Sykes Cottages Reviews

Name: Sykes Cottages
Address: Sykes Holiday Cottages Lime Tree House Hoole Lane, Chester
Rating: 1.20

1.2 Rating 1,490 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,490 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.1 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult
Returns Process	Could Be Better

Phone:

0124 435 2059

Location:

Sykes Holiday Cottages Lime Tree House Hoole Lane
Chester
CH2 3EG

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 17th November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 8th November 2024

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 2nd November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 18th September 2024

Julie

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Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Absolutely rubbish customer services. If only I could give minus ratings! Had to cancel my bookings due to storm Eunice and I cant even contact the management team. Lost my £386 just like that...no refund, no nothing. The telephone lines are dead and the ones ringing aren't received. Absolute nightmare! Please stay away from Sykes cottages!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Sykes Cottages- No heat, no electricity, no towels. Customer service? Forget it. Stay away from Rossbeigh Beach Cottages in Glenbeigh, Co. Kerry and Sykes Cottages.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Customer service vere bad”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Inaccurate listing details - shocking customer service. Don’t use this company. I’m out nearly £600. Absolutely outrageous situation. Booked a cottage which clearly states pets allowed, made payment including pet surcharge x2, owner rejected the booking on the basis that she didn’t want house cats, only dogs (which was not stated in the listing), and Sykes saying they will not refund us anything!! Customer services representative called Ben won’t let me talk to manager because “it doesn’t warrant escalation”. Unbelievable.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Absolutely joke of a company! Been passed back and forward since Sunday. Had to cancel holiday due to government rules. Was told to confirm cancellation so company then proceeded to put the cottage back up for rent! Kept our £500 and then took another £500 for the new rental yet refused to carry our booking forward or give us money back!!!!! Despite the cottage owner happy to have us give us another date! Absolutely disgusting that this is allowed to happen. Have contacted the Scottish government helpline regarding rules and regulations regarding cancellation due to Covid and my rights to have my dates forwards or money returned.”

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 16th February 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Vexatious procedures to prevent refunds. I booked a 10 week stay at a property that turned out to be unfit for purpose. Setting aside a 14 hr journey and this being a long planned break (maybe an adult equivalent to a gap year) after a long period of I’ll health. The condition of the property at best was not fit for purpose but in reality seemed semi derelict. Not withstanding that The Ferry House in Ramelton in Donegal was clean and recently painted with the beginnings of a house that is being converted for the rental market, there were safety concerns from the beginning. My booking was in the winter months and the house was cold to the extreme. The house had not been heated prior to arrival and the heating (on an old pin wheel plug point) did nothing to warm any room in the house. There was however an open fire which, I thought I could take advantage of. This failed to light sufficiently as there was no draw from the chimney and what fire there was sent smoke into the room, ( thankfully 🤷🏻‍♀️ there was no smoke alarm) causing concerns regarding safety. I considered using my heated blanket ( I came prepared) which although fine in the living room, could not be used in the dining room ( from which all other areas are accessed) as the wiring was of historic, terminating in round pin sockets not compatible with standard modern plugs. It became apparent that although beautiful the windows (some of which were cracked ) are single glazed and the building of period stone construction had no insulation and was suffering from severe damp and mould. Fresh paint was blistering away and the walls were like refrigerators to the touch. The alternative was to have a hot bath so the water was boosted ( as per house instruction ) and as the bath was tin only the hot put on as they are notoriously cold. Even the water did not stay hot enough for the bath and it was only warm at best. The Rayburn of which I have little knowledge, had wiring protruding from the side and was not warm to the touch. I further discovered that outside a ditch had been dug around the foundations to try and cope with the damp that was rising through the floor at the back of the house. There was no effort to make this safe and raised more alarms. The garden area is unkempt with walls down in two areas making it insecure for dogs ( and certainly a death trap for a small child ). The area described as a patio made a good substitute for an ice rink. This may have been fun if it wasn’t the only access in through the back door where the key safe is located. Despite telling myself to be careful I still injured myself in my second fall. This was probably when I decided I could take no more. You could consider this house quirky or atmospheric and although not specifically mentioned in the listing for the house, there was no kitchen sink. The small sink in the scullery area is only just large enough for a dinner plate and the butler sink by the back door has little of its ceramic finish left but you do get the deep penetrating mould around the sinks seal. If you fail to fall over when entering the property, You could try the uneven but original stone floor in the dining area or you could rest your hand on the bannister which is held on so lightly that you are bound to be able to injure yourself here. If injury or smoke inhalation or the possibility of electrocution or carbon monoxide isn’t your thing, then you could try the wooden bed head in the master suite which is neither attached to a wall or bed. You could also take in the moth infestation that is evident in the carpets in your own belongings ( it may kill your clothes, rather than you). If none of these work for you maybe negotiate the mud slide to the front where, the gutter empties directly on to the suface. You will then be able to negotiate the 20 yds to where your car is parked ( described as off road parking) which is on ( or in ) the mud ( depending on weather conditions ) under some trees. If you are not exhausted by trying to stay warm and safe you could then spend your waking hours contacting Sykes. Polite, yes, helpful it’s hard to say. You cannot speak to one staff member, you therefore enter into a negotiation with a department. Most will say they need to read your file and will ring you back. This does not happen so you contact them again to speak with another staff member who will tell you it’s a large file, and ask if they can ring you back. It is not a large file it is just a record of the amount of times that you have contacted them asking fir an answer to your very first question. They then deploy Stalling tactics, maybe so that you will accept there ridiculously low offer of £1700 refund. For a £6000 + stay for a 4 day stay out of 70 nights. You could then wait patiently for your reply and then be offered by half of the total amount with the proviso that you do not write any negative review. How can a review system be accurate if the company is wilfully preventing negative reviews. If you have a conscience you reject the offer and will find another way to secure your money. After 12 emails and 16 calls. I have had no reply to whether Sykes have inspected the property. I have no confirmation that the property had certificates relating to the electrics, fire safety, chimney maintenance, energy efficiency ratings and suggested regulations on Sykes own website. No one wants to learn so much about a companies business practices, consumer protection, reviews etc. If only the property had been as described. When you do get your chance to write a review on the official website you are asked to tick a box agreeing to there t&cs regarding reviews. On reading It, it prohibits you from leaving any information that will identify you (so you can not direct people to for example your Instagram page so others can view photos). It also has so many stipulations that the likelihood of it being included in their website are remote. It is also the umbrella company for multiple other booking companies, advertising the same property each with their own reviews so you cannot as a consumer see any accurate information all in one place for the property you wish to book. There are many good properties and many good customers, let those that offer excellent accommodation and customer service succeed, do not tarnish there name with those that only interests are in getting you to part with your money whilst not giving you what you paid for in return. Please check to see if the property you are looking at is on another site where you can check there reviews. There 25-30% commission on top of there booking fee seems steep for a company that dodges responsibility and liability and does not even make the most basic of checks on the consumers behalf. To me it appears to be well orchestrated business model to limit refunds. All this when they could have offered an alternative property which I would probably have taken as I was there. They could have accepted my offer to pay a full two weeks in full to release me from the contract. They could have just refunded the money early in the events and maybe made a good will gesture such as a 10% discount in a future booking and I would have probably used them again . I can not tell you how much I dislike having to write anything negative but when your experience leaves you no where to go in reality where do you go next? Please see attached photos.”

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 12th February 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“This company stole £250 from us through the "Good House Keeping Fee" for damages we did not cause, offering to give us a portion back if we didn't post negative reviews!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“There are many good properties and many good customers, let those that offer excellent accommodation and customer service succeed, do not tarnish there name with those that only interests are in getting you to part with your money whilst not giving you what you paid for in return. Please check to see if the property you are looking at is on another site where you can check there reviews. There 25-30% commission on top of there booking fee seems steep for a company that dodges responsibility and liability and does not even make the most basic of checks on the consumers behalf.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“If I could give this company a zero star rating I would. Shocking service, zero professionalism and no idea of customer service. Cleanliness standards substandard. Please be directed to my review of Ellen Cottage Burford. It clearly states on the Sykes website NO PETS. I would also refer you to section 9 in the terms and conditions on Sykes Website. What we encountered on our stay was in breach of those terms and conditions. I would strongly advise against renting through this company. We rented a property that clearly states NO PETS however the main guest bed was absolutely disgusting. Duvet cover, duvet, pillow covers and pillow protectors absolutely covered in animal hairs. In all my time of self catering I have never ever encountered such filth. Despite being in breach of their terms and conditions the behaved appallingly. I would like the owner of the property to come forward and explain what we paid a considerable amount of money and encountered such disgusting filth and to add insult to injury the whole situation was dealt with in such a amateur and totally unprofessional way. My advice would be to rent another property because it you any problems with the property be assured that Sykes do not care a jot about trying to rectify the problem and only care about their 20%. I would urge the owner of the property to come forward to discuss what happened. I have plenty of photos of how dirty the bedding was.”

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 8th February 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“It is incredibly rare for me to leave a negative review, I always try to be balanced, however, for Sykes I will make an exception. If it were possible to leave zero stars I would. As a birthday treat for my wife I booked a 3 night star at Ellen Cottage in Burford, (Cotswolds). This was not a cheap weekend break, and with both my wife and I working for the NHS we were looking forward to a short break away, which we hadn’t been able to do for over a year. Everything looked clean and as expected on check-in at 6pm, but on returning from getting dinner we noticed pet hairs all over the bedding and duvet in the master bedroom. None of the emergency contact numbers worked, so we had to use what we could from other beds, even though they didn’t fit, which led to an uncomfortable night’s sleep. The next day we contacted Sykes who said they would get housekeeping out to put this right. As we were out for the day, and not able to easily get back to the cottage we agreed they would come round at 5pm. After a number of calls chasing, housekeeping finally arrived at around 6:30pm. The girl who came to the door saying she was from housekeeping was incredibly rude to my wife, saying she did come here for this, and actually laughed at my wife when she was explaining how annoyed she was with the situation, and that it had spoilt our trip. We then complained to Sykes who lodged a complaint and said they would look into it. To cut a long story short Sykes refused to accept responsibility for the state of the bedding, blaming the owner, who they said the cleaners worked for and advised us to contact the police to take our complaint further if we wished, at this point I almost lost the will to live, their suggestion being so ridiculous. They have now refused to look into it any further have closed our complaint without any compensation. I will never use Sykes, of any of their affiliated organisations again, and I strongly suggest others don’t either.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Sykes properties are very poorly equipped. Absolutely minimal supplies of toilet rolls, soap, kitchen stuff like dishwasher tablets. No oven gloves. Contrast Air BnB places we’ve stayed at have cupboards full of everything you need to make your stay easy.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“If there are any problems with your Sykes Cottages holidays, they will pass you straight over to the owner and deny any responsibility. Our main issue was not with the owner, the holiday cottage had been marketed incorrectly and we did not get what had been described on their website. As Sykes Cottages wrote the marketing material, you would think they would admit errors - especially as the owner in her reply to my complaint said that she had raised concerns with Sykes how her property was being marketed. Despite many emails and phone calls to Sykes, they will not admit any responsibility. Our holiday was not ruined but we would not have chosen that property if it had been accurately described and it certainly wasn't value for money. Their customer service is extremely poor so beware when booking with them. Study the photographs VERY carefully. Don't trust what is written.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“We live in Texas and booked a trip to the Lavender Cottage in Stow-on-the-Wold in March, 2022 through Character Cottages (now Sykes Cottages). We paid nearly GBP300 in deposits last November, but since found out our daughter is expecting and shouldn't travel with Covid risks. We requested to postpone the trip to the Summer of 2023. The Lavender Cottage owners said we could only postpone to later this year, but not 2023 (which makes no sense given a newborn can't travel later this year). We asked Sykes if they would refund the GBP300 if they successfully re-booked the Lavender Cottage. They said "no, it's not in our booking policy, but take it up with your travel insurance". This is not coved by travel insurance. Anyway, we are disappointed with the Lavender Cottage owners and Sykes for not being customer oriented and hiding behind their policies which would never cover every situation.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“We booked for my hubby’s 50th for July 22. Be very careful to look at the photos carefully! Very misleading and Sykes are very unprofessional but you live and learn. Literally booked a holiday Saturday and then realised Sunday that the 3rd bedroom is the only access to the back garden which is not great when it’s someone’s private bedroom and we have a dog. Nothing mentioned in the details. Rang on the Sunday to get answer machines and when we rang Monday they said we didn’t try hard enough and should have used google for alternative numbers. Over 24hrs no refund. You are also forced to take out holiday insurance which we did and seems we are not covered for cancelling ourselves. All in all by not looking at one picture closely we have lost money we can’t afford but at the same time I’d sooner book with someone else or not go anywhere than pay more money. Customer service was awful although my husband did speak with one guy who was very polite but didn’t take his name. Shall not be using Sykes again so just watch you look closely at those pictures as not everything is listed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I booked a holiday cottage in October 21 to travel this year in July 22. I paid the deposit and we were looking forward to it. January 22 we looked at the cottage details and they had some added bullet point’s. These specifically said the garden was not enclosed and there was a low wall onto a main road. I knew these weren’t in the description when we booked at we had a dog who was 7 months old. Sykes disagreed and sent me a spreadsheet with the dates the changes were made which were months before my booking. I still dispute this as I would never had booked the cottage because of my dog. They would not let me book an alternative cottage and would not pay any of the deposit back. I cancelled the cottage with 6 months notice so the cottage can be resold. They wouldn’t give me the owners details so I could deal direct with them, despite my booking being between me and the cottage owners. I also said I understood them being refunded for costs but that I did not think it fair taking the full deposit. They would not entertain any goodwill gesture at all Warning. Please make sure you screenshot your holiday description at the time you book so you have proof of what you booked so if they change anything you can refer to it! I just had a link to the accommodation so I could look at the cottage at any time. But this doesn’t give you proof when they make changes. They will say that is what you booked. I will ensure my family and friends are made aware of this company and I would not recommend them to anyone. So unreasonable. I lost over £300 and what is worth I feel I have been scammed”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I don’t Sykes look over properties properly or interview their owners as owners can be pretty rude and uppity yet not too uppity to need to re their Cottage out!”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Sykes have been great”

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Posted 2 years ago

“No regard for data protection. Did not agree to any emails, yet they keep email me. I would not recommend this company.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“My wife and I have booked through Sykes for the last 3 years.varoius places and types of property. No problems what so ever .Refunds very quick during Covid times when we had to cancel.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“As the owner of a holiday home in Cornwall I have never been so let down by a letting agency. Our home was completely ruined by a family from London, gate posts broken, furniture broken, litter scattered around the garden, buckets of sand left in the shower room, 10 sacks of rubbish left stinking in the corridor - I could go on - Sykes weren’t bothered - referred us to their insurance company who we’ve never heard back from 6 months on. Such an upsetting experience, when I tried to cancel further bookings, I was fined! A letting agency I can never recommend to owners of holiday homes - they will charm you into taking your property then drop you like a stone when you need help - be warned!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,490 reviews