“This accomodation was lovely. Everything we needed. Very comfortable and well presented. The owners were on hand and very attentive if we needed anything. Lovely hot private tub. Woul shall book again.. Highly recomended”
“Dissappointing! The garden now overgrown covering the wall on the driveway which made it difficult to back the car down. You have to get close to next doors hedge, meaning the passenger has to get out at the top of the drive. You need to back down right to the bottom of the drive to enable to driver to get out avoiding the wall when car door opens.
Also dissappointed with the smaill lounge area as it smelt musty.
Unforturnately will not be returning it was not what we thought it was going to be like from the pictures on the website”
“We had a lovely stay in Macduff at Jade Cottage. Everything we needed, for ourselves and the dogs, was supplied; including a doggy and human Welcome pack. There was a sunny, enclosed garden with furniture, where we could all eat outside. My particular favourite, though, was the upstairs study with Velux windows looking out over the sea and any passing dolphins”
“It is said that you get what you pay for and although Sykes cottages can be costly we have always found the standards good and they come equipped for a good holiday away from home.”
“Misrepresented and Poorly Maintained
We stayed at Machlud Haul for a family weekend (26 - 29 June) and were extremely disappointed. We’ve been doing these annual trips for over 10 years and have never had to complain, but this property was nowhere near the standard advertised.
While the view is fantastic and the main living space is comfortable, these positives were overshadowed by the overall condition of the property. Many of the listing photos are clearly very old and don’t reflect the current reality. The outdoor areas are particularly misrepresented. The BBQ/patio space is broken, dirty, overgrown and unusable. Benches are rotten, furniture is rusted and the general maintenance of the exterior is poor.
Inside, we found multiple cleanliness and safety issues on arrival. Windows were broken or wouldn’t stay open (we had to prop them with wood during a heatwave), floors were sticky, carpets stained, dining chairs marked and the dishwasher had been left full of dirty dishes. Several items of furniture were damaged, including an ottoman, cupboard door, barstool and bedroom door handle. The fridge was ineffective and failed to keep food cold. One bedroom was so small and had such a faulty window that it was unusable, meaning one member of our group had to sleep in the games room instead.
We reported all of this to Sykes within two hours of arrival, sent photos, and also contacted their WhatsApp support during the stay. We did not have the owners contact details, so we contacted Sykes exactly as instructed. Unfortunately, we received no meaningful response while we were there.
A month later, we received a formal reply. Although it included an apology, it missed the point entirely. The property is clearly misrepresented and in poor condition, yet the response focused on the fact that the owners were not contacted directly during our stay, something we were unable to do because their details were not provided. Despite extensive evidence, the owner declined to offer compensation and Sykes stated they could not take responsibility despite the property being misrepresented on their website.
This was followed by a generic ‘your situation is now resolved’ email with a link to a feedback survey.
No commitment was made to rectify any of the issues for future guests. No responsibility has been taken. No resolution has been offered. There is a general lack of care and ownership about the situation which is disappointing.
For a property costing £1,719 for three nights, this was hugely disappointing and far below the standard advertised. We have extensive photos and videos documenting everything - a few examples attached.
Sadly, we cannot recommend this property in its current condition.”
“This was a very nice cottage (compact and bijou) not quite what we were expecting as my wife is disabled but non the lest we managed as it had a downstairs bedroom and we enjoyed our stay very much.”
“Stayed in a few now. Some better than others for different reasons. Booking straight forward and reminders for payment is handy (I had not realised payment was due!). Directions are not bad either.”
“Would not recommend bad experience last year with a property & bad experience in June this year complained & they are not interested property was bad so many things wrong with it Tregoff Terrace Anglesey reviews back in 2022 complain about the same issues & not been rectified 😡”
“Good base for Whitby and surrounding area. Comfortable and well appointed cottage. Useful parking space and train station only a couple of minutes walk away.”
“Good selection of properties with correct descriptions, and a web site that makes booking dimp!e. Then once booked you are kept updated with everything about your booking giving you confidence in Sykes”
