The Willows

25 Customer Reviews

• "Would highly recommend staying here."

  A couple of minor niggles but overall an excellent holiday in this modernised well appointed property. Great views, easy access too the village and to the coastal path. Would happily stay here again. Minor niggles: people have mentioned parking as an issue. It's tight through the garage but we managed to park a Dacia Duster and a Renault Megane in the garage and on the hard standing at the rear without having to fold the mirrors. There are a few spotlight bulbs that need replacing. The freezer box in the kitchen is in need of a serious defrost Not sure how effective the extractor fans are in the bathroom and the en-suite and drying towels can be challenging. Rubbish and recycling instructions need to be clarified. There are no national standards and the instructions for every property we have been in this year have been different.

  We are delighted to hear you recommend staying at The Willows and thank you for your comments - we have taken them on board. We really wanted to update you and other guests regards the tight parking. The garage has now been demolished and the space left has allowed a lovely new off road parking area for 3 cars. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stephen4.7★Sep 2023

• "Parking needs addressing"

  Hi Thomas, We are removing the garage in March 2024 to create an open, much wider space for two cars which will hopefully address the need to park next to the house which we recognise is tight. We hope to see you at The Willows again, Regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Thomas5.0★Sep 2023

• "Fabulous views, comfortably furnished and well equipped, we really enjoyed our break."

  We did feel there is a need for a TV upstairs, just one in the large accommodation is not enough, the can opener needs to be replaced and there was a bad smell from the main bathroom form the drains at the end of our break, we just used the ensuite but there could be an issue there.

  Reviewed by Fran3.8★Aug 2023

• "Having read the previous feedback regarding cleanliness we were worried the cottage would be tatty and not clean."

  However everything was absolutely fine. The garage was a tight squeeze but we have a big Toyota Rav4 and we managed to get that through. There is also space to park in the road up against the house. It is a shame there is no garden just a hard standing made of slate chips but the balcony made up for that. Some sun loungers might have been useful as the outside furniture not great for relaxing. Everything was pretty much as shown in the photos. The sloping ceiling could be a problem If you are very tall. The ensuite quite tiny and the towels Provided quite skimpy and not really sufficient for a week. Luckily there was only 4 of us so we shared the spare towels between us. Kitchen and house well equipped. Location perfect with lovely views and sunsets.

  Reviewed by Fran4.4★Jun 2023

• "We have stayed in many Sykes cottages and have enjoyed every one of them but this place wins top prize in our book."

  The village and the villagers are lovely. The Willows is within east walking distance to the village, shop, pubs and the beach and the standard and quality of the property was fantastic. We will (if permitted of course) be returning in the future to enjoy the experience again

  Thank you Nicola , so glad you enjoyed your stay and we would love to see you again in the future, with kind regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Nicola5.0★Jun 2023

• "Fabulous property, looked great in the pictures seriously exceeded our expectations in reality."

  Really well appointed and very comfortable, great views across the bay. Will certainly return in the future. Parking a little tight but manageable.

  Thank you Jon, really glad you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back in the future, regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jon5.0★May 2023

• "There was certainly a wow factor with this house, it was spacious and the views from the large windows were fantastic."

  We particularly enjoyed the evening sunsets. The house was clean and comfortable and very well equipped. The 'garden' isnt really a garden but nevertheless it was a useful outdoor space that was enclosed, clean and very suitable for the dog. The garage is as described, a very tight fit for a VW Golf but we did manage to park outside at the front. The location is perfect, an easy walk to Newport's pubs, restaurants and shops, a 10min walk to Parrog harbour and an easy and interesting 45min walk to Newport beach. All in all we enjoyed a great week and would be pleased to return to the Willows again.

  Many thanks Alison and we are so glad you enjoyed your stay. We are looking at removing the garage over the winter to create a larger parking space for guests as we fully appreciate that the garage is quite small and parking outside is tight. As part of this work we will also look to makeover the garden by adding more plants and shrubs to soften it up a bit. We do hope we will see you again, Regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alison4.7★May 2023

• "We really enjoyed our week in this amazing holiday home."

  The house was spacious and comfortable. The views from the upstairs living space are stunning. The Willows had everything we were looking for and more! We are already looking forward to booking another stay.

  Thank you Frances, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back soon, regards John and Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Frances5.0★Oct 2022

• "On arrival which was quite late on the Friday night beds were dirty and had stains on the top sheets these had to be taken off and washed by myself not acceptable and a sign saying all linen must be ripped off at the end of the stay so was clearly missed when they made the beds ,cobwebs and spiders everywhere with in the house had to go around the first night removing them , the cushions on the settee coming in to the house were filthy and all cushion on the settees had stains on had to remove all these as they were gross we did report at the local office and advise them showing them pictures, the following morning we noticed a massive pile of dog muck outside the living room window which is quite hard not to notice when your sat with floor to ceiling windows, really disappointed on the heating as well as the first night it was freezing in one of the kids rooms and after 7 phone calls later over a couple of days and heaters being brought in by the local office the heating finally worked 4 days in to the holiday but still no radiators to dry washing it took 3 days of wet towels and clothes to day and still ended up bring damp clothes home, the photos must of been taken ages ago as weeds and overgrown plants I understand it’s autumn but when your paying the price for what it is you expect it to that standard , The living room was downstairs and nothing upstairs ie a tv when you book it for the view it would be nice to be in the same room not to have to go to downstairs so would recommend a tv upstairs in such a big property as I’m not sure where 6 would seat downstairs There is a very small freezer box in the kitchen upstairs and one downstairs so if your bringing food you would struggle to fit it in."

  Garage is very tight fit anything bigger than a Fiat 500L would struggle , would recommend a blind in the laundry room as next to the bathroom as if the door left open you can be caught out We have stopped in far cheaper accommodations and everything has been a lot better very disappointed as was for a 40th birthday and you don’t endeavour being on the phone asking the office to ask the owner to turn the heat up and change sheets on arrival

  Hello Jenny, Thank you for your feedback and we are sorry you felt disappointed with aspects of your stay. To answer the points you raise: 1. All linen is professionally cleaned after each stay, including cushion covers where necessary so we are surprised you felt they were not clean and this certainly hasn't been reflected in any other recent reviews or bookings which would also apply to your comments about cobwebs etc. 2. A lot of our guests bring dogs and we ask that all dog mess is cleared from the garden. The cleaners also inspect the garden on changeover day so we apologise if they missed something. 3. Regarding the heating. The house is set to come on at a standard temperature in the morning from 7 and from 4pm in the afternoon. Whilst we can and are happy to adjust this, most people find it a very acceptable temperature and it is rare we have to change it. We received a request to increase it for you on the Saturday both by temperature and for length of time which we did immediately only to receive another call on the Monday to increase the temperature to 25c which, although we accept there was a slight delay in getting this done and clearly we will adjust the temperature to whatever a guest wants, was setting the house at an unprecedented heat. To emphasise this point, having changed the heating back to the regular setting for our next guests they asked for the heating to be turned off completely as they thought the retained heat was still too hot. 4. We were at the property at the beginning of September and we do not agree there were any weeds growing in the garden. 5. As regards the TV, the particulars do say that this is downstairs. 6. As you say, there are two small freezer departments in two of the fridges which we feel should be sufficient for anybody staying as we assume guests tend not to use or bring with them a large amount of frozen products on holiday. 7. As the particulars say, the property is on a narrow lane which does make parking tight. We are currently looking at options to widen the garage to make its use easier. We hope this covers the points you raise and we will always try to answer any comments or criticisms honestly and make changes where needed because clearly, we want all our guests to enjoy their stay. Kind regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jenny2.5★Sep 2022

• "Loved the property the upside down house certainly worked for us ;o)."

  The view over Parrog was wonderful from the balcony and the upstairs lounge watching the sun go down was a relaxing experience. Good location to walk to the village of Newport, the estuary and the mountain. Walking maps shared in the welcome book, worth a trip round the area. The welcome package was a nice touch and certainly a surprise many thanks for this. I would go back. Just a foot note to get your car into the garage is a challenge - Mondeo had 2" gap either side with mirrors folded so beware it does take a bit of practice.

  Hi Dominic, We are glad you enjoyed your stay, we are currently looking at options to widen the garage to make it a bit easier to use, many thanks for booking the property, kind regards John & Marianne. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Dominic5.0★Aug 2022

• "1. As has been reported multiple times in previous feedback - the property was filthy upon arrival, despite having phoned the office in advance and having it apparently inspected before we arrived!"

  ! Whilst the list of what wasn't clean is as long as my arm, my personal highlights include a dirty, soiled toilet, a bloody handprint on a photo frame, and a toothpick on the bedroom floor. Sykes did arrange for a cleaner to be sent that evening to clean the worst of it however this was not how we were hoping to kick start our holiday and completely ruined the first evening. Also, considering the view is a big selling point, the windows were filthy!!! It should be stated at this point, however, that I highly doubt this is the fault of the cleaners but the short amount of time they're given to clean the property. It's significantly sized properly with 4 beds - it can't be cleaned in a couple of hours. 2. The property was in a severe state of disrepair - we experienced much of the same things as previously mentioned in the feedback (which the landlord claims to have fixed!!). Numerous spotlights had fused, spotlights were hanging from their sockets, one door was hanging off its hinges, the whole property was in desperate need of being painted as it was downright tatty, the garage door doesn't close properly, and the en-suite bathroom flooded. 3. Parking is a nightmare. The claim that a family car can park in the garage completely baffled us. My daughter only just about managed to squeeze in her '08 plate Renault Clio which is by no means a family car. We were forced to park right outside the garage door, and the faulty door mentioned above opened one evening and scratched the car. How a holiday cottage for 6 can't provide decent parking for at least one car is beyond us. 4. Considering the price (especially in peak season!!) the property lacks some touches that would really make it spectacular. The balcony upstairs had only one small table and one chair when there's room for plenty! And the downstairs outside seating area wasn't very inviting. 5. This property doesn't take recycling into consideration. We were told just to put everything into a black bag that the cleaners would later sort. The cleaners barely have time to due essential cleaning let alone sort the garbage. Is it really acceptable in this day and age not to consider recycling? Whilst not all bad - the view was amazing (even if the tree had grown since the photo was taken), and the location was fab (10-minute walk to Parrog Beach), it's clear to me that this is seen as very much a money-making facility and the owners care very little about the quality of the property and the experience of their guests.

  Reviewed by V2.5★May 2022

• "Lovely property, lovely views and lovely town However the dirtiest rental property we have ever rented floors bathrooms appliances,draws, bins etc and the extensive rubbish from the previous guests - pizza boxes, bottles cans full bin bags left and were still there at the end of our stay Condition also an issue one main door off its hinges, freezer compartment in fridge freezer draw broken - other freezer too dirty to use and many spot light bulbs not working."

  The ladies in the local Sykes agency were really helpful and cleaned for 90mins the night we arrived but the property needs proper care and attention

  We hope you will be pleased to hear that a new cleaning team are now looking after The Willows. Decorators have been booked in for week beginning 13 May. We do hope we can welcome you back to Newport again soon. The Coast & Country Holidays team Property Owner

  Reviewed by Rob2.8★Apr 2022

• "Had a great stay."

  The house is very well equity and was very clean on our arrival. Sometimes you can find things lacking but everything we needed was at the house. I have to mention the garage as this seems a topic in reviews - I have a very large estate car which with a few manoeuvres and filing of the mirrors was able to fit in garage. It would be good to have control of the heating but we asked for it to be on earlier as we had a baby with us and this was done right away. Can not fault and will return.

  Thank you Jonathan, happy you had a good stay. Also good to hear you got your car in the garage, we are looking to do a little bit of work shortly on the driveway outside the house to improve the garage access. We look forward to seeing you again, regards John & Marianne Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jonathan5.0★Feb 2022

• "Willows was as listed with great views of Newport bay."

  Bedrooms were comfortable. Unfortunately the house had not had a deep clean as was stated by you to meet the necessary changes made to entry and exit, I.e. dirty frying pan and roasting tray, unwashed mug, dust under table marked with initials of previous tenants, a Golden Lion receipt dated April 2020, lying under en-suite bedroom, brass pin from hairdryer plug found in bedside drawer, obviously hairdryer didn’t work, requested heating changes never materialised even after a number of visits to local coast and country shop. This was our very first experience of not having control over the heating of a property. We did, however, greatly appreciate the support from the coast and country staff.

  Reviewed by William3.8★Oct 2021

• "The Willows was a fabulous house, the views were also fabulous, we were lucky to be able to drive our estate car through the garage doors and park at the back, the only negative was the company that clean the house aren’t up to scratch, but once reported to Sykes cottages they acted very quickly, contacted the owner who compensated us, after I had spent a couple of hours cleaning it myself, but I would definitely go back, it was a lovely break!"

  Reviewed by Gillian4.1★Sep 2021

• "Just some very minor points 1."

  No grill pan 2. Definite short of teaspoons 3. Parking is an issue for a larger car

  Reviewed by Ceri4.7★Aug 2021

• "House was super."

  Loved the separate lounge/tv area the upstairs view and balcony and the tiled floor downstairs, felt very med-like. Parking is challenging but not impossible. F-Pace would not fit in garage so parked that around the corner. Squeezed a Discovery 5 outside house, hugging house with no probs for passing cars and vans although we had to move it to let dustcart through. Lovely dog walk to beach, Nice town - Golden Lion is absolutely superb! Beaches around, particularly Barafundle (1hr drive) superb and totally worth it.

  Reviewed by Victoria4.7★Jul 2021

• "The house is very comfortable and views are as good as the photos, the village is also very nice."

  The parking is a pain as previous feedback. The staircase is quite steep and our elderly parents struggled with it. The kitchen is on a different floor to the lounge so it is a pain to carry cups up and down the stairs, especially as the mugs in the cottage are extremely chunky. Also any noise from upstairs easily transmits downstairs. Oh and nowhere in the kitchen to store any food you may have brought in. Having said all above we loved our stay and the views are lovely and beds comfortable so for young families none of the above should be an issue. The house is also very peaceful if you are looking to unwind.

  Thank you for your feedback and first of all we are pleased you and your family enjoyed their stay. In response to the various points you raise: Unfortunately as Feidr Ganol is a narrow road if you park outside the house you do have to get the car quite close to the house to allow other vehicles to pass. As we state on the website the garage has doors at both ends to enable two cars to park if the garage is used or alternatively there is usually space on Parrog Road which is only a short walk from the house. We are sorry your parents had trouble with the stairs, this is not something anybody has commented on before but hope it didn’t cause them too much trouble. Because of the views we designed the house so the living accommodation is upstairs, including the kitchen and the bedrooms downstairs. We understand that if you are using the downstairs sitting room this will mean going upstairs should you need to use the kitchen. There is however a fridge and kettle in the utility room so at least hot drinks could be made without necessarily having to go upstairs. There should be one large drawer in the kitchen units to store any food brought in, which we have always found to be enough together with the work surfaces but we are sorry if this caused you an issue during your stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Allison3.8★Jun 2021

• "Parking can be an issue as the garage is not very wide, so bring a small car otherwise you can park in Parrog Rd."

  Neighbours opposite the house now have a sign to not park outside the garage as it impairs their access.

  Reviewed by Martin4.7★Apr 2021

• "Beautiful property with stunning views."

  Ideal for a family as there is plenty of space. The standard of the property is extremely high and was very comfortable. Will definitely be returning!

  Reviewed by Vanessa5.0★Apr 2021

• "An amazing house in a great location."

  Absolutely recommend.

  Thank you for your comments, William, and happy you had a good stay. Kind regards, John (owner). Property Owner

  Reviewed by William5.0★Nov 2020

• "I enjoyed the holiday but the house was much too big for the 3 of us the two faults were reported and some came out a couple of days later to fix the problem."

  The Garage was a pain to get in I drove through and had to put my wing mirrors down. When I drove out the incline on to the road was so steep it ripped off the underneath drip tray and I had to go to the local garage to get it repaired. Apart from that the house was warm and well equipped beds were comfy the views from upstairs were spectacular if we were a bigger party I would rebook

  Reviewed by Victoria3.8★Oct 2020

• "An ideal location to explore this remote area of Pembrokeshire and within an easy walk to Newport town centre"

  Reviewed by Trevor5.0★Aug 2020

• "In these strange times it was helpful and reassuring to receive clear and informed updates along with useful information regarding the holiday and changes to arrangements."

  Reviewed by Rhian5.0★Jul 2020

• "We adored the Willows and felt it was beautifully organised and prepared for us."

  Only small comment was it would have been nice to have a Dish brush to wash dishes with? We went and bought our own but that was a bit odd to arrive and have no way to wash dishes by hand. Stunning venue and views. We will definitely be coming back!

  Reviewed by Carina5.0★Jul 2020

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