"We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Rafters."
The apartment is very cosy and an ideal base from which to explore the Northumberland coast. .
Thankyou for letting us know that you enjoyed your stay in Rafters. We do appreciate that you have taken the time to do this.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Mark5.0★ Mar 2024
"Absolutely loved Rafters and can’t wait to return."
The views from the terrace, the character of the flat, the friendliness and availability of the owner, the fire, the wine and chocolates. Thank you
Thankyou so much for letting us know that you had a nice stay in Rafters, we appreciate your comments and look forward to seeing you again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Melanie5.0★ Sep 2023
"The flat is basic the big plus is its on the main street and all pubs and ..."
The flat is basic the big plus is its on the main street and all pubs and restaurants in walking distance the beach and golf course too ok for a weekend Alnmouth is lovely
Reviewed by Ken3.4★ Aug 2023
"Delayed feedback from a stay a couole of months ago."
Overall we were very disappointed as The Rafters looked lovely in the photos but in reality there were quite a few issues. All the photos seem to have been taken from angles and views that don't show the problems.
Good points were great location in the centre of Alnmouth (only 2 minutes from the beach), the kitchen was quite well equipped and had everything we could have needed, the apartment was a good size, and some of the furniture in the living room had been renewed since the photos were taken.
Bad points (and I'm afraid there were plenty) included extremely small bathroom, towels provided were really poor so we went out and bought our own, large cracks in walls in places, damp patches on ceiling from water leaks, thread bare and frayed rugs, cobwebs in bathroom and on kitchen utensils hanging in the kitchen, missing handles on bedroom furniture, soaking wet/dirty mat on balcony, view from the balcony clearly not as good as shown, bottom window pane in kitchen boarded up, TV not tuned in when we arrived, the bed was quite uncomfortable (in our opinion), and parking was very difficult, we only managed to park near the apartment on 2 days, the rest of the time it was a good 5-10 minute walk to the nearest parking.
We took loads of photos of all this, and other issues, but unfortunately Sykes weren't very helpful at all despite the clear difference between what was shown on the listing and what we experienced in reality. The owner responded saying that people like the rustic charm despite the fact that we pointed out it isn't described like this on the listing. Ended up getting £150 refund from the owner which still made it over £100 per night. Really disappointed with the whole stay (and we left 1 night early just to get home), wouldn't stay there again and if you're looking to book it I'd suggest being very careful with the description as it's not the spotless luxury apartment it's made out to be.
Reviewed by Christopher1.9★ Jul 2023
"The property was generally as described."
The owners were very helpful at all times. We were encouraged to treat the place as home and the dog was made welcome. The attic conversion has rustic charm. The living area is very pleasant. The kitchen has good appliances. The balcony has a view of the sea. however it is covered in a soggy mat which is quite unsuitable. The bathroom/shower room is , as others have said, extremely small and inconvenient to use. there is no ventilation in the bathroom or kitchen. when the weather is fine you can open the balcony door but thats really not sufficient, especially in wet weather. I did worry about fire precautions as there was no extinguisher and the only way out was down a wooden staircase.
Thank you for your comments. It was lovely to meet you, it sounds like you were happy with the apartment in general and I was impressed that you didn't let the weather stop you from having days out, and even having a daily ice cream.
We do take our guest comments seriously so I will address the most important point first.
. Fire safety: We had a fire safety inspection in September 2022 where the fire officer confirmed that Rafters complied with the requirements for paying guests in terms of fire safety provision, since then we have also installed interlinked fire alarms and safety lighting on the staircase. An interesting point made by the fire officer - they don't usually recommend fire extinguishers as the aim is for the guest to vacate the building not fight the fire.
. Yes, the shower room is small, in our and the opinion of many of our returning guests, perfectly useable for the purpose it is intended when on holiday. Perhaps a better description by the agent or clearer pictures would forewarn future guests who may need a bit more space if it is a concern.
. The outdoor mat was soggy, but that was probably due to the incessant rain we had during your stay, this summer has been a wet one so far, it has however prompted us to look at alternatives.
. Ventilation, as one or two guests have highlighted this, it will be addressed, we have closed off some time during the winter to do this. As you know the windows at the front of the building are very low down, its a balance between safety (owners of small dogs will worry) and practicality, also the fact that it is a listed building but we will see if we can find a solution.
We do try to provide an apartment where guests can enjoy a comfortable, value for money stay in our lovely village, constructive feedback is always acted upon, if its not something we can address straight away we will add it to our "winter list".
Property Owner
Reviewed by Tony3.8★ Jul 2023
"We really enjoyed our stay at Rafters which is lovely accommodation and very well located in the little town of Alnmouth."
The views of the golf course and beach from the balcony area were wonderful. Parking could always be found in the streets around the town without a problem. Rafters was well appointed and had everything we needed for our stay as a couple and with our dog. We did ask for a hairdryer which was promptly provided. The bathroom was compact but perfectly usable, with the rest of the accommodation being spacious. Although the balcony opened to provide some fresh air, all the other windows were painted shut which made it a little stuffy and warm. It would be an advantage to be able to open a few of the windows to enhance your stay. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend Rafters for a week away or a short break.
Reviewed by Andy4.4★ Jul 2023
"Good overall and we enjoyed our stay."
The apartment was spacious and reasonably clean. The kitchen provided everything required for cooking meals and we appreciated the chocolates and wine left for us.
2 niggles- the bathroom was tiny with no extraction fan an smelt strongly of stale urine.
The windows were siliconed shut so the rooms felt quite stuffy with no means of fresh air.
Thankyou for your feedback. The shower room is tiny, it is very bijou and built into the eves of the building, the showering area has adequate space for most people with a roomy built in seat. We take pride in making sure the apartment is thoroughly cleaned before guests arrival but do apologise if we fell short on your week. I would like to say though that we are always on hand, as we live only a few steps away, and are very willing to roll up our sleeves and rectify any area that you feel we may have missed in our change over cleaning schedule. We are only human, mistakes happen and it usually only takes a little time to put it right, I am sorry you didn't give us that chance. However we shall certainly take special care going forward.
The very small windows overlooking the street are early 19th C and listed they don't open but the door/window onto the deck creates a nice air flow if left open. I am pleased you had a nice stay overall and thankyou for bringing your concerns to our attention.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Catherine3.8★ May 2023
"A lovely stay in Rafters, much bigger than we were expecting, beautifully designed with comply sofa and chairs and tasteful decoration ."
Loved the small outside balcony for views of the coast. We hope to return. The owners could not have been more helpful . Many thanks Mary and Graham
Reviewed by Mary5.0★ Apr 2023
"This is our fourth or fifth time staying at Rafters in Alnmouth, Northumberland, and we always love it."
We are, also, very likely to stay there again. We noticed that, since our last visit, there have been some welcome changes made to the flat (such as new appliances). Two quick points though...there were no matches supplied for the fire and some of the dinner plates were too large to fit within the dishwasher. That being said, it is a wonderful place. Thank you.
Reviewed by M Alan5.0★ Dec 2022
"Rafters is a holiday home where you'd love to invite friends for a meal and then catch up with a good film."
It's lovely to awake to a stunning dawn and finally to sit out under the stars and catch a glimpse of the milky way.
Oct 2021
"This is the third or fourth time that we have stayed at Rafters and we live it there."
Donald and Susan are great and we already do recommend Rafters (and Alnmouth in general) to our friends and neighbours.
Aug 2021
"Lovely property, nice ambiance and very cosy."
In heart of Alnmouth and close to beach. Very comfortable bed. Friendly owner, would stay again.
May 2021
"A comfortable, homely and warm top floor apartment: excellent views of coast and convenient for town centre & beach: excellent wood burning stove in lounge."
Nov 2019
"We love Rafters and have stayed there four times, the flat is excellently kitted out!"
Aug 2019
"Very cosy, quirky property."
We loved it and can’t wait to stay again!
May 2019
"We recently enjoyed our stay at Rafters and appreciated the thought which had gone into its setting up."
The location was convenient, handy for the beach and we enjoyed the roof terrace with the sea views. Many thanks, too, for a lovely bottle of red wine and the chocolates - that made for a warm welcome!
May 2019
"A lovely attic flat - beautifully furnished, peaceful - with views of the sea."
The owners are very thoughtful - providing milk and tea, logs for the fire which was prepared for us! And thanks for the wine and chocolate. It’s a in great location in a lovely village - close to the beach and all the pubs and restaurants nearby. We had a great break away in a beautiful and tranquil part of Northumberland.
May 2019
"A quirky,funky comfortable place close to amenities"
Mar 2019
"Beautiful spacious apartment in the heart of this amazing village with lovely terrace with stunning views of the sea, Would highly recommend to everyone."
Feb 2019
"Comfortable, good location, clean, everything we needed was provided."
Feb 2019
"Spacious for a one bedroom apartment."
Well equipped and great location. Loads of personal touches including readily laid log burner, bottle of wine and chocolates. We will definitely return and would happily recommend it.
Jan 2019
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