Large, private beautiful house with tennis court

We stayed at the Highlands for our family Christmas. The house was comfortable and very well equipped. In fact the kitchen was probably the best equipped of any holiday rental we have ever had, which was just what we needed for all the Christmas cooking! A real Christmas tree was in place and decorated for us, which was a lovely touch.The Highlands is set in lovely countryside, not far from Rye, a quaint, characterful and charming town which we fell in love with.The Highlands is a big, Victorian house, so cold and draughty in winter. That being said, there were no restrictions on using the central heating, no shortage of blankets, and plenty of wood to throw on the fire in the sitting room.Before, during and after our stay, Hilary the host was always responsive and helpful.

Great weekend for 2 night break with friends. Huge amount of crockery, cutlery etc. 8 of us so 2 bathrooms at times was a little difficult, on the last day the boiler kept tripping out meaning we had to have cold showers. It was cold when we arrived, but the heating soon kicked in and the open fire was a good addition, with lots of logs in the wood store. Ample parking for 4 cars, comfy beds and clean crisp linen. Overall a very good value break, the house a little dated in parts but for the money it catered well for our group. Do not go to the Kings Head in Playden however, food was terrible!Rye was a short drive and lots of good things to do locally, nice walks and a convenient shop a stone throws to the house.

Thank you for a wonderful stay, sadly we weren't there long enough to use the tennis court!!Very spacious for a large group of friends and a lovely warm house.

We were two families ranging in age from 6 months to 93 years, here for a week over Xmas 2017. The condition of the metal entrance gate gave a dreadful first impression on arrival and the two industrial waste bins were equally unattractive. It was not helped by the very poor condition of the external paintwork and the outside light not working, making it very difficult at night. The kitchen was well equipped, but three out of six ceiling lights were blown and lighting under the cabinets was not working. The fridge was certainly not big enough for the claimed maximum of 11 people. A loud noise like a fog horn in the water pipes occurred after flushing the downstairs bathroom toilet, which was heard throughout the house and woke people up when it was used at night. The bathroom was cold all of the time as the radiator never worked, nor did the flat heating panel above it. (The owner did try to find a plumber to come and fix things, but unfortunately no one was available) The downstairs bedroom was also cold most of the time. The single radiator in the bedroom was covered by the headboard of a bed so the heat couldn’t radiate properly, and it’s a large room. The fire in the sitting room had no fire guard, which was a serious safety hazard with an open fire, or for young children. There was also a lack of comfortable seating even for 9 in the sitting room. Paint was flaking paint off the wall near the shower in the upstairs bathroom. The blind was badly stained and a ceiling lamp bulb was blown over the mirror making it difficult to see to shave or apply make-up etc. On the positive side we found the house very clean when we arrived and the beds and pillows were comfortable. Apart from the items above, everything else worked. I am sure the house is better for a large group during the summer months when the heating and inside seating issues would not be such a concern, but we really felt quite disappointed with our stay and had been so looking forward to it for a long time. Perhaps things will be put right in the future....just be aware if you are considering this house.