“This is a difficult review to write as so many people have given Chy Ryn 5 star reviews which I read many times before making a booking.”
I also looked carefully at the pictures. After all, these are the only pieces of information to go on when parting with hard earned money. Sykes need to make sure that information on properties is up to date and accurate. This is not the case for Chy Ryn. I stayed for 2 weeks with my husband and 22 year old son - I checked the twin bed situation before travelling to make sure that the room was suitable for a 6'+ male.
These are the issues we encountered, a number of which seem contrary to the info that is on the website (and all the others where images of the property can also be found) -
Decor - this has been updated from the photos - the lounge area feature wall is a mid blue, clashing with the purple pictures; there are lots of soft furnishings which also clash. There are so many trinkets that it is impossible to find space to put your own things. The coffee table is multiple colours rather than the warm oak in the pictures and the kitchen table is rectangular (less space to move around by the dishwasher). Blinds are needed - the kitchen would benefit from one as the hosepipe which is used daily by the owner is right outside the window. The bedrooms need blinds as the curtains are only slightly better than net curtains. There are no drawers, or storage boxes within the wardrobe, to store underwear etc. in the main bedroom; a few more clothes hangers would have also been helpful. 13.5 tog duvets in the summer are inappropriate (the whole house gets very hot indeed). The double bed sheet was bobbly and had to be turned inside out to make it feel a little less scratchy. On arrival we were offered a change of bedding after our first week but it never arrived. The bedding in the twin room was very flowery, bright and clashy. The twin beds were very uncomfortable with springs very evident. Both bedrooms were so full of ornaments that it was very difficult to find space to put our own possessions. Towels, in some cases, were very thin.
The bathroom - needs a toilet roll holder on the wall - it is not ok to put the toilet roll in the shower tray, where we found it on arrival. There is no sealant on the shower cubicle end panel as I found out when cleaning it at the end of our stay. Also, no shaver socket (just for info only).
Upstairs the walls are very thin and the floorboards very creaky. Coupled with stiff and noisy latches on all of the doors it was very difficult not to disturb others. The stairs are also very narrow (just for info only).
The kitchen - provided washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, 2 J-cloths, 1 spare bin bag, some cleaner spray and some wipes. If you need kitchen roll, cling film, silver foil, salt and pepper, etc. you need to bring it yourself. The dishwasher needs more salt and rinseaid. The morning after arrival the fridge defrosted over the kitchen floor and into the cupboard under the stairs - there had been a 1 inch thick sheet of ice on the back of the fridge when we arrived - I had to use my own tea towels to mop it up. The kitchen bin is too small and there is room for a larger one. There is no clothes airer (a small rotary washing line is outside under a tree) - the lobby area gets exceptionally warm and we put our washing to dry in there by hanging items off hooks etc.. Off this lobby is a toilet, again with many ornaments, including hanging off the window handle – this window needs to open!
The lounge area - no mention of interconnecting door behind the bookcase. Table tennis bats provided, but there is no table tennis table (even though some websites mention a games room). Wifi can be patchy as the router is next door as far as we could tell. The TV could probably do with an update as we had to link our laptop up to it in order to watch our choice of Commonwealth Games coverage.
Outside - accessibility from the parking area is about 20m with a number of steps, some steep. A mirror opposite the gateway would be helpful for exiting safely. There is enough furniture to sit at (though it needed a clean). We only found the BBQ when packing up to leave - it's in the cupboard under the stairs - we weren't told this - you, apparently, have to ask for access to gas. Good wifi and a BBQ were the 2 things that I was looking for in my holiday search - disappointing.
On the website it states that this place is tranquil - well it might have been when the original ad was put together but sadly it wasn't for us. 10 of 14 nights were disturbed by noise coming up from the football ground in the valley below - football noise, loud music and compering. There is also the noise from the railway (just for info). The shared garden should be made clear - plants are watered, fish are fed, and grandchildren visit - this is just to make people aware, as we weren't. As an update to past visitor comments - there are no longer any runner ducks.
The visitor info book is basic - it would be very helpful to have places to visit, places to eat (cafes, restaurants, etc not just pubs), beaches, supermarkets, bus stops, train stations, etc.. Maybe even a tide times booklet given that the place is by the sea!
I’m sure, had we known which door to knock on, and if we were the sort of people confident in asking, then some of these things could have been sorted by the owners. There was no knock on our door or text message to check that all was ok. Thank you for letting us stay and for the cream tea on arrival.
We are disappointed to hear that Chy Ryn was not to your taste and that you disliked almost everything about our home. We are always on hand, living on site, and try to deal with any issues ASAP if we know about them. Fortunately, other than the odd minor problem, 99% of our lovely guests enjoy visiting beautiful Cornwall and our accommodation. It was a shame you stayed in behind closed doors and curtains for 90% of your 2 week visit and missed out on so much of our picturesque county. The Sykes rep who stayed here last year was very happy with her visit to us. We wish you all the best with future holidays and hope you will find accommodation somewhere to suit all your needs.
Property Owner
