Hakuna Matata

47 Customer Reviews

• "The hot water was temperamental and no clear instructions."

  There was rubbish in the garden and the bbq was full of cigarettes. Toilet was badly stained. Kick boards repeatedly fall off in kitchen. It was odd not to have any table light (only big overhead light) in living area. Given there is little room for table more trays would help. On plus side great location, comfy bed and nice welcome pack.

  Reviewed by Susan2.8★Sep 2024

• "Very satisfactory and clean."

  The TV in the lounge stopped working, but this was probably only because The Remote Control needed new batteries.? However the TV in the bedroom was working, so not too much of a problem. More rubbish bags would have been useful.

  Reviewed by Jill5.0★Sep 2024

• "Great property."

  Amazing location and area . Well recommended . Thank you for a brilliant holiday

  Reviewed by Peter5.0★Sep 2024

• "Really lovely house."

  I was expecting bare essentials but the kitchen cupboards were fully stocked. We found ourselves spending more time indoors than planned due to the horrible weather, but we still had a good time, the house is well equipped for rainy days with lots of dvds, books and board games. Beds were comfy too. The only issue if I'm being super pernickety is that I wasn't too sure whether I was using the correct recycling bin, there was one through the garden gate but it was technically next door so not too sure if this is a shared one or if we've been putting our rubbish into next door's bin? Fab stay though, thank you!

  Reviewed by Grace5.0★Jul 2024

• "I've repeatedly told you we had NO hot water the whole of our stay, nothing was ..."

  I've repeatedly told you we had NO hot water the whole of our stay, nothing was done, the response was zero, i would not use your company again, don't keep messaging me, yours Mr P Mechen

  Reviewed by Patrick3.1★May 2024

• "Excellent holiday cottage with everything you could need."

  Very comfortable beds & furniture. 5 mins walk to the beach & easy access to Rye & other local spots. Very good value for money. Only slight negative was poor TV reception.

  Reviewed by Carl4.4★Jan 2024

• "Lots of positives but a few small things that could easily be fixed."

  The house sleeps 4 but there were only 3 mugs & 3 chairs with patio table. More mugs & glasses needed. The boiler broke down so no hot water but this was fixed within a few hours. All the coat pegs by front door are broken so nowhere to hang coats. Overall nice & clean & warm & quiet but it was Nov!

  Reviewed by Trevor3.1★Nov 2023

• "Hakuna Matata is a nice cozy little cottage in a calm area nearby the lovely beach Camber Sands, the bus station is also not far away."

  The cottage was very clean. When we arrived, some small welcome gifts, like cake and orange juice from a farm were there for us. The garden is small more like a terrace with wood and stones but in october it was too cold sitting outsite anyway. The negative thing was that the doors from the bathroom and the restroom weren' t easy to close. And there weren' t not enough hooks for jackets in the entrance area and for the towels in the bathroom. And the folding table had to be reassambled again and again, because it wasn' t enough space in the living room for a dining table, but that didn' t bother us. We were a family with three people, that' s why we didn' t need much space. We couldn' t cook with normal tab water because it was chlorinated but in the cottage were enough bottles with still water. Overall we felt confortable in the cottage.

  Reviewed by Birgit4.4★Oct 2023

• "Poorly maintained."

  Missing light bulbs and garden tiny and ramshackle. Beds and, linens perfect. Close to beach. Out of season visit not recommended. Left 3 days early due to no water. Southerners water issues not the property itself.

  The entire property has had an extensive makeover, new decking in the garden and furniture updated, missing bulb replaced and and now in excellent condition. Please accept our apologies and happy to offer a return visit at a discount to make up. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Elaine3.4★Sep 2023

• "So many things need addressing it would be impossible to list."

  The property is not fit for purpose and needs serious work. I have passed photos to Sykes Cottages but they apparently leave it to the owner to sort any issues but they do not check. The images on line are 10years old!

  We truly appreciate your feed back and have taken corrective action. Property is now in excellent condition, both in and out. Please accept our apologies and would like to offer you a discounted return visit. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Norman1.3★Sep 2023

• "Very disappointed and have raised a complaint with Sykes."

  We had one key(instead of two),the televisions do not work - no signal so needs a new ariel. Back door dificult to open, close and lock. Two coat hangers out of three broken, back garden light not working, no light in the utility room. The table and chairs in the garden in poor condition, garden decking all rotten and large weeds in the garden. Please give this feedback to owner. I would recommend that Sykes cease advertising this property which is clearly not up to standard..

  Thank you for the feed back. The entire garden has been done up with new decking, more pebbles, and furniture. It now looks in pristine condition. There are now two sets of keys, missing bulb replaced and a deep clean to sofas and carpets. Please visit again at a discounted rate as our way of ensuring you have a happy holiday Property Owner

  Reviewed by Peter1.3★Sep 2023

• "Everything was lovely, a couple of things, the baby gates don't fit doors or stairs, and the cot was broken."

  But that didn't dampen a lovely few days, would definitely return, and would highly recommend.

  Reviewed by James4.7★Jul 2023

• "We noticed in the customer reviews that certain things were caput or at least wrong in the property but thought the owner would have attended to it ."

  Sorry but still no hanging of outdoor closing in the entrance hall, light bulb in bedroom2 missing. defective lighting in Kitchen,Difficulty with badk door key.Not very clean.Problems with heating and TV. The owner of the propertyy should be informed.

  Reviewed by Krystina2.8★Apr 2023

• "The ground floor was old en worn out."

  The couches were dirty en sticky. We put our clean dog blankets over them before sitting on them. The carpet was full of stains and dirty. Kitchen facilities poor. We bought a frying pan en scissors. Shortage of cups, no wine glass etc. Several light bulbs broken (in utility room, outdoor light, cupboard). Upstairs Ok.

  Reviewed by Ida2.8★Oct 2022

• "Had a very lovely holiday."

  It was a very peaceful and clean property. I would certainly recommend it to my friends.. The interior deco had a very calming effect on one’s mind. Would love to return again. Thank You.

  Thank you very much. We are much obliged and are always looking for ways to improve the cottage Property Owner

  Reviewed by Theresa4.4★Sep 2022

• "I am sorry and disappointed to have to report the following: The back door catch and lock need attention Very difficult to shut the door and to safely lock it The blind in the back bedroom once unlatch to lower the blind for the night had to remain lowered all the duration of our stay because the short amount of cord that remained was too short and out of reach to be able to pull the blind up and let the air in from the open window."

  One of the front bedroom carpets has a stain which looks like a dog has spend a penny on it. Not nice Both TV kept failing with a note appearing on the screen reading No aerial connection this kept causing the channels to ‘break up’ Garden is in a poor condition with loose screws and holes in the wooded slats where a small paw could become stuck in No evidence in the property as to where the nearest medical centre is. Necessitating me do drive the hours journey back to our home town, when my granddaughter became ill. No instructions for dealing with bin waste. So i felt oblige to take our rubbish/recycling home at the end of our stay

  Reviewed by Jean3.4★Jul 2022

• "We were very pleased with Hakuna Mata, well equipped and in a great location."

  Loved the welcome gifts, thank you. Some things need a little attention, dripping tap in downstairs loo, back door key is a bit tricky, some crockery has chipped edges. Sorry to be a bit negative but just saying. Would definitely stay again.

  Reviewed by Neil5.0★Jun 2022

• "LATE AFTERNOON WAS COLD."

  A FLAME EFFECT FIRE WOULD MAKE IT MORE WARM AND COSY. WE WILL VISIT AGAIN. THANK YOU

  Reviewed by Ian4.7★Jan 2022

• "This is a lovely property close to the beach and very comfortable in almost every way."

  Pretty much everything is included. Nice and cozy for the winter. Great bed linen and towels provided as is one tea towel and a nice welcome pack. Very pet friendly. The only major point to watch is the thin curtains in the front bedroom which let in light. Next door have a security light which went off randomly in the night, and this with street lighting meant it was never fully dark which affected our sleep. Bring an eye mask and you’ll be fine. Could have done with a dustpan and brush, as not provided. The key safe does not work so should be fixed. A lovely stay despite these minor issues and I wanted to stay longer!

  Reviewed by Paul5.0★Nov 2021

• "Mostly ok but no lock working on toilet and bathroom doors."

  .

  Reviewed by Raymond2.8★Oct 2021

• "Although we had a lovely stay we were disappointed as there was a few issues at the property."

  The cold tap in the utility room did not work, the tap in the downstairs cloakroom was broken, the shower screen seal was falling away and dirty/ green. We felt that the property was tired and needed some maintenance. The hook on the bathroom door was not attacked properly with screws hanging out. I have taken photos of the shower and door hook. The garden front and rear needed some attention as well.

  Reviewed by Alison3.1★Sep 2021

• "ON OUR FIRST NIGHT WE WERE DISMAYED TO FIND THE MATTRESS IN THE MAIN BEDROOM HEAVILY SOILED ON BOTH!"

  ! SIDES . MY PARTNER DAWN PHONED YOUR OFFICES ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER . WE ALSO EMAILED PHOTOS OF THE MATTRESS . THIS WAS IGNORED . DAWN ALSO TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO WASH THE MATRESS PROTECTOR THAT WAS HEAVILY SOILED AND SMELLED . THE SOFAS IN THE LOUNGE AGAIN WERE VERY DIRTY. IM SADDENED THAT THIS AS OUR FIRST HOLIDAY IN A WHILE WAS SPOILED.

  Reviewed by Robert3.1★Sep 2021

• "We loved our stay, perfect for us with a dog, only problem we had is the garden, ..."

  We loved our stay, perfect for us with a dog, only problem we had is the garden, the decking was rotting and garden was full of weeds with no plants to brighten it up

  Reviewed by Catherine3.8★Jul 2021

• "We had read some negative reviews for this cottage & I was quite concerned."

  Please ignore them! The house was lovely, perfect location, clean and had everything you needed. I am a clean freak and the white towels & white bedding were perfect, smelt lovely and the rest of the house was as clean. Recommend it.

  Reviewed by Claire4.4★Jul 2021

• "We were unable on several occasions to get the TV downstairs working on terrestrial TV and other applications such as iplayer."

  After a lot of fiddling around (often having to switch the TV on & off a number of times), we were able to watch something every other day. The TV in the bedroom did work but the signal was very bad, the picture and sound kept breaking up. The rest of the cottage was nice, though the double bed mattress was far too soft and could do with replacing. Given the price we paid, we don't believe the TV service was of a satisfactory standard. We would therefore like some financial recompense for this element. Very thin blinds in the bedrooms meant that we were woken very early by the light; blackout blinds would be recommended. The cold tap in the utility room didn't work at all. Some maintenance is required on this property.

  Reviewed by Diana3.4★Jul 2021

• "Great location, very short walk to the beach."

  I stayed at that property with my 3yr old son and my dog. The property had everything to offer and more for a self catering property. The fact that it has a dishwasher also made things a lot easier. A few more extra utensils and a decent frying would’ve been handy. Also towel rails and bathroom hooks in the upstairs bathroom would be an idea to install. Other than that. I would happily visit again.

  Reviewed by Daniel5.0★Jul 2021

• "Just three small things I think would make it perfect and that is :- 1."

  A non slip mate in the bath (very slippery). 2. A towel rail in the bathroom to hang wet towels on. 3. A bread knife - Very hard to cut fresh bread with a carving knife. Otherwise we had a brilliant holiday. The cottage is an ideal base for the beach and surrounding points of interest, it is very nicely decorated and very comfortable with all mod cons. Would definitely recommend to family/friends and would not hesitate to come back again. The welcome pack was much appreciated and delicious.

  Reviewed by Linda4.4★Jul 2021

• "- Your email of the 23rd with departure instructions could not be read until after we'd returned home because THERE IS WI-FI OR BROADBAND SERVICE AVAILABLE at the cottage: no access to emails."

  - The cottage may have been cleaned but there was nothing to indicate it was Covid-Safe - no hand sanitizer was provided. - 1 small toilet roll for 2 bathrooms is unacceptable. - No light in understairs closet. - Frying pan scratched, worn and filthy beyond use - and far too small for 4 people. - Ground floor W.C. extractor fan broken. - Extractor fan in wash room at rear door broken ; it runs 24/7 and cannot be switched off. - Patio light broken. - 2 kitchen lights broken. - No light in extractor hood over cooker. - No towel racks in first floor bathroom. - No coat hangars in small bedroom. - Hot tap in first floor bathroom broken. - TV in double bedroom receives a signal for 1 chanel only - it's obsolete. - 3 TV remotes, upstairs and down, were so filthy they couldn't be touched until we'd cleaned them with out own sanitizer - and they all need new batteries.

  Reviewed by Barbara1.9★Oct 2020

• "Had a fantastic 5 nights away."

  Stunning beach and really close to Rye and Hastings which we loved exploring. Camber Sands itself is pretty quiet but being a 10min walk to the beach was wonderful and the Owl pub served great food. Perfect for a staycation and enough to explore to keep us busy for 5 days with our 14 month old daughter!

  Reviewed by Scarlett4.7★Oct 2020

• "I am going to write a totally honest review based on our stay here from 28/9 to 3rd Oct."

  First the positives: Camber Sands is a nice area if now a little dated. The beach is gorgeous with plenty of area for dog walking and the fact that we were out of season meant it was pretty quiet, which was nice. We would thoroughly recommend The Owl pub just a five minute walk away which although a little pricey is very nice. The food is lovely, the ambience of the pub very nice and the staff lovely. Rye itself is very pretty and quaint and would also recommend the Simply Italian restaurant. All in all a lovely area. Now to the property itself; it isn't a "cottage", it is a 2 bedroomed house (like a starter home) on a residential development. It is in a terrace of 6 or 7 with most of the houses being holiday homes. When we first arrived we thought it seemed quite nice, perfectly adequate for a 5 day stay with pretty much everything we needed. From that point on unfortunately that changed. There are many maintenance issues with this property; missing lightbulbs with no replacements, taps that don't work properly in the bathroom, the garden is weedy and not suitable for small children and dogs with nettles being an issue. A hoover that doesn't work, a dirty oven. We had a nightmare situation with a burglar alarm that went off in the middle of the night, no alarm codes to be found, woke all the neighbours, a stressful situation that was not resolved before we left. It turns out the owner lives overseas and there is no maintenance contract on the property. Sykes suggested we pack up and go home. My recommendation to Sykes is to remove this property from their website until issues are resolved. My advice would be don't book this property, you will be disappointed.

  Reviewed by Carole2.2★Sep 2020

• "The house was very clean, tidy, comfortable and had all that we needed to help us enjoy our weeks stay."

  The single beds are a tad narrow for adults though perfect for children.The garden was a small space, however we found that we hardly spent any time in the garden. The house was around the corner from a short cut through that took you directly to the dunes and a short walk to the local dog friendly pub "The Owl". Lovely food and pub; the staff friendly & helpful. The house is a great base, not only for visiting Camber Sands and it's amazing beach it is also perfect for exploring the surrounding area. Beautiful Rye is a short drive and other places of interest are also fairly easy to get to and generally 25 - 45 mins by car. We visited several places while we were here including Battle & Bodiam Castle & we took the light train from Hythe to Dungeness. None of us a train spotter but we all enjoyed it non-the-less. Had we realised how close we were to a good water sports venue we would have booked a SUP course in advanced. The property would benefit from having wi-fi as its become the norm to offer this facility in holiday lets/rentals. We all had a great time & would definitely recommend visiting this part of the world.

  Reviewed by Maureen4.4★Sep 2020

• "We had a great week at Camber Sands and our family of four were perfectly comfortable in Hakuna Matata."

  We all slept extremely well and appreciated the games, books and really great selection of DVD's. The house is located in a lovely development and it felt very safe - our daughters enjoyed reading on the bench in the small communal garden just in front of the house and it was safe for them to cycle. The beach is just a few minutes away and we particularly enjoyed going there to see the sunset in the evening. We had great weather and swam in the sea on three days. The beach is huge so even when busy we were able to stay safe - a windbreak is good to have for shade and privacy. Also a shout out to E:Bikes, a local business who provide great service. We hired bikes on two separate days - cycling to Lydd and Rye along the lovely countryside cycle paths. Do bring a picnic if going to Lydd as nothing at all was open, but it's a charming place and worth a visit. Downsides were that the kitchen could have been slightly better equipped ie a wooden spatula, chopping board, a measuring jug and couple more oven proof dishes. Also the housekeeping wasn't the best - there was an empty coke bottle and sweets under the bed, however as we wanted to spray all surfaces with anti-bac ourselves this wasn't the issue it might have been. The decor is a little tatty in places and the cottage could do with a coat of paint and some minor plumbing repairs to really realise the potential of the great location. On another note we travelled from London via public transport from Victoria and the journey was safe and efficient. We used a large taxi outside Rye station but there is also a bus (only once an hour so check timings). The local food shops weren't great so we were glad we had an Ocado delivery. If you do come by car or take a trip to Rye we recommend Jempsons supermarket near Rye station which is really good.

  Reviewed by Leonie3.8★Aug 2020

• "We went to Camber car-free and had a fab week."

  We hired bikes from eBikes just over the road and enjoyed exploring the beautiful (and flat) local area including Rye Harbour and Dungeness. The cycle paths were great. On rest days we got the bus to Hythe and Rye. A great base to be car-free.

  Reviewed by Madeleine5.0★Aug 2019

• "We had a really lovely time."

  Place was very tidy. However, I think there may have been a dog there before us and there was a lot of dog hair on the floor and rug. My baby who was crawling everywhere kept getting it in his mouth. Also, the bins hadn’t been emptied before our arrival. I would have liked a few cleaning products under the kitchen sink like a kitchen anti-bac spray. There were no cleaning products for us to clean with apart from fairy liquid. Lastly, I think it should be made more clear on the listing that the house was in an estate. A lovely estate but very close quarters with the neighbours with a tiny garden. We thought we would have more space around us. Al minor points but worth pointing out. We enjoyed ourselves though and felt safe in the cul-de-sac with our small kids. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Lucy4.7★Aug 2019

• "We had a lovely time in there cottage has everything or I could say even more ..."

  We had a lovely time in there cottage has everything or I could say even more than what you would expect from a cottage Baby facilities high chair travel cot was a big help in our case Has books and family games for the nights I could highly recommend it very family friendly house

  Reviewed by Anita5.0★Aug 2019

• "When we arrived at the property, last weeks rubbish was on the front step, which was there for all our stay."

  Unfortunately, we had to add to it when we left as we had no information on refuse collection. There was no information pack in the property with useful numbers etc. The property was described as a cottage but in reality was a terrace house on a housing estate. The "courtyard" was tiny and very unkempt. The mattresses on both beds were extremely uncomfortable and desperately need replacing. In our opinion the property is barely large enough to accommodate four adults. The pipes on the boiler were leaking. All decor was very tired. The lightbulb in the downstairs loo was not working and we could not find any spares. Although some effort was made to make us feel welcome by providing cake etc, it is not a very cosy and welcoming holiday property. In our opinion the whole of the property would benefit from an update and re-decoration. Although the property itself appeared clean, the fixtures and fittings were grubby and worn out.

  We are sorry to read that your experience at Hakuna Matata was disappointing due to the décor and condition of some aspects of the property interior. Your feedback is very important to us as a business and can make a difference as we will alert owners to any issues that need addressing. I can see from the case that we have sent all of your thoughts and feedback to the owner. From the calls and emails we get regarding comfort of beds, we understand that personal preference is a factor in this. We’re sorry that you found these beds uncomfortable during your stay. Thank you for taking the time to write to us at Sykes. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jayne2.2★Dec 2018

• "Would have likes to see more host's input regarding the cottage."

  Also we were unsure how to handle waste & rubbish The bin was quite full on arrival & not emptied in the week we were there. This in no affected our very enjoyable stay in this cottage very comfortable & great ;location. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Roger3.8★Nov 2018

• "Lovely house very warm and only 10 minutes walk to camber sands"

  Reviewed by Paul4.7★Nov 2018

• "The bin was full when we arrived which made dealing with our own rubbish very difficult."

  ..we left two tied bin bags in the back yard as didn’t feel it was appropriate to leave it out the front. There didn’t appear to be any re-cycling bins although other properties did. WiFi would have been nice. There was a mop bucket but no mop so bought one and also no hand towels for toilets so bought those too. I contacted Sykes prior to holiday as it was my daughter’s birthday on the 1st Nov asking how well stocked the kitchen was and listed specific items so we could bring anything needed. I was in communication with Molly who was very polite and helpful. She contacted the owners who said that of the things listed all we needed was weighing scales. When we arrived there was no mixing bowl and no lasagne dish so had to buy these too which was disappointing. Other than that an ok cottage, clean and 10 minutes walk from the beach; very small but ok for a short break. The only other niggle was the washer/drier which washed but didn’t dry so we gave up in the end and used the airers that were on site.

  Reviewed by Sue3.8★Oct 2018

• "Thanks for the welcome gifts of cake, biscuits and apple juice."

  Much appreciated!

  Reviewed by David5.0★Jul 2018

• "We loved our stay at Hakuna Matata, it was very comfortable and ideally located for the beach, the development is very nice and quiet , and we would recommend."

  Reviewed by Emma4.1★Jul 2018

• "A really good experience."

  Excellent for the beach and local sightseeing. No Wifi. A suggestion: It would be a great help if the information pack included a sheet listing such matters as: Day to put out the dustbin Nearest Accident and Emergency Doctor Dentist Police Post Office

  Reviewed by Sdimon4.7★Jun 2018

• "Lovely property, very clean and comfortable, really appreciated the cake, biscuits and apple juice on artival."

  Few minutes walk to the beach, which was very quiet (exactly what we wanted) although in summer and school holidays I’m sure it would extremely busy due to Holiday camp around the corner!) We would return. A couple of points that would have made a difference: there were no trays for the oven, we had to pick up numberous dog poos in the garden from a previous visitor before letting our dog out. There wasn’t an information booklet for house details, local amenities/services or a guest comments book. March 2018

  Reviewed by Tracy4.7★Mar 2018

• "Our stay at Hakuna Matata was exactly what we were looking for."

  The cottage was clean and comfortable. We would defiantly book again.

  Reviewed by Jack4.7★Feb 2018

• "No dishes for oven!"

  wi-fi would make this property excellent

  Reviewed by Ray3.8★Nov 2017

• "Plug in bath needs fixing had to prize it to drain."

  Reviewed by Kerry4.2★Aug 2017

• "It was beautiful!"

  Everything appeared very clean and the extra touch of juice, cake and biscuits was a lovely surprise. The only slight issue I had was when we moved the table out it was very dirty behind. There was a lot of short dark hairs on the bedding too. The bedding and towels were lovely and fresh and white. Also for your info the bathroom door needs attention as the lock is broken. Overall a really great stay and very much looking forward to coming back. Perfect time away from the treadmill of family life. The sand dunes were AMAZING for two mischievous boys. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Jo4.6★Apr 2017

• There are no reviews featuring this term Show all reviews