Little Owl Barn

For a birthday getaway, this became a stressful and uncomfortable stay at Little Owl Cottage (Fullbrook, Cotswolds), booked through Sykes / Manor Cottages. We won’t use Sykes again. When we arrived Friday, the property had no water. It turned out to be a known Thames Water problem affecting several homes, and Sykes later admitted they knew about it. Still, neither they nor the owner told us before or during the stay. We had a toddler with us, and for about a day and a half we couldn’t flush the toilet, which was left with urine and faeces, or wash or shower. We had to drive nearly an hour to friends to clean up. No bottled water or other help was provided. Kind neighbours shared water with us, and only they let us know what was happening. There were apparently local water stations too, but no one from Sykes or the owner mentioned them. There were other problems with how guests were treated. A gardener came without warning and started working outside without knocking, which felt intrusive with the large windows. Cleaners turned up before the 10am checkout, around 9 to 9:30, waited outside, then returned at 9:45 and pressured us to leave early. Afterwards, Sykes offered £50 in vouchers, not a refund. Given that we were without an essential like water for a large part of the stay, that felt frankly insulting. The lack of communication, basic care and respect for guests was shocking. I’d strongly advise people to think twice before booking.