Gill - verified booking

"Although this cottage is in a lovely setting with wonderful coastal walks from the door and on first appearances the inside looked clean and comfortable, I soon began to have serious concerns about maintenance and safety. The exterior looks and is in need of some maintenance and re-decoration to make it more attractive which is a pity but I didn't choose it for its appearanceOne main concern was that I had no signal on my phone and this should have been made clear on the cottage description as it is not suitable for anyone who may need urgent assistance for example for a health issue,reasons. Apparently only Vodaphone phones have a connection in that area. There is no landline phone provided and so far as I am aware, there are no public phone boxes locally. There was nothing in the cottage information to inform me of this and nothing giving details of where the nearest public phone is or what to do in an emergency other than a phone number of the gentleman who runs a cafe a short walk away but as I had no phone signal and his property is inaccessible once the cafe is closed as it is surrounded by high fences and tall metal gates which are locked this would not be an option. This would be a serious problem for anyone but for anyone with an illness or like myself, a foster carer with a very troubled child, it is not acceptable and I should have been made aware before booking. The bathroom door only opens halfway and as you enter one of the large ceramic floor tiles is broken across the middle and is not fixed to the floor so that it rocks up and down exposing sharp edges and also catches on the door. The bath plug is one of the type which you empty the bath by turning a knob under the taps. This does not work so that you have to prise the plug out with a knife and wedge it open or bale the bath out manually.On arrival the television did not work. There were instructions for the tv but not for the freeview box. This was a problem with a six year old boy in the midddle of nowhere when the weather was bad Seaview did send someone out to attend to this the next day but even after his visit the tv regularly lost the signal for a few seconds possibly about 3-4 times in an hour which was very irritating and I was warned not to use the CD player or it may not work again due to problems setting the "source" signal. There are two doors to the property, one to the front door and one to an outside area which is raised on decking surrounded by a wooden rail. There is only one key to the front door and no key to the back door. Apart from fears about getting locked out, the door to the outside area could only be closed properly by going outside and climbing onto the boarded area to kick it closed at the bottom as the wood was swollen, impossible for anyone who is not very physically fit. It would also have been useful to have a spare key to keep in the keylock box outside because if I had been locked out without my own keys I would have been totally stranded with nowhere to go and no means of getting help.The kitchen is only very sparsely equipped and there were some obvious ommissions where it seemed that breakages had not been replaced (eg. only two very tiny bowls for cereal and no potato peeler nor even a suitable sharp knife). The cottage generally was poorly equipped considering its location. It is the only cottage I have ever stayed in that did not have any books, DVDs, games or other pastimes. We stayed for a week and on the third day the calor gas ran out while I was cooking the evening meal which was wasted, and then it took two days to get it replaced after phoning Seaview twice about the problem which again meant a car journey just to make a phone call.Another issue was that there were curtains to pull across both the front door and the door to the outside area but these had obviously been re-used from somewhere else as they were around four feet too long and in addition to the difficulty avoiding these becoming soiled as we went in and out with the dogs they are an obvious tripping hazard and need to be shortened to the right length!The cottage information really could be more detailed as there were not even instructions what to do with rubbish. I did find recycling bins but never discovered general waste bins on the property which was a problem as I filled the bin before the end of the holiday. There was no-one tos ask and no phone!It is a great pity as this cottage is in a wonderful place and has the potential to be exceptional but it requires some work just to make it safe and has a general air of neglect and lack of proper maintenance, The adjoining outbuildings are in a sorry state with holes in the roof and are simply being allowed to crumble away but at least seem secure."

Ian C - verified booking

"When I was looking for somewhere to have my sixtieth birthday celebration, I came across this house, and from the description seemed perfect, but just too good to be true. But I can now say that not only did it live up to expectations, but amazingly exceeded them. The setting is stunning, in beautiful grounds on the the clifftop, but it is the house itself that is the star. Big light and airy rooms, with wonderful furnishings and fittings and decor, all in keeping with the Art Deco theme, made you feel you had stepped back into a bygone age. It felt a real privilege to be staying there, and trusted with this amazing place. The big dining room was a perfect setting for my birthday dinner, and the kitchen had everything you could possibly want to prepare and serve the meal. The owner was very helpful and responsive, and on his recommendation we had food for the meal supplied by Deli Tramezzini, which was great, and a cake from Wight Vintage, which was also wonderful. So it was very memorable weekend for us all, topped off by the lovely warm and sunny weather the whole time."

Vesa - verified booking

"The cottage is located in stunning surrounds, but the actual accommodation lets itself down badly. Where to even begin, Kitchen had nothing but the most basic cooking equipment and being a cottage for three people, more than 2 knives, forks, plates or glasses would have been nice. Then again as the fire alarm was positioned just over the hob cooking anything was virtually impossible as even heat from just opening the empty oven door would set it off. Same is true for rest of the cottages in this complex as all of us could often hear during breakfast, lunch and evening. The bed looked nice but was in poor repair with springs coming to the top of the mattres. Despite of all the photographs the cottage also only had one small sofa, another arm chair or so would not have gone a miss. but then again the kitchen/living area was smaller than most hotel rooms you will have stayed in. Fantastic place for some lovely walks though and if the accommodation was much cheaper it would make nice alternative to sleeping outside."

Jason - verified booking

"We arrived at 6pm on our first night and the heating didn't work so it was freezing, someone came to fix this on the next day which was good. The shower wasn't fantastic as the shower head seemed to be too big for the wall holder as it kept falling down so had to be held for the duration. It was nice and quiet and out the way of the main road, not much to do in the evenings however unless you want to drive as the cottage is just off a main road so dangerous to walk. There is a public footpath but it's through a heavily wooded area, unlit, and is uneven and especially slippery when wet. The bin provided wasn't big or secure enough because the night after we put out rubbish in it, it was up-turned by animals. Also, our 'neighbours' bin was ravaged on our 3rd night but no one was staying in that accommodation for the duration of our stay, and that bin wasn't emptied for the same duration. There was only one mirror in the bathroom, none in the bedroom which is slightly disappointing and there was no hair dryer."

Rob - verified booking

"This property was good value in general and we wouldn't deter people from booking it but the slightly lower than average price reflected the fact it came with some cons, namely - it was dark as surrounded by trees, decking area was always shaded so didn't use it, bathroom needs some work, tired, broken floor tile, bath plug didn't work, door wouldn't open properly, missing floor grout, needs attention. Bed was missing slats at head and foot making mattress sag, ended up buying a blow up bed as not fit for two people in current state. All in all it was OK, space was a good size in general, kitchen good despite over sensitive smoke alarms. A days work would make it good again so owners should invest a little bit into it, wouldn't cost much to put right. Actual area very peaceful, felt very safe and relaxing. Long bumpy road was a bit hard going on car but was full of blackberries, birds of prey, rabbits and other wildlife so we didn't mind, it felt quaint."