“My husband and I enjoyed our holidays away with Sykes and when he died three years ago, my daughter and I started going away on holiday together to a Sykes property at least twice or three times a year.”
Cleanliness for us, is so important and we always book a property that has a rating of at least 4.8* Harbour Lodge had a good rating, so we were shocked when we walked into the lodge, opened the fridge freezer to find food still in the freezer compartment, the fridge itself very smelly. Then we opened the dishwasher which was full of crockery and cutlery. We needed to visit the bathroom after our journey and I was horrified when I lifted the toilet seat to see it had been used and not a nice sight at all! I went to flush the toilet, but the handle was falling off and wouldn’t work so I took off the cistern top and managed to screw the handle back on. Even though I flushed, the paper wouldn’t go down and there seemed to be some kind of blockage. We left the cistern to fill and carried on looking around, feeling very disillusioned. We couldn’t locate a hairdryer and there were no usual niceties that we usually find in the cottages, like information guides of the area or games. Just a small selection of books and old DVDs. We read the small information folder for the property and it advised to ring the owners who lived on site at their farm, if we had any concerns. I spoke to the very nice gentleman owner and explained our problems and he said he would come over to see us, which he did. He said that he used to look after the properties himself, but since developing Parkinson’s had handed the letting over to Sykes. He said he had rung Sykes and asked for cleaners to come out to the property and he also brought us a hairdryer. We waited on the bench outside and it wasn’t long before a friendly lady and gentleman arrived to sort the toilet problem and I also pointed out all the dirt and fluff in one of the bedrooms, which clearly hadn’t been cleaned. They lady emptied all the dishwasher and put away the crockery and the gentleman said he had cleared the toilet blockage and got us a new toilet brush and holder. They asked if there was anything else they could do, but we just wanted to unpack the car and put the kettle on for a well needed cuppa. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for coming out but maybe we should have said yes to their offer. My daughter opened the cutlery drawer to find a couple of spoons covered in mould and the more we inspected, the more dirt and dust we found. We actually considered getting back in the car and driving home! We were pleased that the water in the shower was nice and powerful even though the shower attachment was loose. We both had showers that night, but the following morning, the water was cold. I checked the water and heating control unit only to find the hot water, which should have been programmed to be on all day according to the blurb, had been switched off, but the central heating switch was on. I managed to change the settings and all was well with the hot water from then on, using the Boost facility if necessary. I really am not one to complain and have never had to in the past, but this experience spoiled our week’s holiday and my daughter and I don’t think we have the confidence to book with Sykes again. I feel sorry for the owners of the property, as I’m sure they would have maintained it to a much higher standard themselves. They run a lovely little farm with such well cared for goats, ducks, chickens and guinea fowl to name a few and keep the grass nicely trimmed back and the surroundings well kept in general. I hope Sykes will take note of our experience and ensure that ALL properties are cleansed and kept to a high standard.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We do take these matters very seriously and have raised these with our housekeeping team. We are sorry that the cleanliness was not up to the usual high standards and hope you managed to enjoy the rest of your stay. John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owners.
Property Owner
