“Overall stay tainted by the intransigence of either the owners or the property management company refusing to decorate the house for Christmas week.”
Disappointing when you consider we had 5 children under the age of 5 staying for Christmas and a price tag of £4.5 k for the rental. We would have booked elsewhere if known beforehand. Sykes tried several times to request this from the owners but were not able to influence this position . A message to Sykes CEO failed to have any impact. I’m kicking myself for not checking this out before committing. The lesson is to review the ts and cs thoroughly. In addition the intrusiveness of the CCTV in every ground floor room and the poor wifi added to the feeling of discontent. Check out for 10 am was stressful for a party of 13 but we managed it. As an ex hotelier I’ve managed 4 and 5 star holiday and hotel complexes, if I had this in my portfolio I would focus on the customer care element .The property and position is beautiful, Appledore is a delight .
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m pleased to hear that you found the property and its location beautiful and that you enjoyed Appledore, which really is a special place.
I would, however, like to clarify a few important points raised in your message, to ensure the context is accurately reflected.
Prior to your arrival, you were made aware that the property would not be decorated for Christmas. This was confirmed in advance, and we understood that this information allowed you to make an informed decision before proceeding with the booking.
In addition, an early check-in request was declined ahead of your stay. Despite this, the property was accessed and checked into at approximately 12:00 midday, rather than the agreed 4:00pm check-in time. This naturally placed additional pressure on housekeeping and preparation schedules.
Regarding CCTV, I would like to reassure you that there is no CCTV inside the property. The devices you refer to are motion sensors, which form part of the internal alarm system and are standard for property security. There is no internal monitoring or recording of guests.
Check-out is clearly stated as 10:00am, which allows sufficient time for the property to be prepared to our required standards for incoming guests. While we appreciate that departing as a larger group can feel pressured, this timing is consistent with holiday let industry standards.
Thank you again for your feedback. We genuinely appreciate guests taking the time to share their experiences, as it helps us continue to improve.
Property Owner