Hillcroft Bungalow

Having stayed here previously we chose based on location and being able to take our dog.

Bed in main bedroom very uncomfortable but views from the room over the countryside beautiful. Both bathrooms really need updating would be perfect to make into accessible bathrooms Location perfect for walking to Daymar bay, polzeath and Rock

Our stay at Hillcroft Bungalow was very disappointing.

The place in the morning and evening stunk of sewage. Couldn’t eat in the dining room cause of the smell. Cleanliness was not very good. Outside chairs to use and in the conservatory were either broken or dirty. The living room window was broken and not blown as we had been told. We arrived on a Saturday and window not repaired until the Thursday. Microwave sounded as if it was going to blow up when using. Gardener just walked straight into back garden during our stay and told us to go into the house. How very rude!! There is many more things that I could say about our stay. One positive thing the garden was beautiful.

Extremely rundown property for the rental cost, we have been coming to Polzeath for over 25yrs and this property, although in a nice location, was not a positive experience.

We have had a holiday rental property within the area for many years, and would not be able to charge holiday makers for this experience. Very disappointed indeed. First time also using John Bray and was not impressed with the level of customer service, complaint management - ease of access when we had issues (dishwasher, washing machine, bin collection) and resolution process.

Hi The remarks in customer reviews were still relevant, ie cleanliness not the best and the place needs some updating but that wasn’t a concern for me.

The location of course is brilliant. Flo’s staff round the corner got to know us v well . I needed somewhere to stay that wd allow me to bring my young pup and at short notice and Hillcroft was great. The hardwiring and well used conservatory and kitchen flooring were a huge relief for me (I’ve never taken a dog into a hol let/ was worried the place wd be too pristine and therefore a concern to keep spotless) I worked out how to get hot water by reading customer reviews. Even tho I was on my own, I found it in short supply - managed a 6 inch bath one eve! This is not the place for those seeking pristine top of the range fancy hol house…..but I’m sure there’s plenty of those in Polzeath area. This is for those more inclined to rural living and realistic about household wear and tear. The lived in nature of the place enabled me to relax more.

We had a lovely week but bungalow is tired and in need of updating.

Toilet seat broken in bathroom Showers in both bathrooms need replacing Perfect position to walk to Daymar bay & Polzeath beach Beautiful views surrounding property

We had a lovely week at Hillcroft, loved the setting and location.

Beds were very comfy. Garden was perfect with beautiful views. Had everything we needed in kitchen. The only downfall was the hot water, which was in short supply. There was only 3 of us staying with not enough hot water for us to all shower in mornings. After reading up we found there was a boost switch next to boiler which we had to use. We also found the smart meter a little off putting, especially when on holiday. Cold water tap in kitchen was a little temperamental and couldn’t get any water out at one point. After 10 minutes or so it came back on and water was a little cloudy to start with which cleared after a while. Despite a couple of water problems we did have a wonderful week at Hillcroft and would re-visit. Thank you.

Showers could do with an upgrade

We have stayed here before and knew the bungalows shortcomings.

It’s for sale and therefore is feeling very tired again. We had issues when we arrived with heat but once the storage heaters were switched on it warmed up. Usual complaint about showers just a dribble and over a bath unsuitable for anyone not completely fit. Toaster broken, sofas saggy, no smart tv, just tired. It’s a shame because it’s not a cheap option, still great location. Needs some love if it’s rented out for a while.

Beds and towels were spotless and house has plenty of room in great location and nice and warm (October visit ) Overall property was very dusty and hard floors were dirty not appeared to have been mopped Lots of cobwebs everywhere above head height Although lots of hot water showers are rubbish need a pump Screen door would not stay shut had to wedge it with paper Riser bar in back bathroom is not high enough to wash hair and continually slips down whilst showering for the price these things should be sorted

Positives: Great location and views, plenty of hot water and warmth/cozy, bedrooms a good size, good garden/enclosed, good place for dogs.

Negatives: Cleanliness was basic, behind furniture/skirtings/ corners full of dust, dirt and cobwebs, kitchen basic and in need of modernisation, concerns over sloping kitchen ceiling with polystyrene ceiling tiles and cooker in corner behind a door, showers ineffective.

very poor maintenance, kitchen drawer held together with masses of glue.

the kitchen needs a complete new one. Bathrooms need replacing.

Very dated.

Poor showers. Need to bring your own cleaning equipment

We loved our stay at Hillcroft Bungalow!

The country views were beautiful, and the bunglaow had everything we needed for a great family holiday. Two minutes walk away is the lovely new Trebetherick Stores, so we popped along for fresh croissants on quite a a few mornings. The only comment we had was that the showers were a bit of a dribble, especially when both were used at the same time....but there was always plently of hot water so we reverted to baths to warm up after swims on the beach.

We have been coming to Cornwall for nearly 50 years, and we have stayed in countless John Bray properties in Trebetherick.

This is the first property that we have been disappointed with. Whilst the location was superb and the garden views lovely, the bungalow itself was very dated and lacks what you would expect in a rental property in 2023. The kitchen facilities were basic, small fridge, mismatched crockery and cutlery - it desperately needed updating and felt quite unloved. The bathroom off the breakfast room was equally dated and the shower didn't work - only producing a trickle of water on full power, so was unusable. The second bathroom was also very dated, and the shower was passable (just). The two T.V.'s had the basic channels, but surely SMART T.V's should be expected now - not that we spent much time watching T.V. but our two teenagers were quite disappointed. The general cleanliness was inadequate with lots of cobwebs and a previous tenants' underwear left in a drawer for us to find! We love coming to Trebetherick, and don't like writing negative feedback, but this property is in much need of attention, care and some modernisation. The location is so perfect, it seems a shame that this property wasn't more comfortable and welcoming. Having stayed in Pengelly last year, the comparison is stark.

Wonderful views, great location.

Property is beginning to feel its age in the kitchen and bathrooms. However we had a really enjoyable stay and would come back.

We had a lovely week in Cornwall and the property provided us with a great base for our stay - it’s a fantastic location, walking distance to beaches.

It has everything you need. The garden is lovely and there’s loads of space at the property which is brilliant for family stays. However we found that the cottage was not particularly clean, for example drawers and shelves in the kitchen had bits of dirt in/on them and I was a bit horrified to find an actual mussel in one drawer which was not us as we had not cooked any mussels! The cutlery drawer front is broken - as it was last year (we stayed in the cottage last year as well) we mentioned this in our feedback last year but nothing had been done to fix this and it was difficult to open the drawer which needed to be accessed regularly. In the end we had to put the cutlery tray up on the work surface which is when I discovered the mussel underneath it. Drawers in the other bedrooms were also not very clean. The freezer was not very clean. As we mentioned in our feedback last time the cottage is great and has all the facilities you need but some things are just a bit dated and don’t function as well for example the showers. Also the spin cycle on the washing machine did not always work. My friend was staying at a John bray place in the Highcliffe estate Pengelly and I was a little surprised to discover that he paid only £60 more than I did; Pengelly is a vastly more modern and clean property. I feel that the dated facilities and lack of cleanliness could be reflected more in the price of the property which is expensive. I appreciate that sheets and towels are provided at the cottage which is great. Having said all this, we had a lovely stay at the cottage, it has everything you need and we really like the space and privacy you get (which you don’t get as much of at Highcliffe). We did have a lovely week there.

We really enjoyed our week in Hillcroft.

The location was really handy for us and a big plus with Polzeath beach and the surf one way, and dog friendly Daymer bay the other (perhaps 15 mins leisurely walk to both). Lovely garden and views from which to eat pasties at lunchtime and enjoy the clement weather. Thank you.

We’ve stayed at Hillcroft last year so we knew what to expect.

It is very old fashioned and inparts dated. The bathrooms especially one of the shower heads how old is it!! The kitchen is poorly planned. But we like it.

A good location and a well appointed bungalow.

Not the most modern but well equipped with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, one with a separate WC and a useful conservatory/garden room at the back. It would have been useful to have a floor plan on the John Bray website to show the layout of the property. Bottom line, would we visit again using the property? Yes, we would.

Had wonderful stay at Hillcroft Bungalow.

Spotlessly clean and very well equipped. Perfect location with fantastic views. Would highly recommend it and we will certainly be coming back.

We have stayed in a John Bray property on several occasions and this time we were looking specifically for the location.

The information and photos listed showed that we should expect a very basic experience, and this was accurate. However the level of cleanliness was unacceptable. The carpets and floors were covered in pet hairs and the little Henry hoover was ridiculous for cleaning that. There was also dust on all the surfaces. In addition, one of the showers was not working (beyond a tiny little dribble of water) and the shaving light was not working (and had a dead spider dangling out of it). Many of the windows were seized shut. Some of the lights weren’t working, the beds were not comfortable (the main bedroom mattress dipped in the middle and the children could feel the springs in the mattresses in their rooms). The cold water tap in the kitchen sprayed everywhere and the cupboards needed to be cleaned before we stored food in them. So we expected basic, but were really not happy with how unclean it was.

On arrival the bungalow was very cold as the heating had not been turned up, some of the lights and the dishwasher were not working as trip switches needed re-setting, and parts of the property were dirty.

There was also a snail on the kitchen wall and the garden furniture and barbeque had been left haphazardly in the conservatory, needing to be stacked before that room could be used. These are all signs that the bungalow had not been used for some time and had not been checked prior to our arrival. Some items of furniture need to be replaced and stocks of glasses and mugs need to be replenished. Potential users should also be aware that one of the bathrooms is accessed from the dining room, which is not ideal.

As has been said by many the directions are totally inadequate, not helped by the misleading external photo in the listing of the back of the house, which looks totally different to the front.

Found historic directions on the bungalow's Facebook page which are MUCH better. Additionally, no guidance in the property re the whereabouts of window & internal door keys, or guidance re waste disposal-we found them eventually! The rear door was jammed on arrival-impressive response from John Bray to assist with this on day 1 & later in the week, but suspect a longer term problem is present. The garden etc were ideal for us & our dog, despite initial niggles we had a lovely time!

The property was in good location, but rather dated interior.

The village stores looks like it had been shut for some time this was not mentioned on details.

What 3 words would help in locating the property, which is very hard to find.

Or directions as in first turning left after the Trebetherwick sign! There is no welcome folder with details of the Wi-Fi code or what to do with rubbish & recycling. The key box isn't easy to find, there are lots of keys for the property, & we eventually found the bins & worked out what key for the door to get to the bins. The shower in the bathroom is very poor until you take it off the hook & use it as a handheld shower. A few tweaks would make arrival A lot easier as the bungalow is warm & roomy & in a really great location.

It would have helped to have the sign on the main road as it took us over an hour to finally locate it.

At other cottages we have also had milk in the fridge as a welcome, with tea and cake and sometimes /wine ,a bunch of flowers.etc. The mattresses were on the thin side and for artificial hips not kind! Also the local shop in Trebetherick was shut down and it featured in your description as being open so that was a disappointment. It would have been heplful to have manuals to hand to say how things worked.! But we enjoyed our stay--good, having the garden chairs and ample space . I recall the lighting in the sitting room ,one bulb not working and it would have been helpful to have had a lamp for play reading.

The cottage is in a great spot near Polzeath beach, with a beautiful view at the rear.

Some of the facilities were very basic, especially the bathrooms/showers, but that was reflected in the price, which was less than friends paid nearby with more modern facilities. So we felt a fair price. Certainly didn't detract from a lovely week and a generally good cottage in a great location.

We had a wonderful time and this seemed to be a fairly-priced property which met most of our needs.

It would be nice to have a drier and also a better TV. Samsung Smart TVs have a bunch of free channels now that don't require expensive Sky or Virgin subscriptions.