Sykes Cottages Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,535 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Sykes Cottages

Company Reviews

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,535 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

Location:

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

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Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 27th January 2025

Anonymous

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 17th November 2024

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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

“I am completely unhappy with the service I received from Sykes cottages. Had a partner bereavement. Very little empathy and very slow to solve my problem. Advice is to get insurance to cover death at short notice!! Will never use them again. Managed to get a friend to take the cottage, but a very stressful experience with Sykes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“June 2021 we booked a cottage in the Yorkshire dales for 7 adults and a baby. Sykes said we could only have 2 households in the house so had to reduce our party. We did that but then we were told we could only have half the cottage??? Half for full price?? We were also told that if our party was more than 6 we had to reduce it. I asked what do I do if my household is more than 6 and was told we would have to reduce it. Also we would have to sleep on the sofa as only half the house was available. In the end we reduced our party and were able to use the whole cottage. I’m not leaving half my household behind!! I know it was covid rules but not fair if you have a large household. I have booked with them again this June but I’ve lost my faith in them”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Lovely lodge in Windermere and amazing place but will never use Sykes again, appalling customer service”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“We stayed in the same cottage as previous year but it was awful, patio area all dug up , garden was like a jungle, the TV (all 3) didn't work and tin opener broken in draw. When we contacted Sykes all we kept being told was they were attempting to get in touch with owner and reminding me to put contact reference no. when replying to there messages. Nothing got sorted out and I have just received a message telling me the owners disagree with our complaints and won't offer refund. So we certainly won't be using them again as we feel they should check the property themselves instead of believing owners who just want money regardless of there customers happiness. They should not be allowed to carry on doing this as you look forward all year to your holiday.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Do not book with Sykes! Upon arrival and after having getting lost due to the place being hard to find, the owner was quite rude asking why we couldn’t understand simple instructions and did we not know our left from our right! Entering the property, immediately hit with a strong damp smell and hoped it was initial mustiness as it may not have been rented for a while. Wish I’d read the reviews but booked in haste due to Covid being so rife at the location we were in previously! Property was cold and no wood to be seen for the wood burner. Small radiators were dotted around but obviously not adequate for the size of the property. Most plug sockets had rodent repellents plugged into them which was slightly un-nerving. Couldn’t unpack due to bedroom furniture wreaking of old/damp smell and the huge amount of fabric softener used on the bed linen (to mask the damp smell) made us feel quite sick! We couldn’t get the en-suite shower to below boiling point but luckily there was another in the twin bedded room next to ours. My parents room didn’t smell quite as damp as luckily they had the one without the whole that had leaked when it rained previously. So glad they didn’t have our room as the bat flying around due to a gaping whole between the beams, in the middle of the night would have frightened my Mom half to death. Also with my Dads COPD, the damp would have got on his chest. It was bad enough in the lounge and we discovered the paint peeling off around the window and the walls were turning black. As there was nothing the owner could have done as a quick fix to sort the damp problem out whilst we were there, we decided to leave the next morning especially after finding rodent droppings in the kitchen! All in all l, we had spent one night in the cottage from hell which didn’t even deserve one out of the four ticks that Sykes had awarded it! Sykes have been very unsupportive and couldn’t even be bothered to look into our issue and just kept emailing back asking me to quote a reference number they’d given our supposed complaint! I did so on each occasion, only to be given the same response every time - infuriating!! Only after contacting hometogo who I originally booked with, did they reply with a response they would speak to the owner and send someone to inspect the property! Of course they took the owners word that there is nothing wrong and couldn’t see why we only stayed one night (I have never deserted a holiday property in my life before)!! And apparently they sent someone over to inspect who also could not see why we felt any reason to leave!!!! I am going to take this further as they should not be allowed to continue to rip people off and there seems to be a recurring habit of people being robbed of their security bond by being blamed for ridiculous reasons of damage, which in many cases was already done! Sykes Cottages and their many subsidiaries (devised to con people further) should be struck off in my opinion as there are thousands of unhappy customers, which in itself proves what a dispicable company they are! See Facebook group Sykes Unhappy Customers for true reviews! AVOID at all costs”

Sykes Cottages 1 star review on 25th June 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I stayed in a cottage / barn conversion in a hamlet in Worcestershire in May this year. I chose to pay more as I needed a dog-friendly property and I wanted and therefore expected a certain standard for the higher price. My ‘fruit’ cottage was not as the fancy photos showed on Sykes website and was disappointing. Half the ceiling lights didn’t work including outside ones and sockets were defective. The bathroom was in need of an overhaul… just horrible deterioration. When I arrived there were x6 piles of dog debris on the small front ‘lawn’. Owners’ kids constantly hassling the next door hired cottage social services ‘ward of the state’ kid (carers felt unable to tell them to go away) & playing noisy football in the small front garden and literally aiming for and smashing up the picket fence…. No parental control whatsoever. Actually the owner breaching their responsibilities in the T&Cs for the hirer. Ground weeds everywhere, plant pots bare or just hosting weeds, not as marketing photos showed… huge wooden box in kitchen of complementary drinks and biscuits - BUT all a year out of date… After I gave an honest review on the Sykes website about the lack of maintenance and minimal changeover checks and the owners’ noisy kids, the owner actually had the gall to reply via account messenger and ignored all points made BUT proceeded to review me!!! Also very naively declared that they had taken covert photos of me grooming my little dogs in a supposedly ‘private’ rear courtyard and sent them to Sykes - claiming I was breaching the T&Cs… just prior to that I was in a towel after a shower drying myself in the sun - were they spying on me then?????? I have since spoken to Sykes after that naive revelation and the woman said that didn’t sound right at all and she would speak with a manager and get back to me. However has not done so. That was two weeks ago now. Reviewing a holiday property is futile and a waste of one’s time. Sykes SAY they want an honest review. But Sykes have absolutely no interest, or control, over what an owner wants to, or does NOT want to do. The review request they ask for on one’s return from holiday should be made clear - it’s for THEIR website and booking system NOT for the property. There is nothing they can do regarding the property. There should be a second system for reviewing the actual PRIVATE property you just hired which is then sent on to the property owner. Join the Facebook page : Sykes Cottages Unhappy Customers Page. It has over 6.4k members. Two of whom were featured on BBC Watchdog this week when they did a piece on Sykes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Property was okay but please for anyone who is thinking of using their insurance please think again. My husband fell ill during our holiday in January and we had to return early. It is now June and their insuere ETI Services have dont nothing but delay out claim. Still ongoing”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I've had several Sykes cottages in recent years including 2 in the past month (May/June 22) - never any problems. (That means I can't comment on how they would deal with an issue.) But cottages always excellent. Web site is much better than many companys'.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I had to cancel my holiday before the balance was due to my husband being diagnosed with cancer and requiring an operation. Sykes refused to speak with the owner to ask whether the balance could be refunded if the property could be re-let. So Sykes pocket my £450 deposit and the property will no doubt be re-let at the full price as it's the first week of August. Also had problems with them refunding when they cancelled my holiday during covid. Will never use again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Would give zero stars if possible. Our holiday cottage had plumbing issues TWO hours before check in which cancelled our stay. I understand these things happen but the help from Sykes to sort the issue was terrible. Got offered a one bed property for four people, a 3rd floor apartment (after explaining something with downstairs accommodation was required) and other totally unsuitable options. Sykes refused to pay for a night in a hotel whilst we looked for other options the following day. Requested refund of petrol for the 300 mile wasted trip and got refused. Terrible customer service. Avoid at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I booked a holiday through Sykes Cottages. Unfortunately my mother fell and broke her femur. Luckily (I thought) I had taken out the insurance offered when paying the fee. Unfortunately, ETI Services, have been terrible. I have been waiting two months after filling out their outrageously long form, had to provide more paperwork after that and just been told I will have to wait a further five to six weeks as my claim "is not important". DO NOT USE SYKES INSURANCE, it is more trouble than it is worth.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I'd booked apartment on Isle of Wight for August..due to personal family issues changed to September..price difference £342 cheaper but they still charging same price and asked for £9 more..min payment was £20..outrageous having to pay August price in September.. won't use Sykes again!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Helpless company, pathetic customer service.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Stayed at The Hideout, in Llangrove 13th to the 19th of May 2022. We thought it was for a week not for 6 days, which we paid nearly £700. The owner was a very nice guy, who treated us well. The views were absolutely stunning. The reason we booked this cottage was that it was dog friendly and it had a swimming pool. Upon arrival we noticed that the swimming pool had a cover on, the owner said he would try and get it ready for use by the end of the week, this was quite upsetting as my wife loves to swim. On return home we complained to Sykes at Chester, we were informed by a representative it was spring not summer and swimming pool is only used in the summer. The representative was quite rude and although we have used Sykes on numerous occasions we will not be using them again. Seeing as midsummers day is on the 21st June does this mean that summer is only 10 weeks long. A very dissatisfied customer.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I have had to cancel a September holiday due to unforeseen circumstances. After phoning Sykes was told l would have to lose full deposit, booking fee plus insurance cover. With three months to go I’m certain the accommodation will be let. My late wife and l have been very loyal to this company and enjoyed many lovely properties. In this present climate to lose over £200 is very hard to take. After reading reviews how this company has no heart and treat there customers l will with much regret no be using them again. A very disappointed 72 year old.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“The holiday let was not advertised, in my opinion, properly and the only time u discover this is when you arrive. Customer service and lack of management ownership is non existent. Don't touch this company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Sykes cottages allowed our family to book a sleep 8. when there were clearly 9ppl people in our party. Then they allowed the owner of the property to throw us out of the property from 1 day to the next because we were "too many people" even though we had a small baby in our group. And we had rented out our own homes to holiday makers. So we had nowhere to go. Sykes pocketed thousands of pounds paid for the rest of our 2 week holiday. We had proof receipts that the extra member of our party had paid to sleep in a hotel down the road. Every night that we were there. Sykes only want money. They are wicked and many of their properties lie about how good they are. Eg. you could not tell that the sleep 8 only had 1 toilet upstairs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Terrible customer service”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Had to give one star as no stars not an option. Raised prices on Covid cancellations, having had money for a whole year. Also bought insurance from them which was impossible to claim on - they actually suggested we claim from our house insurance. Could not be mnore unhelpful. A complany to be avoided at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Absolutely disgusting response regards a property that was a threat to life...Cygnus boat house. Reported to relevant authorities. They appear to still be letting agents for it . Please be aware if you look in the small print they are not responsible for anything that we could find and all down to landlord of property which is in our opinion a huge cop out . TAKE TIME TO READ THE SMALL PRINT FOR WHAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR. The customer service is non-existent except they said they would get back but never did. Look at the rating and steer clear.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Sykes Cottages is rated 1.2 based on 1,535 reviews