3.3★
Best of Suffolk rating
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2 Guests
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1 Bedroom
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1 Bathroom
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Pets Yes
Features
- Garden / Patio
- Highchair available
- Pub/shop < 1 mile
- Dishwasher
- Seaside
- Broadband / WiFi
Reviews & Ratings
* Based on a combined average customer score
6 Customer Review(s)
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David 
“The tv instructions need updating as it took two days to work out The stairs ...”
The tv instructions need updating as it took two days to work out The stairs are very difficult and should be better explained The garden bench is broken The ceiling height is very low and not suitable for anyone over 5 foot 5 inches tall I am 6 ft 1 inches
The tv instructions need updating as it took two days to work out The stairs are very difficult and should be better explained The garden bench is broken The ceiling height is very low and not suitable for anyone over 5 foot 5 inches tall I am 6 ft 1 inches
- David, September 2024 -
Stephen “We have been using Sykes cottages for several years now, since we sold our motorhome & we have never had to contact Sykes regarding any issues with their properties, until now.”
We arranged this holiday as part of my wife’s 60th birthday celebrations & the read up for the Hidden cottage sounded perfect for our needs, as we like to make the most of the day, with walking & exploring with our dogs, a bit of pub grub & then settle down in the evening with a nice meal, a drink or two & watch some TV, whether that be live TV or a DVD? We also like an enclosed garden for privacy & to allow our dogs a space to play, in fact the enclosed garden is a deal breaker when we book a cottage. So, although the Hidden cottage is basic, it appeared to have all of the amenities that we required, an oven, microwave & hob for cooking, a fridge & icebox to keep our food fresh & our drinks cold & lastly, a TV with a DVD player. Having stayed in some cottages, we have learnt that sometimes, the TV reception can be a little poor so we always take with us several DVD’s to watch just in case? Now, the saga begins. We arrived at the Hidden cottage just after 4pm on Monday the 23rd of September 2024, we unloaded the car, got the cottage keys out of the key safe & let ourselves in. At first everything seemed as it was described by Sykes, that was until we saw the fridge which appeared to have a miniature iceberg extruding from the icebox which would not allow the refrigerator door to close. Then following the welcome information pack that every cottage supplies, I attempted to put the TV on, which (yes you guessed it) did not work due to no signal. It is now approximately 4:30pm, so I called the phone number supplied in the welcome pack & got no answer, I then called Sykes & I got a voice message saying that they were closed until 9am tomorrow. Ok, so the TV problem can wait but what about the fridge? I thought that maybe defrosting it may solve the problem but I wanted someone in authority to know about the problem before I attempted anything. So as a last chance, we called the only other phone number that was available to us which was the cleaning company who were obviously employed to do the cleaning following a holiday let. We spoke to a very nice lady named Sue & told her about our problems, Sue told me to try to defrost the fridge & that she will come to see us. Sue & Ben then arrived at the cottage within 15 minutes & whilst I was defrosting the fridge, Ben was attempting to get the TV working. After sometime, Ben admitted defeat & said that the satellite box was not working but he showed me how to use the TV using the internet so that we could watch things such as YouTube & Amazon prime. That evening following a few drinks in a local pub & a bite to eat, we settled down to watch some TV, which due to the lack of choice of programmes & the programmes intermittently stopping (probably due to the internet) we decided to watch a DVD. So, I thought, not a problem as we’ve got several DVD’s that we can watch? No, we couldn’t because (yes, here we go again) the DVD player did not work! The following morning at approximately 9:30, I telephoned Sykes & spoke to Jennifer, I explained the problems that we had encountered & that this holiday was part of my wife’s 60th birthday celebrations. Jenifer apologised & told me that she would get someone from maintenance to the cottage to sort out the problems. She told me to leave the keys to the cottage in the key safe & to carry on with our holiday. Following our day out exploring the local areas, we arrived back at the cottage around 7pm, only to find that no one had been to solve the issues. Obviously, it was no use calling anyone as it was too late. So, the following morning, I telephoned Sykes again & again I spoke to Jennifer. I told her what had or hadn’t happened yesterday regarding the TV & DVD player but also that the fridge was not working correctly at all. Jennifer again apologised & I told her that we are now half through our holiday & that I feel as though we have not been supplied with what we had expected when I booked the cottage & if things are not sorted out, I will be expecting compensation? Jennifer told me that she will get someone to me that day & to my surprise, that afternoon Ben (from the cleaning company) turned up. Jenifer had asked Ben to see if he could rectify the DVD problem, after a while, Ben told me that the DVD player did not work but credit to Ben, he went & got us another DVD player that did work. So, with half of our holiday over, we finally have a working DVD player & a partially working TV. The refrigerator was by now struggling to maintain a constantly cool temperature & was dripping water. What else could possibly go wrong? Well, there we are relaxing with a drink on Thursday afternoon with the door to the cottage open when all of a sudden, a total stranger walks into the enclosed garden to empty rubbish into the wheelie bins. This could have been a catastrophe for the person if our dogs were aggressive to intruders? There was no mention in any of the literature of the fact that the wheelie bins were also to be used by another cottage? On Friday, a lady who was friends with the owner of the cottage arrived to check out the fridge etc, she was very understanding regarding our plight. She admitted that the cottage required some TLC, she apologised for what we had endured & said that she will be passing the information back to the owner. We loved Aldeburgh, the weather was half decent, the locals are very friendly, we would recommend that you should visit but don’t stay at the Hidden cottage until the issues above are rectified. We feel as though we have paid for something that we have not received & to add insult to injury, my wife is 60 only once!
- Stephen, September 2024Neil “We appreciated the wine, biscuits and crisps, thank you.”
We’ve stayed three times this year and love it. Was a bit surprised there was no shower gel and shampoo as before. Good clear instructions and information and easy collecting the key. We will hopefully be back again.
- Neil, September 2024Amanda “Brilliant location and the garden was perfect for the dog.”
Cute cottage which we knew was going to have some challenges. I think as guests have mentioned before there are a couple of improvements that could be made to improve the quality of the stay. Appreciate there is nothing you can do about the stairs or ceiling heights but a decent and comfortable sofa for 2 people to comfortably sit on would make a huge difference. Fortunately the weather was good for us however if we had to stay in the cottage for long periods we would not of been comfortable. There was also no bin information so we didn't know which wheelie bin to put out when we left. Ended up leaving both by the gate.
- Amanda, August 2024Sam “The cottage itself needs , work doing to it which is a shame because it could be perfect.”
The bench outside the whole back had collapsed, presumably that’s why it’s resting against the wall. The coffee machine leaked, fridge needed de icing, TV needed tuning in. Crack in the water jug. Bathroom needs an overhaul especially the shower. There wasn’t proper instructions for the wheelie bin to be put out , so we put out both only the recycling was emptied so we had another week of a stinky full bin, flies and all.!!!!! All this aside we had lovely weather and the garden was super for the dog, lovely spot and easy to access everything. Thank you for the welcome pack!
- Sam, August 2024Judith “The property has some good features such as the shower and garden.”
The stairs are potentially dangerous. We were ok as we are slim and agile but many larger people would have struggled. The tv didn’t work for any live tv. It has the wrong date on it and no signal. It needs upgrading.
- Judith, June 2024Summary
- One king-size bedroom
- Bathroom with roll-top bath, walk-in shower, basin and WC
- Kitchen/diner
- Sitting room
- Gas central heating
- Electric oven and grill, gas hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher
- Smart TV(see note on TV), DVD player, WiFi
- Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
- Roadside parking on a first-come, first-served basis
- Fully enclosed garden with courtyard, lawn, and patio furniture
- One well-behaved dog welcome
- Sorry, no smoking
- Shop 0.2 miles, pub 0.1 miles, beach 0.3 miles
- Note: Sorry, no unaccompanied teenagers
- Note: The stairs are steep and some of the ceilings have limited height so the property may not be suitable for those with limited mobility
- Note: Check-in from 4pm and check-out by 10am
- Note: There is a Smart TV which runs off streaming and apps, any live TV is only available via appropriate apps and so cannot be guaranteed
The property
Hidden Cottage provides the luxury of a charming coastal holiday home in Aldeburgh along with the rarity of a large, sunny garden. Not known for having much outdoor space, traditional fishermen's cottages tend to have smaller terrace-style gardens, but at Hidden Cottage it's like your very own beer garden! Enjoy a local Adnams beer from the comfort of this sunny, large and private garden. Plus if you're looking to bring a dog they will have plenty of space, and the beach within a 2 minute walk. Doggy heaven! Location is key when looking for the perfect holiday home for you and your other half, and Hidden Cottage could not be better located! The beach can be easily reached on foot within 2 minutes, along with all the amenities you could wish for on Aldeburgh's bustling High Street. This charming cottage is ideal for a couple looking to get away from it all. The master bedroom has a king size bed for extra comfort on your trip away, and the cosy sitting room is ideal for cuddling up on cooler nights. Keen cyclists? There's a covered patio area ideal for keeping your bikes dry during your stay. Downstairs you'll find a kitchen/dining room with patio doors out to a large back garden, and a cosy living room. Upstairs, the large bathroom has a separate shower and luxurious roll-top bath, ideal for a long hot soak in the tub! This holiday cottage in Aldeburgh has a quirky layout, which is part of the charm of staying in a period property. There are extremely steep stairs (more like a ladder or ascending to the crow's nest than normal stairs!) so please be aware a sense of adventure and agility is needed when heading to the bedroom or bathroom! Ground Floor The wide patio doors lead straight into the kitchen diner, with the stairs leading up the bedroom and door to the right leading to the living room. Living Room A charming room, full of character with a decorative original stove showing how the cottage used to be, the original brick floor and a window overlooking the rear patio garden. This cosy room is furnished with a sofa, armchair, rug and a 32'' flat-screen smart TV. Kitchen With hand-made painted wooden kitchen units, a cooker with a gas hob and electric oven, a dishwasher, fridge, Nespresso coffee machine and microwave. There is also a small table and chairs so you can enjoy meals in the comfort of your holiday cottage, and patio doors to the back garden. First Floor Very steep narrow ladder stairs lead from a door in the kitchen directly into the bedroom above. Bedroom A hand-made wooden king size bed with a comfortable memory foam mattress. The room has a wonderful sash window and large casement window looking towards Aldeburgh's marshes, original pine floorboards and bedside tables. Bathroom There's a roll-top bath, separate shower, a W.C., hand basin and a wardrobe. Outside There's a patio garden with a roofed area and a table and chairs. On-road parking available on a first-come first-served basis.
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100.
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About the location
ALDEBURGH
Thorpeness 2.1 miles; Saxmundham 7.2 miles.
The popular, vibrant seaside town of Aldeburgh is famous for its culture, traditional feel and one of the best fish and chip shops in the country! Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings are home to one of the world’s greatest music festivals and has been named as one of the top 50 places to live in Britain. Crag Path runs along the seafront dividing the beautiful pebbly beach from the unspoilt pastel-coloured seafront properties and the town. The beach is a popular place for groups and couples to enjoy the wonderful fish and chips throughout the summer months. The town is steeped in history and has become a wonderful town for shopping with a good mixture of independent and chain stores to enjoy. The town also offers a good selection of pubs and restaurants or why not buy some freshly caught fish from the huts on the seafront and cook up your own feast at home. For those wishing for a more action-packed holiday there is excellent walking, cycling, sailing and golf at Aldeburgh. Growing in popularity you will want to return to Aldeburgh again and again!
This property offers the following short breaks:
- Winter
- Off-season
- Last minute
- Christmas
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