“Sykes process for booking the ...”
Sykes process for booking the cottage was spot on - very intuitive and easy to follow. Hassle free and we got from the beginning of the process to the end with no issues whatsoever.
The holiday itself was taken in the middle of the June/July 2018 heatwave. This led to a different experience to the one we were hoping for - we went for the "Waterfall Country" experience but, unfortunately, due to Mother Nature, we had not so much water and not so much falling BUT it was nevertheless still a brilliant holiday, seeing the rivers in a way that most folks never get to. Clambering over the rocks on the riverbeds was a novel experience, especially in Wales. We managed 12 'waterfalls' in our weeks stay and as most of the walks were under tree cover it was just about bearable given temperatures approaching 30C.
The cottage itself was practical and very useful in itself, with everything being catered for. It felt like it could do with a professional deep clean from time to time (we don't know if this is done regularly or not? ). Whilst the idea of getting the holidaymakers to give it a good clean prior to leaving with the threat of a £100 bond being used to fund further cleaning if not done would appear to be useful in reducing costs on the face of it, I don't go on holiday to get involved in vacuuming, mopping and getting rid of cobwebs at the end of what should be a relaxing week. I wouldn't mind paying a bit extra for someone else to do it.
There were 3 points that though detailed did actually impact on our enjoyment of the week - Firstly, no parking with the property - on street parking and all the fun that come with parking wars. If it was just a quiet cul-de-sac as it appears then no problem BUT it is actually the access road for all school and team building course students nationwide!!, this meant twice a day there were all sorts of buses, coaches, minibuses etc dropping folks off and picking them up. I'd bought a new (old) car the week previous and was more than a little concerned at this for the week.
Secondly, the listing warns of shared access to the property through the neighbours garden. We are asked to ensure that the gate is securely closed everytime we go through it as they have a dog. They certainly do. It is a very chatty and excitable hound. It is a beagle and has the associated bark. It barks when anyone passes by, comes through the gates, goes out. It barks when it's feeling lonely and abandoned after everyone in the house has left, for a good while. Due to the temperatures during the week (excessive), both their windows and ours were left open. The temptation to leave the gate wide open and allow the little fella (or lass) to seek alternative housing was very strong, but we resisted, heroically. - The dog needs a bit of training to help calm it down somewhat.
Thirdly - no wifi!!!! - I'm sorry, I know there are those around who think this is a good idea and they can get to talk to their grandchildren but I am willing to bet the grandchildren weren't thinking the same. This is not just the C21st but the second decade of the C21st. - Also, due to the fact mobile signal is patchy at best, this is wholly unacceptable and should be remedied post haste. I was hoping to use the OS maps facilities (which are remarkably uptodate but was very limited. I was hoping to stay in touch with my youngest son who had headed off to Australia for 3 months the previous week, but was virtually unable to. Again, for a relatively small fee, this is a service which, in this day and age, could and should be provided, especially in such a poor reception area for mobile signals.
It was a lovely holiday and it was a lovely cottage. The neighbours and locals were beyond friendly and helpful. My wife and I are very easy going and relaxed about life in general. The 3 points I've raised didn't ruin the holiday but certainly grated. We appreciate that the parking would be difficult to resolve (maybe enquiries to the owners of the garages just up the road, which no-one appears to use), but a quick chat to the neighbours about the dog - it didn't look happy and a bit of training wouldn't go amiss and certainly get internet access in there.
