“I would prefer to not write this review but I’ve been asked for it at least three times.
I love the National Trust of Scotland and being able to stay on trust property. But when I decided to book Fraser Castle I knew we could only stay two of the 3 might minimum. I was happy to lose the first night’s rent for the thrill of staying at the castle. But when I contacted Skyes to explain that we would not be there the first night, but would be there the next morning and would I have access to the key in the morning, a person wrote back and said I wouldn’t find that out until I paid for the whole reservation and that was about a month away. What?! I’m only asking IF I’ll have access to the keys, not what is the lockbox code. It was very rude in my opinion, and the person took not the slightest bit of consideration in her response. So some time goes by and I’ve decided to cancel the reservation due to not understanding if we can get in the next day or have to wait until 3:00 or whatever, and I’m contacted about my satisfaction with Sykes and the reservation process. I responded negatively. I then got a very nice response with the logical answer of how I would access the keys at any point the next day since I had paid for the previous night. So they made a negative into a positive.
Now about the East Wing of Fraser, and again I didn’t want to write this. My expectations were low. I read reviews for many of the NTS properties. I was ok with the idea that it was not a posh hotel. But this place needs help. First thing upon entering , we went up the stairs and put our things into our rooms. There are two, one with a larger bed, one with two twins. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. The bathroom has a heated towel rack which was quite nice.
So several things:
The upstairs bedroom doors have commercial type door closer. I’m not sure why they’d want the doors to be kept closed, maybe fire prevention. But I’m quite strong and this door is a beast to open. There’s no way a child could do it. We propped it open with the a chair. Same with the other room.
Many, in fact, most of the windows are painted shut. This makes fresh air very difficult .
Downstairs, the main room is quite comfortable and there is a closet stocked with games.
Now, the kitchen. It is a useful room and large and has both a clothes washer and a dishwasher.
But it smells like urine. Yes, it smells like somebody peed near the sink and someone else mopped the floor with it. Remember the windows are mostly painted shut. There was a window in the kitchen but I had to climb up on the counter to open it and get fresh air, not that it helped.
So, in my opinion, it needs a good cleaning, a deep cleaning by someone who actually cares about it. It needs to have more of the windows made operable. We’ve owned many old houses. It takes time, but it’s not rocket science. While we are on the windows, the view would be great, IF you could see out. The windows haven’t been washed in years and they are difficult to see out of. Again, how hard can this be? If you’re charging for a place, make it presentable and fresh smelling. I own rental properties. It would never occur to me to present one in this state.
Finally, those spring hinges, or whatever those things are called, are a hazard and need to be replaced or the tension adjusted. If, in fact, the doors are required to be self closing they are not required to be so very difficult to open.
Finally, yes, you have access to the grounds overnight but not the walled garden. So see it during the day. The grounds and the castle are wonderful.
I’m submitting this anonymously, but the company can see who I am and are free to contact me if they choose to.”
“Very happy with our weekend break and stay with our 2 dogs (Manchester Terriers)! Cottage was comfortable, bedroom spacious, kitchen was good for basic needs but may have been challenging for longer stay . Good location for local walks and to explore Derbyshire”
“We were so pleased we chose here to stay, the cottage was clean and comfortable with everything you would need. Very close to Cheddar Gorge and Wells. Beautiful walks in the nearby woods and the wildlife we saw was an absolute treat. I would definitely recommend this as a place to stay. Thank you so much for having us.”
“The cottage was lovely and in a good area for getting about, but a bit tired. The sofa and chair in lounge were very uncomfortable.
The lovely roll top bath was too high for me to climb in (5'1" and bad knees) and I would have struggled getting out. As the shower was a hand held one over the bath I couldn't even shower.
There were areas in the cottage, particular kitchen equipment, that needed a better clean.”
“The bungalow was very clean and spacious including the comfy bedrooms. Pictures, ornaments and good cushions made it look homely and settees vg quality.
It overlooked a large green area and the site was very quiet with plenty of parking areas.
Would recommend.”
“The location of the property is ideal for our group.
Everything was there you could possibly need, however the outdoor space is limited with seating for 4 (not ideal when there are 9 in the party). The BBQ wasn't really usable but may have been replaced by now.
If you want to eat together there is no large table to seat 9 people either.
The property was very clean, although there were traces of pet hair from previous users. Could be an issue if anyone has an allergy.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here & would have no issues returning.”
“De cottage ligt erg afgelegen wat wel zalig is. Iedere morgen de serene rust en alleen het getjilp van de vogels, de koekoek, heerlijk om een even lekker te ontspannen. Het uitzicht is schitterend zelf bij zeer bewolkt weer, de regenbuien rond de toppen van de heuvels. De cottage is compleet uitgerust, er is weinig wat je echt mist, en als het er niet was dan hebben we ons er eromheen gemanoeuvreerd. Je bent tenslotte op vakantie. Aan de verwarming moet de eigenaar wat aandacht besteden,. Dat deze alleen een paar uur in de morgen actief is en in de avond is geen probleem, prima zelfs maar het was erg warm. Zoals al in de presentatie werd vermeld, ontvangst met de mobiele telefoon en internetten is zeer slecht tot lastig, maar je bent op vakantie. Wat ons betreft een top locatie!”
“Begrijp het niet zo goed. Volgens "my booking" hebben we dit jaar geen boeking gehad, wat we al eerder als foutief hebben aangekaart, maar nu vragen jullie ons een beoordeling. Voor ons hoeft Sykes niet meer.”
“Lovely return stay, beautiful setting and very peaceful, lots of wildlife around. Cabin is very comfortable and has everything you need. Will return again!”
“Lodge exactly as described by Sykes cottages. Instructions for access good. Only concern was parking for 2 cars not obvious, meaning other residents of area used one. Site not busy, so we were able to park second car....could be a problem later in the summer.”
“A lovely high spec cottage.
Perhaps new mattresses and some outside maintenance .. if being critical ..
Otherwise a lovely stay… many thanks for the BBQ!”
“Lovely property, housekeeping slipped up - there was no toilet paper supplied. Would have liked small bins in the bedrooms and a chair in the main bedroom”
“Lovely accommodation, very well equipped and comfortable. We enjoyed walking in the gardens and the children the playground. The one minor problem we had was handled very quickly. It will be amazing once the swimming pool is open.”
“Windy Willows in Okehampton is beautiful. Immaculately clean and well appointed. The view over looking the garden is perfect.
The hosts Sarah and John made us very welcome and couldn't do enough. We would love to back at some point and would certainly recommend it.”
