Kestrel Cottage, Southwold

Excellent central location and spacious property. Well equipped kitchen.

Communication prior to the rental period was appalling. Sykes don't reply intelligently to emails or pick up the phone. Standard email replies did not address our issues. Phone calls offered no information about our place in the queue, likely time of response, etc. Call-back button did not elicit a call-back. Did Booking-com warn us that they were a front for Sykes? If they do so in future we will at all costs avoid Sykes. Only when we contacted a real human being in Southwold (responsible for cleaning and maintenance and keys) did we get any help re. our request and, very promptly, repaid to a blind. We would book again for a small party (2-4) but lack of a second bathroom would rule out the cottage out for a larger group. Ancient saggy sofas could do with replacement. Knob on bathroom door ditto. (kept coming off).

Location, garden, bedrooms

Downstairs loo needs attention No dishwasher tablets, washing tablets, fairy liquid. Kitchen equipment could do with an inventory and improving things that are not there.

The house was great

The location was fantastic, near to everything but particularly the seafront and high street. The cottage is a great size and we felt very at home. A home from home. Loved the little touches of biscuits, wine and the log burner being set up with some logs to use. We loved that we could bring our dog on holiday with us, she also loved the log burner very much and spent most evenings sitting so close to it that her eyebrows could have melted! ;) - loved the facilities, the house was so well equipped, I actually panic brought things like an iron, washing up liquid, tea towels and a hairdryer from home which we didn’t need because these were provided in the cottage. We would absolutely recommend and would stay again, we miss hearing the sound of the sea from bed!