"Our family recently stayed at this 15-bedroom villa, and overall, we had a good time together. The property is spacious, well-equipped for large groups, and offers fantastic potential. Still, our stay was marred by numerous maintenance and functional issues throughout the house that really need addressing.
The villa comfortably accommodates a large group and has plenty of living space for everyone to gather without feeling on top of each other. The outdoor hot tub was a highlight and well enjoyed, though having a canopy or sheltered cover over it would make a world of difference when it rains. The games room was also a fun addition, featuring a multi-use pool and air hockey table (though unfortunately, the power cable for the air hockey was missing, so we could only use the pool table).
The standard check-in time is 5:00 PM, which feels unusually late when planning for a large group. To their credit, because there were no guests the night before, they did let us know a few days before arrival that we could check in earlier at 2:00 PM, which helped. However, check-out was strictly enforced at 10:00 AM. Even though there were no incoming guests booked for that day or even the following day, they refused any leeway for a slightly later departure, which felt unnecessarily rigid.
Ahead of arrival, we were required to pay a £1,000 security deposit 8 weeks prior to check-in, which made very little sense. Having stayed in large holiday homes like this before, the standard policy is usually to take a pre-authorisation or deposit shortly before check-in or upon arrival, rather than holding such a large sum 8 weeks in advance.
There is a noticeable rising damp problem on the lower ground floor. The bedrooms down there felt uncomfortably wet and clammy—to the extent that fresh toilet rolls stored in the rooms absorbed moisture and felt damp to the touch.
While it's great that most bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, the plumbing was very inconsistent. Several toilets struggled or failed to flush properly. The showers were unpredictable—some only delivered scalding hot water with no cold balance, while another ran completely cold with no hot water at all.
The property is showing its age and suffered from several small defects. A few windows had cracked panes, and during a heavy downpour, part of the older Victorian-style window coving actually deteriorated and fell apart, which we had to report.
It is a lovely house at its core, and we still managed to make great memories. However, the sheer number of small faults and the damp issue mean the property currently feels a bit neglected. With some serious maintenance, proper plumbing repairs, and a bit of care, it could easily be a 5-star venue."