The Bay Colwell

The hot tub kept our little dog interested for a moment, but all that fresh sea air soon wore him out. We had a perfect little birthday break with him in one of the pet friendly luxury cottages, and I loved every minute. The only snag was parking. With larger cars, getting into the space was really tight, with a brick wall on one side and raised wooden sleepers on the other sitting right in a blind spot. Loved it, and would happily come back.

The hot tub was immaculate and ready for us as soon as we arrived. We got two clear nights, and sitting under the stars with a glass of Champagne made it feel properly romantic. The holiday home was modern, warm, clean, and tidy, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The beach is about five minutes away, with a nice coastal walk to the pub, so the location was spot on. We’ll definitely stay again.

Colwell Bay is gorgeous, and we loved the location, but the dirty floor made the stay feel icky. We asked for it to be cleaned and were told it would be, but it wasn’t. When we followed up, they said they’d already done it, which just wasn’t true. They eventually cleaned it after we went back again, though the job was only OK. After an hour walking around, our feet showed how dirty it still felt, and there was an old Mentos sweet under a bed from the previous guests. It’s reasonable to expect a clean rental, and they weren’t very apologetic. This place could be great if they sorted the cleaning.

Everything else is as perfect as usual, but the patio at chalet number 17 isn’t secure for our dogs. We booked with two dogs and expected to be able to sit outside with them, but the garden area with the furniture isn’t enclosed. There’s only a tiny patch of shingle at the back, too small for us to sit on. For now we’ve made a makeshift barrier with the patio chairs, and we’ll have to buy a beach windbreak or something and see if that works. This is our third year here, and the first time I haven’t been completely happy.