed. Everything was supplied for you ie multiple frying pans, sauce pans, roasting trays, jugs, washing liquid, dishwasher tablets. The cottage is kid friendly with retractable stair gates if needed, plates and cutlery for kids along with a cot and mattress supplied. Lovely open fireplace with logs (just enough for your first night) There was firestick in the living room TV however it was very slow, may of needed an update or something. The bedrooms were spacious, the upstairs double bed was very hard and uncomfortable to sleep on but thats just personal preference! The other upstairs double was much better so we just moved to that on the second night. The cottage was in a great location, a very short walk into the highstreet. The game room was great, with great variety of DVDs and board games but i would recommend to bring your own as some of the games had stuff missing. Overall, this was an wonderful property and would definitely stay again in the future!

Pros- The cottage was clean, quiet and well equipped.

Beds were comfy. Information pack was well presented. Cons- The entrance to park was tight in an alleyway which was not indicated in the listing. Most of the provided childrens games were incomplete and therefore unplayable including the pool table in the games room which led to disappointment in the younger members of our group. The toilet in the snug was not attached well to the wall so felt dangerous to use as it moved. There was no wardrobe as such in the bedroom above the snug so we were unable to hang long clothes apart fom behind the door.

Facilities good but house very dark even with the lights on.

The house was too warm. Garden untidy and outlook was pretty dreary, nothing like the photos on your website. Not somewhere we would want to sit outside. Downstairs bathroom smelled stale although it was very clean. Kitchen very well equipped. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. TVs were frustrating to work out and use. Caretakers very helpful on our arrival.

Very nice house in a good location.

Well equipped. There was a great welcome pack that included all the basics and a few treats. Just needed to get a dish cloth. The layout of the house was ideal with 2 of the bedrooms having private areas/bathrooms. Creaky floors a slight negative.

Great house well equipped with plenty of space in the kitchen for working and storage.

The house was very comfortable and worked well with 4 generations. Ideal location for walking into town, or exploring the area. With the hot weather we utilised the outside space a lot. Would recommend this house to our friends and family. Would like to make a couple of suggestions, to put some shelf space in the 2 downstairs bathrooms. A little issue with the floating shelf beside the patio door, couple of near misses when going past it. Overall we had a fantastic holiday, gem of a house.

Absolutely fantastic cottage Plenty of room for every one Great well stocked kitchen SO Quiet and only a minute from the High Street Says parking for 2 cars in the main spot but easily got 3 in so if cars are not huge there would be space for 5 cars Garden look fab but due to weather did not get much chance to use Would definitely return

Excellent property

Great property last year, Great property this year.

Thank-you

We have just had an amazing stay here.

The house is lovely and in a perfect location. The only reason I have marked it down is the downstairs bedroom and the master bedroom. The beds were so uncomfortable it was like sleeping on a concrete slab. Not one of us had a decent night's sleep as the mattresses were just too hard. But overall the house is amazing and I would definitely consider going back.

Loved our stay.

Our eighth since lockdown. Just have to mention the awful condition garden which the garden and decking has got in to. It has been untouched for years. I've ended up tidying up several years of dead leaves etc so as to make the decking useable. Very very disappointing considering the court of staying here.

Eat, Sleep, Wander, Repeat.

Great place, very spacious and all the rooms were very clean, not that we used them all. Dolce Casa had a very cosey feel and the games room was very enjoyable to pass some time. Location wise there is plenty shops for all your needs, and you can wander further afield for other activities. Catherine

Wow!

What an amazing place to stay. Beautiful house, perfect location and absolutely everything we needed! We would 100% recommend this house and perfect location.

Dolce Casa was perfect for our stay.

We were 3 generations and there was plenty of space for everyone without being on top of each other. As a family of foodies we love to cook and the kitchen was equipped with everything that we needed and there was loads of room for a couple of us to be working together in there. The position of the house with the wee lane leading to the Main Street was brilliant, just a 5 minute walk to the bakers in the morning! There were 8 of us and we have all said we would like to return to the Granton area and if it was available Dolce Casa would be our first choice accommodation.

Property not as described on web site, especially the back garden.

Lots of noise and smells from garage from as early as 7am. Garden decking area and hot tub which had the lid screwed down and obviously hasn’t been in operation for a number of years. No sail to protect from sun- missing. Table and chairs seen better days. All this looks lovely on web site but in reality is a complete disaster. Game Room/ Garage an absolute disgrace as it hasn’t been cleaned for a number of years, dust and cobwebs everywhere. Sliding patio on to decking area are absolutely disgusting as the bottom rail which the door slides on is absolutely covered in dirt and debris. The top of fridge freezer was absolutely covered in dust and had not been cleaned in some time. Top of curtain poles were so dirty when we ran hands over the top of them, they were black with dirt and dust. The shower areas in the house all need to be ripped out and replaced due to shower door falling off the bottom runner a number of times during our stay which would be an H&S issue if it landed on your feet. Regarding shower trays and skirting boards next to them they are covered in mould. One of the tiles on floor of small bathroom has a hole in it this could be another H&S issue if you caught your toe in it. We know procedure to contact the maintenance team but felt they had not carried out what was needed before our stay. We have photographic evidence of all the above unfortunately these can not be posted on website. We will forward the photos to the Sykes website. We payed £1500 for our one week stay due to the condition of this property it is only worth £700. Please don’t waste your hard earned money on this property as you will be sadly disappointed.

House was OK but not for us - but that could be down to our more advanced years.

The large fruit tree with overhanging branches above the key safe and adjacent to the side door wasn’t ideal during a fairly wet and showery week. We were able to watch programmes on ITVX and IPlayer but couldn’t master terrestrial TV. The wooden/laminate floors in all areas were very creaky and noisy. The heating was very efficient during an unseasonably cold spell in early June. Lots of crumbs under the table when we arrived. We didn’t cook so didn’t test those facilities.

The party of 5 fishermen were really impressed with Dolce casa it had every thing we needed it was so comfy and relaxing, location is great only a short walk into the town and the river spey just down the road, over all absolutely brilliant.

This was a well equipped property in a good location in the town.

There is a reasonable sized co-op, handy for most needs. The butcher provides good quality meat, and there is a choice of restaurants all within easy walking distance. It is important to follow the advice of the owners to reserve your table on a Friday. We saw several people being turned away. It is possible to walk along The Spey, combined with a gentle walk through a very pretty mixed woodland filled with birdsong. Further afield are numerous walks in the Cairngorms, and of course Loch Ness.

The very best equipped and comfortable property I've ever stayed in.

Every thing about it was beyond excellent,the owners are to be congratulated on the oustanding way they present the property.

Property is clean and has a fantastic snug feel, was great for chilling after a day in the outdoors.

Property is well located for walking up high street for groceries , pubs, and restaurants. The Town is surrounded with plenty woodlands for walking. Would return to Dolce Casa again without a doubt.

Loved the house, kitchen so well equipped and even the knives were sharp!

I did a lot of cooking so appreciate that. Family loved the wood burner and the welcome pack. Only negative was the majority of the mattresses were really quite hard but other than that was an excellent stay and we’d probably come again.

Happy with stay, no issues at all.

Would stay again.

We really enjoyed our stay in Dolce Casa.

The house was spotless and was really well equipped. The furnishings are all to a high standard and were all very comfortable. Location was perfect with lots to do in the surrounding area. We really hope to come back one day.

Wonderful place to stay with everything you need - it really felt like a home from home.

The maintenance crew were also extremely helpful and responsive, thank you. Great location to explore. We would certainly recommend this place.

The property is spacious and had enough bedrooms for our needs.

Unfortunately most of the beds were very firm causing aching after sleeping. The house didn’t feel sparkly clean and we had to wash things before using in the kitchen. The downstairs shower room was particularly grubby and the mosaic tiles on the base of the shower were broken and they along with cement/grout stuck to your feet. The towels were tiny and not big enough for adults. There were not enough plates, glasses, no large cups and no pint glasses. The Sykes description does not say the property is right next to a noisy fuel filling station. On a positive note, the property was a good location for accessing the Cairngorms, supermarket and pubs. The Po Pia Thai restaurant was excellent.

Overall we were very happy with the house.

However some niggles: No clothes hanging space in some bedrooms No chair in some bedrooms No instructions for cooker Washing machine left clothes smelling of burnt rubber Tea pot only holds three mugfuls of tea. Larger one required Additional crockery and cutlery would be useful Only 6 dining chairs for a house sleeping 8 people!!! Instructions to find the property say that it is up the drive on the right. It's on the left!

Situated quietly near the centre of Grantown, the house is well presented and clean, and well equipped.

We didn’t try the fire or the hot tub. The pool table in the garage is wonky. One of the gates is off it’s hinges so the garden is not currently secure for small children. We much enjoyed the house and these points didn’t spoil our stay. Grantown is a lovely planned town amongst one of the nicest areas in Scotland. We can recommend eating out in the Grant Arms and Garth Hotel, and a take away from the Po Pia Thai. Balliefurth Farm Shop in Nethy Bridge is a good butcher. Further away the Highland Wildlife Park is good for all ages and Landmark is good especially for kids.

House and location perfect only downside was cleanliness, spent first day cleaning , found nail clippings on carpet, dropped earphone had to move king size bed to retrieve, the dust an dirt was disgusting .

Never used games room didn’t have the energy to clean it out , house could do with a deep clean .

Lovely place to stay, property was great with everything you needed.

Really loved spending the week here with my family and would definitely recommend it. Very comfortable & spacious, good place to explore all the area.

We stayed here for five nights while exploring the Highlands and Cairngorms National Park.

It was spacious and comfortable. Great location, with an easy walk to restaurants, pubs and groceries. We especially enjoyed Craig’s Bar and the Wee Puffin. The kitchen had plenty of dishes and cooking utensils but be aware there are no paper towels, sponges for hand washing dishes, or salt/spices provided. There was no shower curtain in the upstairs bathroom when we arrived, which made taking a shower there impossible. We were initially told a new curtain “was on order” but it did show up prior to us leaving. One of the downstairs bathrooms had an issue with the hot water going out but the management company sent an electrician who fixed a loose wire. We initially saw this on VRBO and thought we had reserved it but the next day we received an email stating our reservation had been cancelled. It was still showing as available so I e-mailed with an inquiry. I received no answer but eventually reserved it through the Sykes website. There were a few hiccups with their online reservation system but eventually it worked. All in all, we would stay here again.

A lovely cottage with easy access to the Cairngorms and other attractions.

Just a stones throw from the high street.

This is the second time we have visited this property.

It is a home from home and we would definitely recommend this.

Stunning holiday property.

The owners have thought of everything. Fully loaded and well stocked. Plenty of space for a large group. Set up for all year round use ( which we will no doubt utilise). The welcome pack was very thoughful also. We used the property as a base from which to explore the highlands and beyond, so had activities booked everyday, but it was nice that we could look forward to getting back to our holiday home to unwind and relax. Old and young catered for alike. We have stayed in Aviemore in the past at Silverglades, but this property and its floor space for larger groups blew that away. We will be back, thank you for helping us make some lovely memories for us all. ❤️

We really enjoyed our stay at this property.

It is spacious and was able to easily accommodate our large party. Moreover, being close to the high street, the property is within walking distance of all amenities.

In mid summer when the sun rises at 4.

0am many of the bedroom blinds do not block out enough light. Consequently we woke very early, which is not a problem for us as we were fishing, but for others maybe. The other thing was regarding the refuse collection. We were prepared to put out the bins then discovered that it was not neccesary as there is a private arrangement, so we didn't really need to know about collection. Otherwise very satisfactory.

A lovely property, had all we needed in a good location.

The only part I didn’t use was the games room in the garage as it was more of an outhouse. Otherwise we thoroughly enjoyed our week there and would recommend this property.

We liked the house and the facilities very much.

Although well equipped in general, a coffee machine would be helpful to serve 7 or 8 persons for breakfast instead of the French press we found. There were 2 key boxes in the garden that we spotted first, but they turned out to be invalid. Better to have them removed in order to avoid confusion and telephone enquiry... Dolce casa is a good choice for a stay in Grantown or Cairngorms NP!

What a lovely place to stay, spotlessly clean, extremely well equipped.

We especially enjoyed feeding the array of garden birds who came to feed every day. Ideally placed in the centre of the village with some lovely places to eat and shop. I would wholeheartedly recommend a stay and would book again when we come back for a return visit.

Good initial contact due to the weather.

A lovely welcome pack when we arrived & we got in earlier, which was good. The house had everything you needed.

We stayed in Dolce Casa as a group of 4 adults and 4 children aged 3-8.

We loved this property. It was tastefully decorated, very cosy and perfect with the two living room areas so that the grown ups and children could have their own space when needed. The garden and games room were perfect for the children. The house was immaculate on our arrival and very well equipped. The bedrooms were all lovely. The house is well located at just a two minute walk to the high steet with it's shops and restaurants and only a five minute walk through the woods to the river. A great base for lots of great activities in the wider area. Would definitely recommend. Hopefully the hot tub will be in use again in the future as this would have been the icing on the cake.

The house was lovely with plenty of space for 7 of us.

The odd bit of general maintenance needed such as the floor in one of the downstairs shower rooms needs a few tiles replacing and the shelf on the wall of the snug. Neither of these affected our holiday in the slightest. The only other disappointment was the hot tub, I understand the need to withdraw this amenity due to Covid but I don’t really think this is the reason. To resolve I think it should be removed from the advertisement of the property, as other properties are allowing the use of their hot tubs again. Overall it was an excellent property, well placed in Grantown-On-Spey itself, and a good base for visiting others areas of interest, we all enjoyed our stay.

On arrival 1st impressions were garden overgrown with weeds everywhere, windows were filthy and covered in cobwebs.

On entry cottage tidy but wooden floors had not been cleaned and were appalling. Checked the mop which was brick hard and hadn't been used for a long time. We had to wash the floors before we could do anything. Tv's not working and remotes with no batteries in them! Phoned owner and no empathy about start of holiday, went out to back garden, hot tub not in use but filthy anyway, only four chairs for a 8 person occupancy! 1 chair broken and 2 covered in bird droppings so only one in use, really unfortunate because location was good and facilities in cottage ok but need to change cleaning company it was a disgrace, also no check in or check out forms to sign regarding Covid. They had 8 hrs to clean the cottage it should have been spotless, also couldn't use games room in garage, it was covered in garden rubbish and leaves and tables were filthy, really not good enough for the money we paid. Also by mistake left nice cake and chocolates in fridge which were presents for neighbours, certainly not for the cleaners! We cleaned the cottage before we left and took photos at start of holiday and also end to show how it should have looked, also we go to numerous cottages every year and this was the 1st cottage with no welcome pack not even a teabag, poor show all round, one very dissapointed family.

We have been staying in Speyside for our family holidays for years, always in the same place as it was superb facility that met all our needs, fully equipped and very comfortable, and always had a good relationship with the owner of the property.

One thing lacked we wanted a hot tub hence the booking at Dolce Casa, the only reason for the booking there was for the hot tub. Then Covid 19 hit and the property owner refused usage of the Hot tub and used the virus as a excuse, they refused to budge on discount, even though Hot tub holidays were advertised everywhere else. After now seeing the Hot tub it is obviously seen better days not sure I would want to use it! Beds very uncomfortable, sofas are fit for the bin, we had to buy new towels due to what they provided were no more than rags. The garden was smaller than the photos but one of the chairs was broken so we could not all sit out together and also the smell of petrol from the garage right behind made it very unpleasant. Grantown-On-Spey was a lovely place to stay but I would not recommend Dolce Casa as the place to stay there.

Had a fab holiday realy relaxing wish we could of stayed longer only disappointment was couldnt use hot tub as we were looking forward to this looking at booking this place again next year

The cottage itself was lovely no complaints about that.

The problem was the petrol station, it is adjoining back garden. There was a lot of noise & the smell of petrol, so we didn't sit in the garden very much.

This is the second time we’ve stayed at this property.

The property had not been cleaned properly. Crumbs on the floor. Mould in the upstairs shower curtain. Dryer not working. Downstairs electric shower constantly tripping the breaker. Very disappointing. Had to clean the various rooms ourselves. Given the current situation and the fact that we could not get in to the property as early due to Covid-19, I’d have expected the property to be spotless.

Plenty of room for us all to spread out - we especially liked the well fitted kitchen and utility.

One of us spent a lot of time in the snug reading books in perfect isolation. Beds were comfy and everything was clean and tidy with clear instructions provided prior to our stay. 2 Weeks after lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland we appreciated the fact that extra care and time had been taken for cleaning - we were asked to arrive after 6 pm instead of 3 pm and the hot tub was not in use, which was understandable. Back garden has everything - garden table and chairs, bench, washing line, apples and pears ripening and a row of trees which screen the petrol station behind. We filled up the bird feeders and enjoyed watching our feathered friends. Wildlife watching and watersports were well booked up but we followed many circular trails from the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide for the Cairngorms - Glen Feshie, Loch an Eilein, along the Speyside Way through Anagach Woods to Cromdale and back to Grantown. Highlight of that walk was a Scotch Argus butterfly on the banks of the river. Also in the Spey Valley we saw ospreys, golden eagles and red squirrels. Gardens at Ballindalloch Castle were a delight plus Pictish stones on the way to Lossiemouth where we had evening chips by the sand dunes watching surfers on the incoming tide. Good cycling routes and secure storage for bikes in the garage. A great location with a 2-minute walk through the alley to a row of welcoming shops and the Co-op for essentials.

Great house for a large group Pub at end of road Short walk through alleyway (when you find it) to the main street Close to aviemore the cairngorms and tge whiskey trail Hot tub was great aswell

Only real fault I'd pick up on with the premises :- Living room sofa, very very uncomfortable.

The positioning of the sofa infront of the fire is great, but the TV that is fixed to the wall is some 6-8 feet right of the sofa, almost infront of the dining table. This meant a very uncomfortable sitting position on the even more uncomfortable sofa. TV in othe sitting room much better positioned, as is sofa, however the radiators did not appear to be working, so it was far too cold to sit there (plumbers did attend, I assume they balanced the radiators as after they'd finished, the rest of the house was much much cooler, wife ended up with a throw from the bed wrapped around her - even with the fire on, for me it seemed OK temperature wise.). After 6 hours of hiking on most days, a nice comfortable sofa for relaxing would have been preferable. Generally a well equipped and tidy place that ticked most boxes. Would I go again to the same premises? Probably not, only because the areas I want to explore next are west of this area. Would I recommend, yes I would, especially for families with youngsters.

A pleasant holiday home which is well placed for activities in the local area.

First evening we had seven light bulbs not working in lounge area plus one small glass light shade missing, kitchen area and utility area had spotlights not working also security light facing garage/games room not working, the brass fitting fitting on door jamb been removed in downstairs toilet/shower so couldn't lock door, we think these faults are basic wear & tear and may not have been reported also a further bulb went in the dining area which we replaced, even with these niggles we have no hesitation in giving this charming comfy cottage five stars.

Great little town.

Great not so little cottage. Roomy, clean & very comfortable. More facilities that expected. Great central location for plenty of places to visit. 2 minutes to the high street where there are at least 4 take aways for anyone who doesn’t wish to cook. Had all our shopping delivered by ASDA. Little awkward to find at first. Cottage is down the little track opposite the Craig Bar. The Craig Bar is worth a visit. Interesting decor and even more interesting barman- Robbie !! Overall a fantastic place.

We had a slight hiccup on arrival the boiler for the heating and hot water was not working.

We contacted Sykes who let the owner know who then contacted us. The boiler was sorted on Sunday morning before 10 am.

A lovely house, perfect location.

Great house , perfectly suited to extended families or groups of friends due to its layout.

Ideally located right behind the high street in Grantown. Plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops on your doorstep, with the incredible and beautiful Anagach Woods within 5 minutes walk too! We loved the well equipped spacious kitchen, the hot tub and the spacious layout. With double oven, two fridge freezers and washer dryer as well as dishwasher, ideal for self catering for a larger group. Very peaceful location, blissfully quiet for such a centrally located property. Generously equipped with plenty of games, films, TVs, plus a games room in the garage. Few minor maintenance issues that were quickly addressed. Overall excellent property.

The property is like a home from home, fully fitted and very comfortable.

We didn't use the wood fired hot tub or games in the garage, but the options available are welcomed. A minor issue with the previous rental not taking the refuse down the access road to main road was quickly and satisfactorily resolved by the accommodating new owner. A great pub at the end of the access road, a minutes walk really, along with the main town 5 minutes walk, meant we didn't go without. If we were to return to this area of Scotland we'd definitely be keen to return to this property.