“I would like to say how disappointed we both are.”
What was meant to be a little weekend break, combined with a special family celebration nearby turned out to be a massive let-down.
Upon arrival at the cottage we found a dehumidifier and a piece of paper with instructions, as well as a few mini dehumidifier boxes in the bedroom, please see pictures attached.
Being asthmatic made it worse.
Had I been aware of these damp issues, combined with a strong moldy damp smell, I would have not booked this cottage.
We looked for alternatives but there was nothing to suit our needs as in no pet friendly local alternatives available at such short notice.
Having made bookings with Sykes Cottages previously it is even more disappointing that this property slipped through the net and does not meet the usual high standards.
It is fair to say though that apart from the damp issues, otherwise the cottage is really nice, with quality towels and bedding provided, a very cosy living room and a well equipped kitchen. The power of the electric shower is not great, however, it still works well enough. With the owners living above the property, you can hear them walking around but that is not a big problem.
We bought some air freshers for the bedroom and used the dehumidifier as advised but still, it really spoilt our stay.
Dear Guests,
really sorry to hear your comments & understand your disappointment in finding anything that was unexpected or below par for Sykes Cottages.
The property has been fully damp proofed throughout in 2021, and has a brand new heating system ( radiators) with underfloor heating to kitchen & bathroom.
The de humidifier is offered to our guests during the winter period when the opening of windows may not be welcome due to the cold outside. Its purpose is only to avoid asking guests to open the bedroom windows, as the windows do not have trickle vents & there are solid walls dating from the 1700's. Additionally, we check each week that there is no smell or feeling of damp, we know this is super important to our guests & we run the heating all winter whether the cottage is occupied or not.
Please do be assured that we would have been happy to do whatever was needed to support a pleasurable stay at Ashness. We will take on board comments regarding damp smell in the bedroom, but there is no undeclared damp issue, just a cottage with solid walls that has been fully renovated to a very high standard.
Regards
Adrian & Susan
Property Owner