Mallards

This was our third visit to Mallards and we had an amazing holiday again.

It really is a home from home. I also cannot speak highly enough of Claire she ensured that we had a lovely welcome when we arrived, the property was spotless too. We had a problem with one of the beds but it was fixed, we appreciated the work of Martin too. Thank you so much! More magical memories and we hope to visit again. Thank you so very much.

This is my 8th stay at Mallards.

A lovely comfortable cottage in a timeless little village next to the sea. It always feels like home and I always look forward to coming back. The cottage has everything for a comfortable, relaxing and cosy holiday in a beautiful location. Claire and her team always ensure the cottage is perfect for my stay and I can’t wait to return for my 9th holiday

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, a perfect location for exploring the area.

The cottage was cosy and warm. A proper sized freezer and plenty of storage in the kitchen. (Freezer could do with a defrost) The cottage has everything you could need, a real home from home. The local pub was fantastic, friendly staff and huge portions, plenty of choice. Would recommend the cottage. The bed and sofa, not the comfiest, but that’s my personal taste.

Our first time at Mallards and we were really satisfied with the cottage.

Everything you could wish to live for a week or two is just there. Plenty of space to store everything, huge bathroom and well equipped kitchen. Location close to the beach and SWCP is also a huge plus. Would return without any doubt.

Excellent accommodation.

Minor issues with drawer adjacent to fridge rubbing against the fridge and broken chair for the outside table.

Fabulous holiday in a great location, close to beach, Eden project and numerous gorgeous places to visit.

There are plenty of things left at the cottage to make your stay Comfortable including CDs and films. Only thing to let it down is the cleaning. I found somebody else’s garment under my pillow, which made we wonder if the bed had been changed and some areas were quite dusty!! Front door also not a great fit but apart from these details, the cottage is great for a holiday and has a good cafe and nice pubs near by.

This is my 7th stay at Mallards.

It’s a lovely, comfortable cottage in a pretty village close to lots of beaches and beautiful gardens. It has everything you could possibly need and the addition this year of the wood burner was great to make winter nights cosy. Claire, the housekeeper, is so helpful and always makes sure everything is perfect for the holiday. Looking forward to my 8th stay!

Lovely cottage but did smell of damp however as the weather was kind to us we could leave the door open while we were in to air the property .

It was really clean, beds were comfortable and suited our needs as we were out most of the day .

Unfortunately we had to come home on day 3 of a week's break because of problems with the cottage.

Rather like other reviewers, we found that the bath had a serious leak so was unusable. We couldn't get the shower to stay at a reasonable temperature or flow. There was an unpleasant smell of damp in the kitchen area and stale wood smoke in the living room. There was no back garden. The kitchen is ok if you're less than 6 foot tall. All rather disappointing, especially given the expense. On the bright side, if you can ignore the unpleasant vista of the campsite, the village was lovely and there are lots of great places to visit for outdoor pursuits.

This is the 5th time we have stayed here and sadly will probably be the last.

We love the location and it is very clean but it is starting to get a bit dated and worn. It smelt extremely damp downstairs and one of the livingroom walls was very damp. Thisnis the first time we have noticed this, but it was.overwhlemimg the whole week. The sofas are really really worn now and need replacing, they are so sunken and not cozy at all. The double bed needs a new mattress and slopes backwards. It was still.clean with loads of amenities and fab communication but just not as luxury as it once was and needs a bit of updating in places.

Well equipped, very clean, the wardrobe in the “second” bedroom which appears to be for storage could be tidier allowing some shelving for visitors clothing and not sufficient toilet roll, there was one broken chair out on the patio area,only minor things which didn’t spoil our stay and we would certainly go back again

A lovely comfortable cottage, house keeping is 100%+.

Our second visit to Mallards and it continues to be our favourite place to stay.

A real home from home. Clean, well equipped and a great location for lots of adventures. We definitely hope to be back. Thank you Mallards Cottage for such a magical happy week even in the rain!

Totally agree with all the comments in the previous poor review regarding general untidiness and a feeling that it was all a bit grubby.

In addition we had two other issues, one extremely serious. The first (which now pales into insignificance in view of the subsequent one) is that the feature bath cannot be used. The hot water runs out before the bath is even a quarter full. I texted the owner via the cleaner (contact number I had been given) to ask if there was a heater for the water as there wasn’t enough for a bath. The owner simply responded that the water was on 24/7! We could not therefore use the bath during our stay. The main issue however is that the cottage heating system does not work. On arrival at the cottage for a winter break my daughter and I found it to be without working heating. It was freezing cold and everything felt damp. The heaters are night storage so I adjusted the dials (where possible as they were old / broken / jammed) and hoped that they would heat up overnight. The whole cottage was icy cold. There was one portable heater downstairs so we carried it upstairs and put it in one of the bedrooms which we then had to share. It was so cold that we used the duvet from the second bedroom as well and “slept” in our clothes. In the morning despite having all night to heat up the heaters in the bedroom were still barely warm and the one downstairs was stone cold. I contacted the owner via the cleaner and asked him to supply a couple of portable heaters. He didn’t but said he would call the electrician. The electrician didn’t arrive that day so the cottage remained freeing and once again my daughter and I had to sleep in our clothes. I contacted the owner the next day and again asked for a couple of portable heaters (hardly asking for the world) and he just kept promising an electrician. On the third day after more repeated promises of an electrician I contacted Sykes who said they would contact the owner. The email response I then had from them was that the owner “would NOT be providing portable heaters as there was an open fire to heat the cottage and the owner suggested we went and bought logs!” We were already using the fire and had bought bags of coal and logs but alone it was not enough to heat the whole of the downstairs let alone the upstairs. The attitude of the owner was staggering. I cannot stress enough how cold and awful the cottage was. We were so miserable and the owner point blank refused to do anything to heat the cottage. On the fourth day I asked Sykes for a cottage transfer or said we would have to leave. Sykes then contacted the owner again and subsequently although we were out we were told maintenance had attended and turned the heating up “as far as they dared”. Being night storage heaters we knew we would still not have heat that night but hoped they would be hot the next day. So we had yet another night sharing a room with one portable heater and sleeping in our clothes. It was so cold it felt as if we had kept all the windows wide open overnight! The next day the heating was still not working. Unable to face another freezing cold night I went to B & Q and ordered two heaters myself. When they arrived the next day we collected them and local residents on seeing us struggling to carry them into the cottage questioned what we were doing. I was close to tears and they were so lovely, helped us and also went and sorted out their own portable heaters for us to borrow. They too were horrified at how cold the cottage was and at the owner’s refusal to help us. Sykes response was that should we wish to pursue this we will have to pursue the owner direct via the smalls claim court. I am in the process of doing just that!

My 6th stay at Mallards and it never disappoints.

In the most wonderful spot in a lovely village with everything you could possibly need. I always look forward to staying and never want to leave. A special thank you as always to Claire and the team for making Mallards feel like home. I will of course be coming back soon!

A beautiful cottage and had lots of charm but didn't live up to expectations, The Kitchen felt dirty and could do with a real good spring clean , crumbs in drawers and cupboards messy, you were left 3 dishwasher tablets in a little pot and one had burst and the liquid was all over the others and sticky and messy.

the place just lacked attention to detail, there was a stain on one of the single beds sheet and the wardrobe had all the linen for the cottage in it which would be ok if stored neatly and tidy and not some dumped on the floor. The outhouse was scruffy and messy. The parking spot beside the house is tiny and you have to stick the front of car out to get access to your doors and was often blocked in as it is really busy there as it used as turn around spot for cars and parking spot for people to access the beach. It is a lovely cottage and it just needs tidying up a bit by the cleaner , I left it cleaner than I found it. It isn't cheap to stay here and the extra charge of £25 per dog on an already expensive price for the cottage is a bit cheeky , having said that your paying for the location no doubt. Despite these things which can all be corrected with a bit more care and a spruce up, I had a lovely stay and the cottage is nice. A nice touch of cream tea and milk left on arrival but I put the plates and utensils through the dishwasher before using,

The cottage/village was exactly as described, the cottage had almost everything you needed ( we thought there would have been a supply of logs etc for the open fire or at least one nights supply) but we were able to purchase at Asda just a few miles up the road apart from that it was a wonderful stay, we were very lucky with weather during the dayand hoping to return soon.

The ship pub was very friendly and welcoming, food was very good. Definitely recommend ( oh thankyou for the cream tea!!)

Mallards Cottage turned out to be the perfect choice for our family vacation.

From the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for a memorable stay. First and foremost, the location couldn't have been better. Nestled in a quaint seaside town, the cottage offered a fantastic blend of convenience and charm. It was just a stone's throw away from the beach, which made it incredibly easy to enjoy leisurely strolls along the shoreline, build sandcastles with the kids. Only drawback was that the beach wasn't open to dogs during the non-winter months. What impressed us right away was the cleanliness and tidiness of the cottage. The attention to detail was evident throughout the property. The well-kept interiors and the cozy furnishings created a warm and inviting atmosphere that made us feel right at home. One of the highlights for our family was the convenience factor. Mallards Cottage is not only close to the beach but also within walking distance to a small shopping mart and several charming pubs. This made it effortless for us to stock up on essentials and indulge in some local cuisine without the need for extensive travel. Speaking of indulgence, a heartfelt thank you is in order for the delightful welcome pack of scones, clotted cream, and jam that greeted us upon arrival. It was a thoughtful touch that instantly made us feel welcome and added an extra layer of comfort to our stay. We stayed at Mallards Cottage as a family of two adults, two kids, and two dogs, and it accommodated us perfectly. The fenced patio provided a safe and secure space for our furry friends to play, and the children had a blast exploring the nearby beach and its treasures. Mallards Cottage offered us a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of daily life and allowed us to unwind and connect as a family. We left with cherished memories and a strong desire to return in the future.

Another amazing stay at the mallards, our 4th time.

Clean and comfortable. Perfect location. We love that the sun hits the front garden in the evening summer months for bbqs and sitting outside till late.

First and foremost this cottage was spotlessly clean.

It has everything you need and more for a fantastic holiday. Highly recommend.

The cottage was spotless when we arrived.

The Cornish scones were a real treat and much appreciated. On the one occasion I called Claire she was lovely, friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend The Mallards, the location was great and accommodation was beautiful!

Well situated cottage, good village facilities, excellent meals at the Ship, all very dog friendly except for the beach.

This was our 5th stay at Mallards.

Such a homely cottage in a lovely spot with everything we need for an enjoyable holiday. Claire is warm and friendly and always ensures everything is perfect for our stay. We are looking forward to returning soon.

Mallards cottage is lovely, cosy, yet spacious.

It is clean and has everything you need and more. The milk in the fridge and the cream teas was a lovely surprise. During our stay there was a problem with the hot water, this was reported to Claire, the house keeper and an engineer arrived the same day to resolve it. Having only spoken to Claire a couple of times on the phone, I found her to be very friendly and approachable, it was a pleasure to speak to her. The beach is very close by, about two minutes away. We would certainly go back again and would recommend the Mallards to our family and friends.

Loved staying here.

Cosy, yet had plenty of space. The huge bath was amazing. Enjoyed having a real fire in the evenings. There was everything we needed and the place was spotless. Note to self for next time, dogs can't go on the beach until November 1st.

Great outdoor space to sit in the sun Interesting artwork and all white interior Landline telephone provided was useful as we had no mobile signal Such comfortable bed Enjoyed being in the village for the week

Fantastic cottage, a real home from home,cozy feel.

, great location great price for a week. I will definitely recommend

The bath plug chain was broken so had to use scissors to get plug out.

The selection lever on the bath between bath and shower head was loose and had to be removed and replaced at a different angle. The taps on the left hand sink did not work. Two of the lights in the kitchen did not work so was darker than needed to be. Washing machine spinner did not work so washing came out wet. Tumbledryer did not dry as filter needed attention. Cushions on dining chairs stained as was the cusion on one of the settees and the outside chairs. Could do with chest of drawers in twin bedroom. Button on front of dishwasher missing so difficult to turn on.

Loved the location of the property with all facilities nearby ie shop and pub etc.

house was big enough for the four of us, clean and tidy with everything you could need. Nice and cool inside on a hot day. We would definitely recommend this place to our family and friends and hope to book again in the future. A fabulous summer break away.

This cottage was a delight.

There wasn't anything that we wanted that wasn't there. Amazing location close to the beach and it was easy to just walk down to the sea for t swim

Another wonderful stay.

We noticed a few updates this year which was lovely. The Mallards never disappoints! A great location in a beautiful village. Great facilities, spacious and clean. Couldn't ask for more. Hopefully we can return again soon.

Ideally needs a 2nd toilet, but 20p does get you access to the very clean public loo opposite.

We had the best time at the Mallards, what a wonderful cottage in a fantastic location!

We could not fault a thing. The cottage is beautiful with everything you need there, the beds were so comfortable. We absolutely fell in love with the cottage and didn't want to come back! Will definitely be back. Thank you, also to Claire the housekeeper, she was fantastic.

Car parking limited - only space for 1 small car at property.

Occasional parking space available nearby.

Good kitchen facilities, comfortable beds.

Would have been nice to have a welcome book as it didn’t feel like ‘a welcome to Mallards’. We did appreciate the scones but it felt a bit business like! I have a friend In Portmellon so easy distance. The coastal path lovely for dog walks as was the Pentewan cycle path. So close to the beach which was lovely but needs to be made clearer that ‘ no dogs’. Overall a good experience.

We really enjoyed our stay!

Property was very clean on arrival with everything we needed (including cream tea!). Even though it was April we were able to relax in the sun on the front patio and enjoyed our strolls to the beach. This really is a brilliant location, with so much to do nearby including Heligan Gardens, Mevagissey and Goran Haven.

Very clean and functional with well equipped kitchen and sunny outdoor space.

Great comms with the housekeeper. Would have been helpful to know that the floor upstairs is uneven and potentially dangerous for an old person. House was very cold in the evening/morning and not enough hot water to run more than a very shallow bath. Very expensive for what it was.

We loved this little cottage and it’s location.

The housekeeper was delightfully efficient and friendly and the local pub was a favourite! Everything in the house was well ordered with two exceptions: the television was advertised as having Netflix but had no additional services to the regular tv. Given that we were there over Christmas when watching tv in the evening would be very much on the agenda, this was disappointing. I would recommend the tv needs upgrading to a smart tv with iPlayer and other capacity for on-demand viewing. The dishwasher needs servicing - the door nearly took my hand off at one point and broke a glass when it snapped shut; it also failed to dry any of the dishes - probably needs salt, or the filter checking. I would definitely book here again. It’s a lovely cottage.

Another wonderful stay at The Mallards!

Perfect location, clean, excellent facilities and luckily, we had fantastic weather! Cant wait for out nect stay.

Really good cottage with everything needed.

Good location and nice beach close by

There are two basins in bathroom and hot tap on one basin and cold on the other did not work.

We did not complain but received a phone call saying a plumber had been booked. He did not arrive and we heard no more about it. As there were two basins it didn’t cause us much of a problem.

The cottage was immaculately presented with everything you could require.

Claire is a great asset to yourselves and went out of her way to make our stay fantastic. We will certainly return to the Mallards again one day and would highly recommendation using Sykes Cottages for your holiday. Thank you for looking after us Best wishes Kevin & Sally Hancock

Great location.

Well placed for many local attractions. Lost gardens of Heligan, Eden Project, Charlestown, Mevagissey all a short drive. Tintagel, St Ives approx 1 hour drive make for a great day trip. Pentewan has a Lovely beach minutes walk from the cottage. Cottage gave us a great base to our first visit to Cornwall.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Mallards.

The cottage was very clean and well equipped. Claire was very helpful and communicative, the cream tea waiting for us on arrival was much appreciated. The location is great for getting around, we never needed the car, with the weather being kind to us, we were able to take advantage of the beautiful walks from Pentewan. We highly recommend Mallards and would love to stay there again.

This was our second time staying at The Mallards in Pentewan and we were not disappointed.

The cottage is a home from home with everything you could wish for provided. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom is huge with both a bathtub and a shower. The week we stayed was disappointing in terms of the weather but we had music, TV, books, DVDs and board games to keep us occupied. The pub serving wonderful food and local ales was just a short walk away and the locals are very friendly. I can only say we had a lovely holiday once again in beautiful, but this time a very damp, Cornwall

What is there not to like about the Mallards.

The house was exceptional, it had everything that you would need for a good holiday plus some nice extras. Claire was absolutely brilliant in giving us instructions about how to get into the house. One of the best things was the comfort of the beds - the mattresses were brilliant, if you're staying somewhere for a week it really makes a difference if you sleep well. The beach was so close about 2 minute walk, and the Ship Inn pub was also about 2 min walk and was so lovely. We also found it was really well situated to go and see the surrounding country. Although there isn't a local shop - the garage was really well stocked and we even used the shop on the campsite one day when the garage was shut. The nearest supermarket was in St Austell and was about a 15 min drive.

A brilliant location, walks on the beach are well worth the effort.

We had a brilliant time with picking up sea glass and drinking in all the establishments.A good base to visit all the surrounding areas.

Wonderful oasis from all the busy ports and other villages.

Fantastic week at Mallards Cottage.

A very pleasant surprise - bright, spacious and very clean. Better than the photos. Our family of our stayed here for a week before Easter. Claire who looks after the place is friendly and helpful- when we noticed a bulb had blown in one of the lights she was round to replace it right away. We loved the well equipped kitchen and huge bathroom, and the fact that the heaters were all on for when we arrived. Would be very happy to come back again.

Beautiful cottage with exceptionally high standard

Once again Sykes team have excelled, from booking to checking out everything was fantastic.

We did not get to the cottage until 5am on the Saturday morning after travelling over night and Claire had kindly left lights on to assist us in the dark, most thoughtful. There was extra coal and logs left for us, the cottage was immaculate - in fact I have never rented a property that was so fresh and clean with absolutely everything you could possibly need. I am certain that we shall return and enjoy another fantastic week or maybe two! Please pass on my comments to Claire, her standards are truly fantastic.

Excellent property.

Well suited to our needs will book again.

Just to say the cottage was perfect in every way.

It was a mixture of quaint and modern and so well equipped. The cleanliness was exemplary in every way. Communication with the owner was excellent and I would recommend this cottage and it's location to all.

Lovely clean cottage next to the beach.

Large bathroom good shower. The kitchen is modern all electric. Comfortable and spacious bedrooms and lounge area. Downsides the hot water tank is not big enough to fill the bath and the tv box is limited so you only get bbc iPlayer but not itv or channel 4. Netflix is available though.

cottage was lovely.

lots to do and plenty of walks for the dog. (and us)

Lovely cottage situated right in the middle of a small village with a couple of shops, cafes, pubs and watersports rentals.

While the cottage is dog friendly, the area is most defo NOT. Dogs are not only not allowed on the beach, but nowhere near it. Which spoils it hugely, as even if you just wanted to watch your family or friends on the beach from a distance, you cant. From a gate just outside the front of the cottage, dogs are banned from going any closer, or around the harbour area. Big shame, as otherwise, it would be perfect. Couple of points others have meentioned, yes it does smell a bit at first-i think it needs the cupboards cleaning out, and a good mid summer clean-like under beds and sofas etc. Yes, the hot water will NOT supply a full or half bath full-but the power shower is very good. The stairs are steep and narrow, but only like youd expect from a cottage. And the double bed does need replacing as it dips in the middle. The front of the house could do with a tidy, and some better furniture (outside) would make it a lot better. Most of the surronding houses are very well looked after, and it looks a little untidy in comparison. Also a couple of the windows dont close properly. While all this sounds bad, im only mentioning it to hopefully make the next persons stay better, and with the exception of the dogs being banned completely from the beach area, it didnt spoil our stay at all. Thanks.

The 3 x bed mattress's are not comfortable, the springs in the single bed in the one room are broken.

Need modern mattress's.

We phoned, as instructed, 3 days before arrival to speak to the housekeeper and to find out a keycode in order to get the front door key from it's secure box by the gate.

The person we spoke to was very pleasant and helpful. On our arrival we were greeted with a lovely Cornish cream tea which even included tea bags, milk and sugar. The cottage itself was in a lovely village position close to all amenities including a local pub selling real Cornish ales and served the best Sunday carvery we've eaten in a long time. We found the property extremely clean and well equipped. The sofas and the double bed were comfortable and there were plenty of cushions. There was dedicated off road parking which was useful in a small popular Cornish village with narrow winding streets. The only drawback for us was a very steep and narrow staircase but this is only to be expected in a converted and very old cottage. We have no complaints and enjoyed our holiday very much. We would certainly consider using it again the next time we visit Cornwall.

Fantastic cottage and holiday and we even ordered the sunshine!

The cottage was perfect and very comfortable in every way. There was tea/coffee, dishwasher tablets, plentiful towels and bedding etc to make everything easy and the cream tea on arrival was brilliant. As others have mentioned, the hot water was an issue and although the plumber came out there was very little hot water for washing up/baths. Luckily the shower is electric but with two young children full of sand, the bath was needed!! The outside terrace is perfect and a suntrap but it could definitely be improved in appearance and comfort with a more comfortable seating area etc. Generally a fantastic holiday in a great setting. Definitely walk the coastal path from Pentewan to mevagissy and have dinner at shark fin. Amazing views.

The house does have a damp smell.

I think that there should be a warning about the steep stairs

Loved the cottage and its location for fab easy walks with our little dog.

Great pub and cafes and shop for the paper in the morning a pleasant walk for my husband with the dog.A couple of observations: a butter dish and extra chopping boards would be good and there didn't appeat to be a dustbin.The double bed was so comfy and great to have access to lots of decent towels and bedding which with the washing machine and dryer was fab.The bath looked amazing but the size of the hot water tank only permits a very shallow bath,my husband always prefers a bath but found the hot water supply to be inadequate,Gaynor did send a chap to have a look but it was the size of the tank thats the problem.All in all it is very homely and comfortable .The door on the dishwasher is a bit severe and its best to use the grill for toast rather than the toaster which takes forever!All in all it was wonderful I think Christmas here would be magical .

Wi fi only worked for 1st couple of days.

This did not affect us but may bother other customers.

It would have been helpful to know that Pentewan Beach is not dog friendly for most of the year.

Thanks for a lovely comfortable stay at Mallards.

Spotlessly clean. Best night sleep we have had in ages. Loved sitting in the courtyard in the evening sun. Thanks again!