Rhianfa, Aberdaron

Do not book this house! We stayed here last year and it was the worst experience we've ever had. 3 generations of my family have been visiting Aberdaron for the last 60 years. We know the locals so when we saw we could stay in the 'American' house we were excited. The pictures on all the websites make it look amazing, it is the exact opposite! The shower didn't work, the hoover stank like wet dog, half the windows don't close or lock, conservatory light and windows don't open/ turn on, the shower room outside has holes in the ceiling full of spiders etc etc etc. We had to clean when we got there as no one had bothered to do anything. My elderly Grandmother couldn't have a shower because the indoor one was broken and the outdoor one is unsafe. We contacted the owner and waited in for a plumber who came out to repair it (wasted a days holiday waiting for him to show) He then told us he'd been to this property many times and it needs a whole new plumbing system. When we got home we were all so angry, 8 of us had gone and all had a miserable time. Even some of the locals came to see inside and were shocked. We complained and received £50 compensation! Do not bother with this house, I've stayed in nicer places in Blackpool.

The property was warm and had been cleaned, but it was downhill from there. It is obvious that this was once a lovely house with nice things, unfortunately a gross lack of maintenance and neglect means you share the house with spiders, woodlice and ants. They probably crawl in through the cracks in the bottom of the ground-floor bedroom wall, the leaking conservatory door or any of the ill-fitting doors. The table cloth on the dining table was too small to cover the table and despite being washed and ironed it had what appeared to be rust stains on it. The cupboard in the dining room is tied together with ribbon and wool and upon opening it one finds spider-webs akin to a Halloween film and some copper pipes. The furniture is terribly stained especially the conservatory furniture and even the loose cushions and the living room pouffee look dreadful. We had rain during our stay and quickly discovered the conservatory roof and doors leaked. The glass roof is also covered in algae. The downstairs bedroom carpet must have once had a leaking radiator this is evidenced by the brown staining spreading out across the room. The seal on the shower screen has red/black mould in it and during a shower the water backs up until you are standing in 3-4 inches of water. This was remedied when my husband pulled out enough hair and slime out of the plug-hole to fill a pint pot. The basin is cracked and bathroom cabinet is old and the MDF is swelling. The paint is peeling down the side of the sink and the toilet flush broke whilst we were there. However, this was fixed quickly by a plumber. Beware the pan rack that has been hung in the bathroom, it is broken and has arms that when down can be walked into causing painful bruises to the shoulder as one of our party discovered. The shower is powerful and hot, so has presumably been fixed since previous guests stayed. The second bathroom is not fit for purpose, its essentially a brick built shed in the yard with a corrugated plastic roof and a mirror so rusty it should be sent to mirror heaven. It is accessed from the house via the kitchen, through the lean-to porch, into the yard, past the builder's debris (the house next door is being renovated by the same owner). Many of the doors didn't close, the book case looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and should probably be decluttered and fixed to the wall. The standard lamps also lean precariously and the shades have cracked and split. The light and fan inthe conservatory doesn't work at all. There are way too many bibles in the house, one of which had a cover that was no longer attached and dated back to 1832. The house accepts dogs, but be warned they cannot be let into the garden unaccompanied as this is not a secure garden and despite it leading out onto a small road cars, quad bikes and tractors do travel quickly along it. One of the upstairs double rooms has a wooden cot in it. This cot is a threat to life, it is falling to bits meaning the bars exceed the width recommended for an infant to safely sleep in it (i.e they could get their head stuck through the gaps). I have advised Sykes of the issues and they are awaiting a response from the owner. The single room with the hot water tank has a chipboard shelf that is falling down on one end, it still has rail and coat-hangers clinging to it. This room also has a curled rug (trip hazard). The washing machine, dishwasher, cooker and heating all work well and there are sufficient pots and pans. Sykes initially appeared helpful, but closed my complaint after not getting any response from the owner and have not answered my request to escalate the complaint. Sykes continue to advertise the property on their website, despite seeing my photographs.

I just want to reiterate a wonderful stay under difficult family circumstances ie my wife had a minor stroke and my youngest Granddaughter who is eight months had a major operation before the holiday. I did try to re schedule for another date but was told this was not possible. My Daughter and her Husband arrived on the Tuesday and the weather was terrible so they decided with having such very young children to vacate and go home as my youngest Granddaughter was still not well. My husband and I and my Grandson arrived late Wednesday and was very happy with the house except the small tv and broken remote control, apparently done by the previous tenants. Other than that the house is faultless warm and cosy and has everything you need!!!! Loved staying here but the only obstacle is the remoteness and the long drive, but hey we knew this from booking but a fantastic getaway really would recommend to anyone!!!!!