The Retreat

29 Customer Reviews

• "Had a really lovely week in the cottage, great to have off-road parking and the cottage is in a brilliant location with loads to do in the area."

  The cottage has everything you need for a short stay, ideally the kitchen could be modernised and have a washer/ tumble dryer combo installed but you can cope without. Personal preference but the mattress was a little too firm for us. Overall we had a lovely stay. Thanks

  Reviewed by Holly3.4★Oct 2024

• "Unusual to find a home in a small village with parking!"

  The house was amazing with everything that we needed. Location was spot on for travelling to other areas. Only niggle was that the shower curtain could do with being changed. Other than that, perfect

  Thank you for your positive feedback. Not sure how the Management Company missed the shower curtain but they have now dealt with it. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lisa4.7★Aug 2024

• "We had a lovely, quiet, week at the Retreat and enjoying the delights of Devon, even in the wet."

  It's exactly what we needed, tidy, quiet and in a good location to get around. There have been some criticisms of this property in other reviews. It is indeed quite small (but not the smallest I've ever hired), the lane to it is tight and the kitchen is short on storage space, but none of these were an issue for the four of us adults and our rather large Landrover Freelander.

  Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you enjoyed our cottage. Over the years we have found it a good place to chill out. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Paul5.0★Jul 2024

• "Lovely cottage in a great area."

  Very convenient for the coast and National Trust properties. Could do with a rail for the steps into the property. New beds needed as really uncomfortable. Off road parking a huge bonus.

  Glad you enjoyed our cottage but sorry to hear that you found the beds uncomfortable. Very difficult to find beds that fit everyone's needs as some like hard beds and others like soft. We have recently added a topper to the double bed and use the cottage ourselves to ensure that it is comfortable. The steps have a low wall alongside which acts as the rail but the front door, which is level with the road can always be used if the steps are deemed too challenging. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ann3.8★Jun 2024

• "A pleasant, comfortable stay in an ultra convenient location for this part of Devon."

  All in all, it met our expectations.

  Really glad you enjoyed our family cottage. We find it a good place to unwind Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stephen4.7★May 2024

• "The cottage is cosy, well equipped, and extremely clean."

  The three comfortable bedrooms were ideal for a family of 4 (children didn't have to share). All instructions were clear so we could boost the hot water and the electric shower allowed the whole family to shower in close succession. The cottage is a perfect base to explore both Dartmoor and the Devon Coastline with beautiful sandy beaches. Absolutely great to have private off street parking which is often a challenge in Devon villages. The Retreat definitely met all our needs and expectations and we would have no hesitation in recommending it to friends. Thank you.

  Good to see that the cottage met your expectations and that the Chameleon management team do a good job looking after it for us. It is certainly a lovely area for adults and children to enjoy. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Martin5.0★May 2024

• "Where do I start We’ve stayed here in the summertime and found it adequate, however in the winter when more time is spent indoors it soon become apparent that the old storage radiators and oil filled radiators were poor to say the least and set at different times."

  Meaning rooms were heated at different times of the day..or night??? We ended up buying a ceramic heater to move around the house as needed You constantly had to keep boosting the hot water when needing to bath or shower and do any washing up The kitchen is totally inadequate as regards food storage so we had to keep it in bags, unfortunately perishable food life was shortened because of dampness during the night. Plates, dishes along with cutlery and pans were stored on a open troll in the kitchen and we had to clean them before use along with the oven pans as they were covered in grease, dust and hairs. I also had to retune the tv as it only had half a dozen channels. In one bedroom wardrobe was a old toaster and kettle,great, the main bedroom had a Storage chest that had various diy bits in it The man bed mattress was probably the most uncomfortable I’ve ever had the pleasure to try to sleep on and is obviously to old for holiday rental. We took our dog with us but you couldn’t take her of the lead when in the courtyard as the gate post was broken of completely and was impossible to secure the gate to shut or latch, it looks like it had been like this a while. Overall the experience was the worst property we have rented via Sykes and a total waste of our money and spoiled our enjoyment totally Regards John

  We are sorry that your stay did not meet your expectations especially as you had stayed in the cottage in 2019. We are disappointed that you did not contact the management company, Chameleon, immediately so that your concerns could be addressed. We are contacting Chameleon for their comments about the plates and oven trays as they should be clean. The bed mattress is the same as in 2019 and has since had a topper added for extra comfort. The ferocious storms this year damaged the gate and it will be replaced as winter maintenance. We make it clear that heating and hot water is by Economy 7 which means it is heated overnight. Hot water can be topped up by an override switch and the shower is electric and functions at any time. The oil-filled radiators can also be used at any time. All this information, including the use of the TV and Amazon Fire, is contained in the Information Folder kept at the cottage. The toaster and kettle are a spare for guests and the storage box in the bedroom is not for the use of guests. We shall purchase a lock for this in future. Property Owner

  Reviewed by John2.2★Dec 2023

• "Lovely cottage in cute little village."

  Clean and Well equipped.Perfect for a family of 4 with young kids. Plenty to do in nearby surroundings. Like visiting the Deynes Farm for coffee and cake. South Devon is beautiful with great beaches and funky villages like Ashburton and Totnes to visit. And Dartmoor is amazing for walks. We will be back, thanks for the great stay!

  Thank you for your positive feedback. Thirty years ago we brought our children to Devon so its nice to see later generations having as much enjoyment as we did then. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Fenje5.0★Jul 2023

• "Smashing cottage in Harbertonford a home from home (wouldn't mind it myself) all you could need is there."

  Shop in post office and one in the garage,nearest pub two and a half miles away,which is walkable down the narrow country roads. Totnes and Dartmouth within easy reach by car both have larger supermarkets. Cottage is really nice would definitely stay there again.

  Very glad you enjoyed The Retreat. South Devon is a great place to have a holiday either with or without children. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Colin5.0★Jul 2022

• "We would have liked a full length mirror somewhere!"

  Everyone enjoyed their stay

  Thank you for your suggestion. Feedback is always helpful. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Vanetta4.1★Mar 2022

• "Very nice cottage and very well equipped."

  My only slight gripe is that the courtyard garden was in constant shade, though that may have been because it was March and the sun was still low. A shame as we had such good weather. Otherwise excellent.

  Thank you for your comment. We understand your disappointment. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Derek4.7★Mar 2022

• "A great house with everything you need for a lovely holiday."

  Thank you for your nice comments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Gemma5.0★Feb 2022

• "It was a great place to stay and we really enjoyed it."

  Thank you so much.

  So glad you enjoyed your stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Neil5.0★Sep 2021

• "We had a wonderful stay at the cottage."

  It was clean and very well presented on arrival, they were even thoughtful enough to provide a pint of milk on arrival with some tea and coffee. Highly recommend.

  So glad you enjoyed your stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Daniel5.0★Aug 2021

• "The cleanliness of the property appears to be left to the last people that are visiting, there was rubbish including a packet of tablets on the floor."

  Dog hair was found in one of the beds. The fridge is not big enough to accommodate the amount of people that can stay. Amazon prime wasn't working as stated. When using the hoover, after hoovering the whole place stunk of dogs. The cutlery and dishes were grimey and hadn't been cleaned properly - oil still on the pans, grimey feel to the cutlery and dishes had to wash before we could use them. This is a big let down especially in times of a pandemic. A professional clean should take place before and after visitors to ensure none of the above is experienced. Additionally as pets are allowed then the hoover needs to be cleaned or changed on a regular bases.

  We are sorry to see your comments and to hear that this has detracted from your stay. Our professional management company say that all was tidy and clean after the last guests and that no complaint was made until day 5 of your stay. They report that you did not share details of your complaints and did not allow them the opportunity to remedy any alleged faults. Hoover bags are supplied and we have asked that this be checked as a routine. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Milagros2.8★Jul 2021

• "This was a beautiful place to stay."

  Only half an hour from Torquay, Salcombe, Plymouth etc perfect base for exploring the local areas. We will definitely be back.

  We look forward to seeing you again. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Dan5.0★Jun 2021

• "Set in a lovely village, the property has high quality furniture and utensils etc."

  Very pleasing! Only one request....when visitors unpack food, there is very little storage space, so an extra unit/shelves or somesuch under the front window would free up the worktops for food prep. But having said that it did not detract from our overall enjoyment. Thank you very much.

  Thank you for your nice comments. We have put in extra storage space at your suggestion. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Bernard5.0★Jun 2021

• "Lovely cottage, clean and cosy in just the right location for us."

  Very glad you had a good time. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stephen5.0★May 2021

• "Lovely Cottage - nice comfortable stay"

  We do our best to please. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lorna5.0★Oct 2020

• "The cottage is lovely; you enter via the back yard and back door into a roomy kitchen/diner which lacks cupboard space."

  The lounge is very comfortable and the TV has Netflix which was an added bonus. The double bed is slightly hard and uncomfortable and the shower is slow, but overall, the cottage is very good. No visitors' book to complete which is a shame as we always enjoy reading where people have been to get some tips of where to go. The village is small with a very busy main road running through the middle of it. The shop stocked everything you could possibly need for a week's holiday. No dog walking places in the village unfortunately which meant we had to walk around the very narrow country lanes first thing each morning which wasn't so safe. Harbertonford is ideal for exporing south Devon and despite being there while storm Alex raged for 2 days we managed to visit Totnes (great for shops), Bovey Tracey (great for dog walking), Dartmouth, Salcombe, Paignton and Brixham. Overall, we had a great week and would return to the cottage.

  Thank you for your useful comments. We have now added additional storage and put a topper on the double bed. The visitors book has now been found. It was tidied away. Also the football club allow dog walkers into their field as long as they clean up. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jane4.4★Oct 2020

• "The cottage was very comfortable and cosy."

  I think the kitchen would benefit from a smaller table and a food cupboard as we had to keep our food in bags on the floor

  Thank you for your helpful comments. We have now provided additional space for food storage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by James4.7★Jul 2020

• "A very comfortable cottage which was of far better standard than I expected."

  Thank you for your kind and positive comments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Michael5.0★Feb 2020

• "The cottage was great for our needs."

  We found the beds a little difficult to sleep in, but we are spoilt at home. Otherwise a great base to visit the Totnes and south Hams area.

  Thank you for your comments. We have now added a topper to the double bed. Hope this solves that problem. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jack4.4★Oct 2019

• "Although a small courtyard garden it was secure for little dog but it's decor was dull with poor furnishing."

  There was some confusion re local pub the one in the village is closed and nearest was over 2 miles away and not safe to walk to. Nice doggie walks and village post office had nice shop.

  Thanks for the feedback. We have now replaced the garden furniture. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Andrew4.4★Oct 2019

• "A lovely warm cosy cottage situated in a delightful friendly village."

  We hope to return!

  We hope to see you again. Thank you for your comments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ray5.0★Sep 2019

• "Cottage was lovely."

  Very comfortable and well stocked.

  Very pleased you found all in order and that it met your expectations. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Valerie5.0★Aug 2019

• "Comfortable, cosy accommodation, plus points included allocated parking, WiFi, three bedrooms family bathroom and baby facilities provided : travel cot, highchair & stair-gate - stair gate was not listed under cottage info on website but it’s something that could draw parents with young children into staying here so worth mentioning."

  Being a cottage the stairs are very steep so the gate is very much needed. - on arrival the travel cot could not be easily located - it would be helpful if it’s location was mentioned in cottage literature. -We found it difficult to obtain hot water when needed as it was often outside of the timings which had been preset and the ‘boost’ button by the hot water tank was a bit hit and miss! Maybe we were doing it wrong : perhaps more instructions could be given.

  Thank you for your feedback and valuable comments. We will be placing on the advert that there is a stair gate at the property. There are instructions on how to operate the heating and hot water in the property. If you do have any questions during your stay please don't hesitate to contact Sykes Cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Juliette4.7★Apr 2019

• "On arriving at the cottage there are no signs that indicate which property it was."

  We recognised the house from the website and we were fortunate the cleaners were still there. It is not in till we got inside and read the information pack provided by the owners that tells you that the address is 2a. An update might benefit future renters. We found the kitchen to be very cluttered and we did not appreciate the knives and forks being placed upright in a basket. We had to be careful not to stab ourselves

  Thank you for your feedback. We have taken on board your comments and will be placing plaques on the property to make it clear that the property is named 'The Retreat'. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ronald3.1★Mar 2019

• "We were in Devon to celebrate my mums 76th birthday."

  She has never stayed in a cottage before so to her The Retreat felt like home from home. The Retreat was warm and cosy with extra heating as needed There was plenty of towels and bits and pieces that you always need in the kitchen available Having the parking space available was very handy too We all enjoyed ourselves and hope to return in the summer time, so thanks again

  So glad your Mum felt comfortable and that all was in order. We look forward to seeing you again. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Susan5.0★Feb 2019

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