Dog Friendly West Sussex Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Stephanie - Verified booking

  We arrived for the 1500hr check-in to find the patio doors open and the owner still busy inside.

  The dishwasher and washing machine were partway through their cycle and the owner departed to purchase mould remover for the bathroom. He returned with wine, chocs and strawberries which was very kind of him. However, he left with the washing machine and dishwasher still going. We then noticed that the lounge and both bedroom doors had been damaged in what appeared to be a fight, with one bedroom door sealed shut. The lounge carpets were dirty with crumbs and hairs and all surfaces were very dusty. The kitchen floor and table were also dirty with dust, hairs and crumbs with greasy surfaces. There was a lack of cutlery, crockery and drinking vessels and the sink and taps were loose and unclean, with plates etc still on the drainage tray. It was so awful that I vacuumed the entire place myself and attempted to remove the grime from bedside tables and worktops. Despite this, our friends who arrived later noticed immediately how grubby the whole place was - very embarrassing for myself as I organised this break for everyone. The bedrooms and bathrooms were also filthy and strongly reeked of cigarette smoke, with aged pillows and mismatched bed linen in one of the rooms and a blocked toilet in the other. The smell when in bed was so bad that we left the next day. The 'double' beds were also 2 single mattresses held together by a double fitted sheet which came partially off in the night and the mattresses separated to leave an annoying gap. One of the beds had spiders in it which appeared when the duvet was turned back. I spent most of the night on the settee in the lounge. This 3 day stay cost us £939 and it was terrible - I don't know how it has a 3 star rating. The owner needs to get the entire place professionally deep-cleaned and dispose of all the pillows and probably mattresses, which we didn't dare look at. And properly stock the kitchen and clean and tidy all the drawers and cupboards. And sort the doors and fix the toilet. There was also a lack of smoke alarms.

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• Richard - Verified booking

  We had a smashing stay in Orchard Lodge.

  Our hosts, Denise and Gary were wonderful. So kind and helpful. We arrived to a bottle of wine and an amazing home baked cake, plus all the tea, coffee and sugar we could need. There were also hand soaps and shower gels supplied. Our hosts were not at all intrusive, they introduced themselves and left us in peace having reassured us that they were at our disposal should we need them. We only had one small problem and Denise and Gary all but bent over backwards to try to help. You won’t find such good hosts everywhere. The location is quite well placed for visiting most parts of Sussex without too much driving. It also sits quite prettily in a small orchard. We took our dog and were really pleased to find the driveway protected by an electronic gate, keeping the pooch securely off the fast road outside. The lodge itself is not a very big building and space is fairly limited. There is a table with four chairs but we could only realistically use two of the chairs without having to rearrange the room. This was perfect for us as there were only two of us but a larger group might have minor issues. The beds are both small doubles and may not suit everyone. However, if those minor drawbacks are acceptable for you, it really is a lovely place to stay. The kitchen is well equipped with pans and oven trays etc and there is a Hoover and an aimer available for use in one of the wardrobes (which have loads of hanging space and hangers). There is also plenty of drawer space.

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• John - Verified booking

  NOT DOG FRIENDLY Owner does not accept "large" dogs.

  We checked with Sykes as we have a Springer spaniel who weighs 25 kilos. They checked with the owner, who said that was ok. So we booked and paid. On our second day there, we had to contact the owner as the security gate had broken. When she saw us, she made it quite clear we were lucky she hadn't refused us entry as she was entitled to do as we had a "large hairy dog". When we disputed this because Sykes had checked beforehand, she denied this. I subsequently checked with Sykes, and they have records on their system about having the conversation with the owner about our dog being 25 kilos. Furthermore, she made it clear that her cleaners weren't paid to clean up after dogs, and we were responsible for making sure that the property was left as clean as we found it. Only later did we see the CCTV camera outside, which is how she saw what dog we had, despite being advised by Sykes. There are no signs advising of CCTV, which is illegal. We ended our "holiday" two days early, having cleaned everywhere and taken photos as evidence. And, the property is only 15 feet from the road where the morning traffic starts quite early

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• Alison - Verified booking

  This was more of a ‘mobile home’ than a cottage but was pretty comfortable.

  It is well sheltered by trees (gets very little sun) and felt just slightly damp - but opening the big door and windows soon cleared that. It has all the equipment and facilities needed but was a little bijou! The shower was a tight squeeze to get into but fine once in it! There were only two of us but I think 4 adults would feel constricted - especially if the weather was bad. We luckily had a week of glorious autumn sunshine. . It is positioned on a fairly quiet lane just off the busy A272. Turning onto and off this road needs patience and maybe a polite driver to let you turn. There are lots of things to do around there, within a 45 minute drive or closer. We particularly enjoyed Standen House (NT), Hever Castle (we were lucky to visit at the same time as a big craft market), Shoreham-by-Sea (pleasant little town), Lewes (get the history walking trail map), Bignor Roman villa and Eastbourne (lovely seafront). Denise was very welcoming (great banana loaf) and was a friendly and unobtrusive host. Look out for the wildlife in the orchard - deer, squirrels, rabbits and birds.

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• Nick - Verified booking

  We had a fantastic family stay at Orchard lodge.

  We arrived late but Gary came out to greet us and Denise kindly sent us instructions of how to find the lodge because it was already dark. The owners were available to help and assist with anything we needed such as a clothes airer and suggestions on places to visit but apart from that we had plenty of space and privacy. The lodge was exceptionally clean and well kitted out. On arrival we were welcomed with a wonderful banana cake, bottle of wine and milk in fridge which was a really nice touch. The beds are comfy and waking up to the sounds of buzzards was fabulous. The orchard provided a relaxing setting to spend time in but there were lots of places to visit close by that entertained the kids such as rottingdean beach, Brighton and Go Ape as well as places to eat such as The Oak Barn, The WheatSheaf and The Bolney Estate. I would definitely recommend a stay here and hope we can return to explore more of the area in the not too distant future.

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