Sykes Cottages Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,480 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,480 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 8th November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 2nd November 2024

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 18th September 2024

Julie

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 22nd June 2024

Anonymous

216

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

“Awful awful awful. I booked a anniversary cottage called DeckHouse Beadnell, OMG it was dirty and that dirt had been there since it's last bad rewiew in June. Also, houses being built next door, which they claim is of no disturbance, video evidence and they actually have had numerous complaints, because they sent an email to me instead of the owner by mistake. They knew about the noise and choose to scam us of £1100 instead of telling and giving us a choice. 6k members of a Facebook group can't be wrong. I'd love to know why only positive reviews on here but other sites are all negative. We have to now take the owner to court as Sykes washes their hands of it's customers any which way it can.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I rang to cancel due to family death. Was told if I hadn't taken out their insurance they might have helped me, but as I took out holiday insurance I had to deal with their brokers. I rang insurers several times, each time put on hold for approx ten minutes then cut off. Filled in online claim form but no response they had received it. On ringing Sykes i was told it was nothing they could help with. Also told there were no managers who could help me. I was upset by this time, but little human response to my distress. Diabolical customer service would give the company a -1 star if possible. Think they're all robots. Doubt if I'll ever hear from the insurers. If you do book with them I wouldn't recommend paying for their insurance. Instead pay on a credit card at least then you may get a refund from the card company if you need to. Wish I had. RUBBISH SERVICE”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Avoid like the plague ! My husband booked a cottage as a surprise for my 40th birthday this weekend , unfortunately both myself and husband fell ill with Covid . Husband asked if it was possible to get a refund or at least postpone dates later on in the year paying any difference. They said NO! Rental House is now empty and unused , while we are home recovering from Covid . Happy birthday to me !”

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Posted 2 years ago

“I called and got a Kristi sexton and y'all must not drug test bc she was slurring her words and would flicker lighter like she was smoking sumthing, she had a visitor that asked her if she wanted a gram or half gram and I could hear her saying to be quite.. who ever this chick is needs to be fired bc it pretty clear she is nothing more than another drug addict. And must have paid her dealer with food stamps bc she must have thought she hit mute or was just to high to know but she told him to talk her food stamps but not to spend more than 200 bucks”

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 7th March 2022

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Posted 2 years ago

“Twice they have taken the full amount of our holiday booking before the due date. They refunded it the first time but now they insist it should have been paid. Plus they took £640 over that amount as we had slready paid the deposit. Complaints procedure is a joke. Poor poor poor.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Stayed at the hideaway brigham in Lake district. Exceptional”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Do not use this company. Horrendous customer service. They never return calls or provide requested information. All they are interested in is making money. Originally we booked with Abersoch Quality homes and their service was personal and efficient. Sykes then bought them out and everything changed for the worst. We were told by a Sykes agent that they don't offer personal service just generic service. Despite paying in full they emailed to say they had cancelled our booking and we had forfeited our £2500 fee. Simply clueless and unprofessional. Be warned..”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I wish I had read these reviews before booking my horrible holiday through Sykes Cottages! We stayed at The Lookout in Mousehole, Cornwall in July 2021. Having been forewarned just 10 days before the holiday that there were some building works at the property to the roof, and having been reassured that this would not affect our stay and the owners having offered a 30@% refund as a goodwill gesture, we went ahead and set off for our tranquil stay by the sea. As soon as we arrived we were horrified, there were black bags of builders rubbish all over the path, the garden was not useable, there was scaffolding up the entire property, obstructing our seaviews and the builders arrived earlier than we had led to believe. Notwithstanding the above, the builders left saws and heavy rubble buckets across the path at the end of the day, the property was very old and tired in places with mould and damp under the windows, and paint peeling everywhere. There were broken stools, no CO2 monitors or fire safety features such as fire blankets etc or smoke alarms. Light bulbs did not work, There was blown and crumbling plaster candidly hidden in the eaves room by sheets tacked up on the walls for goodness sake. This amongst other things, shouted of a property that had not been cared for and certainly not inspected by Sykes for some time. Many phone calls and emails later, Sykes took the party line that it wasn't their problem and that our dispute was between ourselves and the owner directly and stopped answering my communications. I am looking into this further, still, as I think they should be brought to justice and publicly shamed for their lack of due care and poor service and I would not book at holiday through them again, even if it was FREE!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“They are harassing me via the phone in regards to a booking I have nothing to do with. They simply will not leave me alone despite me explaining that they have the wrong number”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Booked with Sykes several times but never again. Booked and paid for holiday in January to go next week. Received a phone call saying holiday cancelled and do I want my money back! No I want the holiday I have booked and paid for! They offered to try and book another cottage but there were none available in price range and when I asked for them to use the penalty that they were giving the first cottage they said oh no we don't do that. Asked for a phone call from manager last week and still waiting. Now had email saying refunded the money and not getting a phone call!!! Diabolical service Beware if you cancel you loose your money and if they cancel you get nothing and no holiday!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Sykes got our arrival date wrong so house wasn’t clean, dirty sheets, towels, toilet roll everywhere. They couldn’t have cared less, left us to it, didn’t try to help with alternative accommodation etc. we phoned round every hotel etc but couldn’t find anywhere to put 5 people and a dog up for the night. Had to drive an hour to buy sheets and bedding for 4 beds, towels, teatowels. I had to clean the house and put bedding on. No apology, no help and no compensation from Sykes. Probably will end up in court as not letting the matter drop. Worst customer service I’ve ever encountered.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“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”

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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.”

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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

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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

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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!!!!”

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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

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Posted 2 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,480 reviews