Dirdale, Wey Meadow Stables, Nottington, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4BH

I booked a week at 4 Admirals Quarter for myself husband and 9 year old granddaughter for this coming week. My husband has suffered a stroke and we obviously needed to cancel

Not only have Sykes refused a refund but they would not move the holiday to another date within school holidays. I would have expected a large company to show some compassion

I booked the Dirdale cottage through Sykes Cottages with a week to go for Fri 23rd July 2021.

Pre-booking

This particular set of cottages appears to run Friday to Friday and checking in is from 5pm onwards. The photos on the Sykes website are accurate and this accommodation is clearly very new.

Whilst the website constantly harps on about ?This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of ?350? this did not apply and quite frankly needs to be dropped from the description and booking process ? guests will use your cottages, wear & tear will happen over time ? get over it !

The information provided prior to booking was very good with lots of information about the cottage, surrounding area and places to eat etc. The directions provided for getting here were spot on and Helen was always available for any questions that I had ? so full marks at this stage. You will even get a call asking you how you would like the beds made up and configured for your party.

I won?t comment on price/value as 2021 is still affected by COVID and restrictions on holidays abroad and this skews the market. In my personal opinion, if you?re happy to pay the price for the accommodation you see on-line then that?s all that counts.

Arrival

The keys are stored in a secure box on the wall of the cottage and information is provided prior to arrival on how to access it. Arrival is ?contactless? but there is a mobile number to call if there are any problems (which I did and was answered promptly).

Although the website and information states there are 2 car spaces per cottage, this would be at a push if everyone staying at the location did this. On arrival you may find some holiday makers have spread themselves around a bit and you can?t in fact park outside your cottage - which is not what you need after a long drive. This thoughtlessness did seem to improve throughout the week with people parking by their front doors and not in front of someone else?s !

The pre-booking information should call this out a bit more strongly and encourage people to be a bit more thoughtful when they arrive at site, particularly if the contactless situation is to continue for the foreseeable future. Parking is mentioned on the current set of arrival instructions but it?s on page 6 of 10?

Accommodation Generally

The accommodation is generally in very good condition and is a new build. I?m guessing this is the 2nd phase as there are some other cottages adjacent which appear to be older. It is worth stressing that you are staying on a working farm or stables. This means that quite literally the stables are at the foot of your garden accompanied with the smells of manure. If you like horses and this type of setting which does come with some very nice views of the surrounding countryside then that?s fine, but I don?t think Sykes mention this well enough !!

My kids thought it was great having the horses nearby and hearing/watching them so no complaints from us, but the manure smell was quite strong on one day.

I think the fit-out of the cottage is to a good standard and well equipped. If you can?t find something then you probably just haven?t look through all the drawers ! The owners do seem to have put a lot of thought into equipping the cottage.

I couldn?t find any coasters though, which was a bit of an obvious miss given that place mats were provided.

The TV in the lounge is a bit on the small side and positioned low down. This could do with being larger for a family to sit around in the evening. I appreciate not everyone goes on holiday to watch TV but for those with younger children who might find themselves not staying out so late, this is one thing that could be re-considered.

My only real criticism is about the beds?

Fine if you like soft bouncy mattresses and big soft pillows but for the rest of us ? not so great !! Every morning I woke up with a bad back and was happy to get out of bed at 7am or earlier.

It was hard to get to sleep the first night as I felt I was about to roll out of bed. Not getting a good night?s sleep does take its toll and affect your holiday. I found myself nodding off mid-afternoon or on the evening through just not getting a decent sleep the night before.

Overall, I thought there was plenty of space for 4 people but might start to feel a bit crowded if there were 6 of you. Just depends on how well you all get on !!

Some of the locks on the doors felt as if a little adjustment is needed, again I would associate this with the property being so new.

Location

You?re about 5 mins from a main road that takes you into Weymouth or elsewhere. Nearby there is a BP petrol station combined with M&S, a Sainsburys, Morrisons & Aldi plus the Park and Ride facility. Needless to say, traffic volume and parking in Weymouth is challenging during the school summer holidays ? download the JustPark app as it seems to be accepted widely in the area.

Just Eat does deliver to the cottage, just put a note in the order about which cottage you are staying at. Bennetts fish & chips, AJ?s, Granby Diner & Rays Chicken are all recommended !

If you were staying here throughout the winter months, then I would guess that the roads leading from the main road to the site (the last couple of kms) would not be treated ? so no issues for 4x4 but if you have a rear wheel saloon (Mercs/BMW/Jags) then this is something to consider.

There is central heating in the accommodation, although obviously I didn?t use it on this occasion.

Would I come back ?

Unlikely.

Weymouth is a great place to stay and visit and there are loads of things to do in the area to keep the family happy and have a great holiday.

I would sum up Dirdale as very nice accommodation in a lovely countryside setting - but I couldn?t face another week in those beds.