Vijay Gardens

It was a peaceful spot, close to shops, a petrol station and pubs, and there was enough room for all 14 of us and our dogs. The house itself needs updating and a thorough clean, though. We found dust and hair in the rooms, and hair and dirt beneath some shower drains that looked as if they hadn't been cleaned for a while. A bed was already broken when we arrived. The owner is now keeping our £100 deposit, which we only heard about a couple of days before the stay, along with a £100 fuel charge. Other reviews mention trouble getting deposits back, or not getting them at all. If getting it back is such a struggle, it doesn't feel like much of a deposit.

We slept and catered for 14 comfortably, and the surprisingly generous indoor space was a real bonus when the weather kept us from making full use of the grounds. The large cinema room gave us plenty of space to celebrate my 40th with friends and family, including dancing. The kitchen and dining room had more than enough supplies, the beds were comfortable, and most bedrooms had an ensuite. The booking and check-in were straightforward. Mr and Mrs Vijay sent clear instructions, and the security deposit and fuel charge were stated in the booking, so they weren't a surprise. Our deposit came back the day after we left. I had seen comments about the house being dated before our stay at Vijay Gardens. The photos show its condition clearly, so I don't understand why that surprised anyone. It was clean and nicely presented. You could find signs of wear if you spent your holiday looking for them, but that wasn't what we were there to do. We chose the place for the outdoor space, though the weather didn't cooperate.

There was loads of room, with huge bedrooms and plenty of kitchen equipment. The river in the garden was lovely too, and there's an undercover porch with a large garden. It felt like the house could be beautiful again, but it needs a lot of work. Bobby must have put a great deal of time and money into building it, so it's sad to see it in disrepair. The bedrooms were big and our bed was comfortable, but my daughter's metal bed was broken and sagging. The window sill figure was stuck on with super glue. The toilets had mismatched seats, showers were clogged with hair, and many things seemed ready for the skip. The house and garden are both very dated and need TLC, with broken items and overgrown patches outside. There were so many saucepans and mismatched lids that finding things in the kitchen was a nightmare. I ended up organising some drawers. We counted 15 pairs of old oven gloves that were burnt, broken or frayed, and there were drawers and cupboards full of utensils and random kitchen bits. There were also far more plates, glasses and dining chairs than we needed, including 28 chairs in the dining room. We were asked for more money 24 hours before arrival, when cancelling our long-awaited group holiday wasn't really an option. We paid, and managed to shake off the bad start. Later, locals told us the house is used as a swingers paradise once a month. That might explain the odd living room layout, with PVC and leather sofas around the edges. The owners have the place up for sale, and it feels as though they're just after a quick buck and have stopped caring. We cleaned the house so it was cleaner than when we arrived, but the owners don't return deposits, claiming things were broken and using what I believe are forged, fake photos.

We liked the quiet, secluded setting, the spacious grounds, and the generous living, dining and bedroom space. It was well equipped, with good garden furniture and an undercover porch. The gardens did feel a bit neglected, though, and the entrance sign badly needs TLC, with only two letters still there. We couldn't find the advertised riverside walk unless it means scrambling over boulders and stones. The place was generally clean, but a deep clean to remove dog hair would help. There's too much large furniture in the bedrooms, and the layout could be better. In one room the wardrobe blocked the sockets, so bedside lights couldn't be plugged in. Towel rails in the bathrooms would be useful, or even a freestanding bedroom rail for towels. The stairs are steep if you're elderly or infirm. Only one bedroom TV worked. We got a couple working by replacing the remote batteries, but we shouldn't have had to. One bedroom window couldn't be opened because there was no key, making it unbearably hot. You'll need a car to get to places of interest. The Welsh 20 mph limits are frustrating, make journeys longer and tedious, and mean using a lot of fuel. That's not the property's fault.