Dog Friendly Totnes Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Susan - Verified booking

  We have had many holidays in your cottages up until now, but this by far the worst one we have been to.

  Alright, so we were next to the river, noted that the location is beautiful once you find it. We parked, as instructed, in front by the fence in front of the property. We had no sooner sat down when the occupant of the property above said we would have to move as we were in the wrong spot and we were blocking him in....not a good start! Also we have always had a welcome pack left for us which meant we had things to hand to make a cup of tea or coffee after a long journey.....not even so much as a teabag! We luckily had brought provisions for the same ourselves. We then had to find out where the nearest supermarket was. A post code at least WOULD HAVE Been useful. also one for the nearest garage as we read in the info left for us that. if we used any logs in the log burner they would have to be replaced by more which were available from most garages. Also we had to visit the local supermarket for toilet rolls as there was only the 1 in each bathroom. They had left some dishwasher tablets but I'm afraid I wasn't going to use the dishwasher just to wash 2 cups! There were no instructions left for the use of the dishwasher anyway, or the washer/dryer or cooker/oven. There was about a thimble full of Fairy Liquid under the sink. There were no toiletries at all in the bathroom and the towels were continually damp, we couldn't get the towel rail to work or the TV until we realised the TV wasn't switched on at the socket which was situated behind the TV. My husband found a long pole with which to reach and press it on, then, the next problem, The remote didn't seem to work, on inspecting that there were batteries were in there he saw they were totally corroded, such was the dampness in the property. So ... another thing to put on our shopping list! The property was in the dampest environment it could be with the most inadequate heating system you can get in the form of storage heaters. We spent a pretty miserable week in a damp, ill equipped cottage, it was even worse because of all the rain the area had for that time, we couldn't dry off coats. boots etc. Obviously, nothing can be done about the weather. We were to put bed linen and towels in a black bin back which would be left for us...WRONG, no bags left, so another item for the shopping list!! We were so fed up that we left the property on the 5th October instead of the 7th as we were so fed up of the constant fight to dry ourselves and our dog out . We do expect hot water to come out of a Hot water tap, it was cold, sometimes reaching the dizzy heights of lukewarm topped up with hot water from the boiled water from the kettle. To say we were totally underwhelmed with our visit is an understatement and we will NOT be booking a cottage with you again if this is acceptable standards in your eyes. Neither will we be recommending you to anyone else. We expected more considering the price of the property and regard our payment as a total waste of money and a waste of our time. There was no hairdryer in the property anywhere either

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• Jane - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage and thick walls were great defence against the heat!

  Great to be within walking distance of a dog-friendly pub - and a very good one at that. Although compact the cottage was well equipped internally and impeccably clean and beds were comfortable although a duvet in the summer was definitely not needed - be good to provide sheets as an alternative! We were were a bit disappointed not to have any kind of welcome pack but perhaps as we were only staying 3 nights this is the standard - but some milk at least would have been nice. Lovely big fridge would have been excellent had we been staying longer and eating in. The house book needs a bit of updating - the information about rubbish collection was contradictory, and the leave time on the confirming email matched the house book, but there was another notice pinned in the entrance giving an earlier time! Weren't able to use the rear gardens as they are not dog-friendly, not being properly enclosed - I have seen another post about there being a right of way, but I don't see that would stop the owners putting in gates which can easily be opened for anyone using the "path"; the current arrangement of a low board one side and a chair on its side the other serves no purpose. Only real issue however is the parking - the tree in the centre of the parking space makes life extremely difficult even if, like us, you only have one family sized car! Our friends were unable to come, so we didn't have to test out the smaller-second car theory but I'm not sure it would have worked. None of the other houses have a tree so they managed well with 2 cars. It would be useful to include some information about where else in the village it is OK to park!

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• Hannah - Verified booking

  We loved our stay at Mallard cottage.

  The setting and views were just incredible. Such a peaceful corner of the world. We would recommend the cottage to anyone based on the views and proximity to the water alone. We really enjoyed having the pub close by and there were fantastic walks up the hillside too. The cottage was lovely and equipped with everything we needed and more. It was cosy and comfortable and we really liked the amount of storage space in the bedrooms. The Wi-Fi was intermittent at times. The floors are really creaky and the doors creak & stick which we found difficult with an infant sleeping. Had we not had a baby with us, this wouldn’t have bothered us. But it cost us sleep at times which was unfortunate! We were quite confused about the waste disposal, as arrangements are quite different in South Hams from where we live. We didn’t find the owners manual or info from coast and country cottages very clear on this. It would have been really helpful to have 2 kitchen bins - 1 for food waste and 1 for everything else. This would have guided us when we didn’t know how it worked. There were no extra bin bags provided to dispose of rubbish separately - thankfully we brought extra with us. Finally we wanted to mention the cleaners. They turned up just as we were leaving and were so helpful and polite. They had such a lovely manner about them that we really wanted to pass on how much we appreciated them and how they made us feel upon the end of our holiday. We had a fantastic stay and would love to come again.

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• Jenny - Verified booking

  Comfortable holiday apartment in quiet riverside location The 3 bed ground floor apartment has everything you need for a few days of quiet in the dart valley.

  Expect country lanes. The property is next to the Malsters pub and is a ten minute walk from the Watermans. Having read a less than flattering review we came prepared. Bring wood for the log burner, loo and kitchen rolls and any food you need as they are no shops within three miles or so. It was very clean when we arrived and the heating was already on. We saw no signs of damp.  The shower pressure is low but tolerable. The kitchen units are in need of new finishes but everything works. The storage heaters get the place warm, the washing machine/tumble and dishy work fine. The Wifi is reasonable not brilliant. There is Freesat for the basic TV channels. There’s a cupboard of board games and a selection of books to read if you wish. The main bedroom was light and airy with single beds in the other rooms. The lounge diner is a very comfy space. Great for birdwatching as the tide ebbs and flows, or night sky views towards the east along the harbourne river. Bring torches as it’s very dark at night. A small enclosed front yard is great for a dog, but young kids would need supervision out front as the river quay adjoins the drive. We really liked this place and walked or drove to the local towns. If you seek peace and quiet then it’s a good choice. It’s like a normal lived-in family’s home and not all shiny and modern. If you expect that you can enjoy a real break from the bustle of normal life in a picturesque rural location.

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• John - Verified booking

  My wife and I paid a very brief visit to the area on a family matter, so not really a holiday, what a superb property, so comfortable, clean and well appointed.

  We met the owners (the rental property is attached to their home) they were very friendly and welcoming. As far as my wife and I could ascertain the description of the property on Sykes' website was spot on. The whole property is so well fitted out to a high, modern standard, stunningly clean and well decorated, we have stayed in very few better appointed holiday lets during the last 50-years, we thoroughly recommend it. There are just a couple of minor points that we felt were worth considering, they most certainly are not criticisms, but may help future visitors. Firstly, Rondeval is on quite a long road and all properties have names not house numbers, Sykes' documentation simply states that the Postcode will lead to the property, it did, but we had to look carefully at each house name as we drove along the road, so it may help if more detailed instructions are given to help find the house, especially after dark. Secondly, my wife and I are not in the first flush of youth and I have mobility problems so we were concerned about the shower, we felt that a non-slip mat in the shower could be advantageous, it would alleviate the worry of slipping for the more infirm guests. Superb, we wish that we could have extended our stay.

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