Dog Friendly Otterburn Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Amanda - Verified booking

  We had a mixed experience booking Dovecote Cottage.

  The cottage itself was as described and it is nice and roomy, but we feel there were many omissions and inaccuracies in the listing and information provided. We had to contact Sykes even before setting off from home as the 'get in' instructions said we needed to phone one of the two numbers provided a minimum of 48hrs before the booking. I did this and got someone who said they were staff at the hotel and that the cottage had 'some sort of automated system' but were completely vague and they explained they didn't have anything to do with the cottage. Sykes checked with the owner and said the booking information would be corrected and that I would receive a text with details on the day of the booking. There was no pub as described, with-in 0.1 mile. The hotel next door was never open during our stay - as far as we could tell. Directly opposite the cottage is a 'ruined grand hall/hotel', next door to this and just in front of the cottage is a 'workers yard' where work starts noisily at 8am everyday with utility vehicles driven back and forth in front of the cottage. Behind the cottage is a small holiday camp of lodges (not mentioned at all in the listing and somewhere we would not have chosen to stay) with lots of noise from children and groups in hot-tubs. On arrival we phoned the other two members in our party and told them not to bother coming - we knew they wouldn't have been happy with the location. Finally, we had an unfortunate 2 hours, starting at 2am in the morning, with the smoke alarm sounding every 10mins. This was positioned at the top of the stairs on a 10 to 12 foot high ceiling. We tried everything we could to turn it off (there was no guidance in the handbook, and no ladders etc at the property). Ultimately we ended up phoning the owners at 3.30am who, after suggesting we find something to stand on, agreed to come to the cottage with ladders. Unfortunately the issue couldn't be resolved and with our consent the owner had to disconnect the alarm. We realise that this is just one of those things - but it had a massive impact on the enjoyment of the previous evening and the following day was a write-off as we didn't get to bed until 4.30am. As noted in the other comments, the cottage is nice and roomy and excellent value (priced competitively) however, it's the omissions; carefully chosen photo's and lack of attention to detail (no numbers on the oven dial, standard double beds not king size, no log burner starting kit (take starter, kindling and logs), no shoe tray (take bags or mat to put shoes in/on), poor shower pressure (choose the button at 3 o'clock), and no comments book for feeding anything back discretely) that made us feel like we hadn't had the best experience. On a positive, we did see lots of wild life; red squirrels, birds and deer in the grounds, and the cottage was warm and comfy.

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• Tracey - Verified booking

  The property was in a great location and the welcome hamper was a lovely touch from the owners, as well as the very comprehensive email detailing all we needed to know about the accommodation.

  However I was very disappointed with the cleanliness of the accommodation. On arrival the windows were filthy and covered in marks, so much so, I cleaned them myself. I also had to sweep the outside area, which was covered in debris. The walls of the accommodation were also very dirty, and needed a wipe, or touch up. The bin in the main bathroom was very dirty and didn’t appear to have been wiped for some time, as were the towel rails in both bathrooms. There were substantial cobwebs in the en-suite and the shower cubicle was dirty and had mould on some of the tiles. The kitchen however, was very clean. I noted that the feedback on the reviews for this property and in the guest book were all very positive and therefore I can only conclude that this was a lapse in standards on this occasion? As a result I don’t think it would be fair to make my comments public, so please do not publish this feedback, but I would like them passed onto the owners so that they can act on my feedback as they see fit. I did try to email the owner during my stay, but for some reason I was unable to send it via my phone.

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• Lucy - Verified booking

  Really fabulous property.

  We were in the area for a wedding at le petit chateau. Had to contact the owner a few times prior to arrival and communication was always prompt. The cottage was not only in a perfect location for the wedding but in such a beautiful location itself. We explored the surrounding estate having a picnic at the near by lake one afternoon and really enjoyed the extra touch of binoculars in the property which allowed for some brilliant star gazing on the 2 clear evenings we had. Fabulous facilities within the property and it’s always great to have a full size fridge/freezer although my favourite room was the bathroom, it was just incredible. The beds were extremely comfortable and all 3 of us got incredible nights sleep! Absolutely fabulous couldn’t fault the property or its location at all. Would recommend to anyone who is looking to explore the nearby area, we drove to the Scottish Borders, had a day trip to Bamburgh beach and spent a day exploring Beamish, knowing we could get home to the perfect cosy property!

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• Steven - Verified booking

  Enjoyed our stay at Lodge 32.

  The site it is on was quiet and peaceful and well cared for. If you've read other reviews about the toilet not flushing this is operator error, just jab the large flush button with your thumb and keep it there until the cistern empties. Hot tub was nice, staff arrive every morning to clean and treat it, nice folk. Ask them to tune the tub to your liking. The shop in the village “Border Reiver” was very good and staff helpful, as was the Otterburn Mill Cafe and Shop. Nearest fuel station was Bellingham (Jet) or at Thropton (Shell), so arrive fuelled up unless you are venturing out and about. The Coach House on site was not open during our stay, so arrive expecting to self cater. They have no chef at the moment (but this is not the responsibility of Lodge 32). If you are old folk like us the low furniture and beds are a tad difficult to get out of, not a criticism just a note for older guests.

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• Helen - Verified booking

  Lovely comfortable stay, we had heavy rain so log burner was welcome.

  Nice roomy house/cottage fairly clean,could be better, cushions on the sofa could be cleaner, carpet edges dusty in bedroom no ventilation for shower steam will cause future problems. Bedroom door know drops off. Plenty cleaning supplies,and we got a food delivery no problem. Loved watching the wildlife out of the kitchen window and after stocking up the supply of bird food saw many birds we don't get back home delightful with a cuppa tea. Walks around the area very nice. Nxt door didn't open for the public so local pub in village 2 mile away. The mill was great for Sunday lunch and nice cakes and scones dog friendly too. Cottage warmed up quickly and kept it's heat in. Would like the surroundings to be resurrected to former splendor but the area was quiet and peaceful even tho lodges were in close proximity with outdoor hot tubs. Would return again.

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