Southview Retreat

The house is clean on arrival and nicely finished, with comfortable furniture and a well-equipped kitchen. There are two bedrooms, one double and one twin, plus an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs loo. It has a washing machine, dishwasher, fridge freezer, TVs in the lounge and front bedroom, a bath and separate shower, and plenty of storage in the bedrooms. Bedding and towels are provided, though we found the towels a little hard. The key is in a safe by the front door, so we didn’t meet or speak to the owner. That felt impersonal, though it may have been due to the pandemic. The kitchen floor was still wet when we arrived on Friday. It’s an easy mile’s walk to the harbour, and a bit farther to the shops and Weymouth beach. There’s a takeaway two minutes away, which is always a bonus. The house is dog friendly, but the downstairs is open plan with no doors, so a wandering dog can go wherever. The area felt mixed to us. A few youths gathered on a street corner when we arrived, which didn’t inspire confidence, though after the weekend the issue, if it was one, seemed to disappear. The heating runs through a Hive system. It’s fine if you know how to use it, but could be tricky otherwise. It can be adjusted manually at the property, yet we were always conscious the owner could monitor its use remotely. We never quite got the hot water right, either. The double bed was comfortable, but the curtains let in a lot of light, and a very sensitive porch light at the property opposite made it feel like Blackpool illuminations. We enjoyed the stay, but the area and the curtains kept it from getting five stars.