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Gatekeeper's Cottage

Gatekeeper's Cottage

4.7
out of 5
Ratings from 11 reviews
100% of guests
recommend
Cleanliness
4.8
Comfort
4.4
Condition
4.7
Location
5.0
Value
4.6
Customer
Service
4.9

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Gatekeeper's Cottage is a beautifully restored cottage located right beside the Isle of Man Steam Railway in Port St Mary.

Full steam ahead

Review submitted on Fri, 18 Apr 2025
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Our stay at the cottage was brilliant. We travelled to the Isle of Man by car and wanted somewhere with parking that allowed us to explore the fabulous island.

We found this place and it fitted the bill. And having the train station on the doorstep was brilliant. To be able to jump on the steam train into Douglas. We bought a 5 day unlimited family travel card from the tourist info at the ferry terminal after arrival and used it extensively to view the island from a different angle.

The property was clean and finding on arrival a fresh load of bread, Isle of Man milk, cheese and butter was a great surprise and a lovely touch. There was a Co-Op close by a nice fish and chip shop and Chinese take-away when feeling like not cooking.

Overall it was brilliant and would consider staying in this same property again.

Aaron from Towcester stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 5 nights in April 2025


Ideal and unique location

Review submitted on Sun, 06 Apr 2025
4.5
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
4.0
The cottage is very comfortable and is well equipped. It is ideally located being just a short walk from all the local amenities including the co-op and takeaways. We particularly enjoyed the food from the “Fried & Crispy” chippy and the Italian food from “Andreas’s”, both of which do sit in or takeaway. The “Railway Station Hotel” pub across the road is dog friendly and has a good range of beers. Of course, the steam train couldn’t be closer and it was fun to watch it pass from inside and outside the cottage as well as the station being just across the road! There was also a welcome pack which included Manx bread, butter, cheese and milk, We had just a couple of niggles: The 2 sofas are quite small, which was OK for 2 of us, but a party of 4 might struggle. As others have said, there were no instructions for the cooker, TV or microwave which was unnecessarily frustrating when trying to work out how everything worked. Watch out too, for the shallow step outside the cottage front door. I didn’t notice it and fell down it! All in all, though, we had a brilliant stay and would certainly recommend it to others and will stay there again in the future.

Yvonne from Hinckley stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 7 nights in March 2025


Lovely Cottage Stay

Review submitted on Sat, 19 Oct 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Beautiful Gatekeepers Cottage in Port St Mary so cosy very clean and really good customer service Thank you

George from Ballabeg stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 7 nights in October 2024


Jamie replied 185 days ago
Many thanks for taking time to review Gatekeepers Cottage. We're glad to hear you had a fantastic stay with us. We hope we can welcome you back to stay with Island Escapes again!

Comfortable stay

Review submitted on Fri, 04 Oct 2024
4.3
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
3.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Overall, this is the perfect holiday cottage for a short break. Unique location, it's warm, comfortable and homely. Decent beds; the en suite is a nice touch and a decent kitchen. As with everything there are always snags but nothing that couldn't easily be resolved.

Guest from Oban stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 4 nights in September 2024


Jamie replied 202 days ago
Many thanks for taking time to review Gatekeeper's Cottage. We're glad to hear you had a fantastic stay with us! We hope we can welcome you back to stay with Island Escapes again!

Gatekeepers Cottage

Review submitted on Tue, 01 Oct 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Our family were impressed with the location and facilities, only issue was trying to work the TV and find how to work the cooker.

Brian from Sudbury stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 8 nights in September 2024


Gatekeeper Cottage, Port St. Mary, Isle of Man

Review submitted on Mon, 23 Sep 2024
4.5
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
3.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Island Escapes were extremely helpful when I booked the cottage.
The cooker was very complicated and there was NO instruction manual.
Likewise with the washer drier.
Written information is always very useful as technology can be frustrating when you need some information quickly.
Location was great for the Co- op and to pick up trains and buses.
The pub opposite was very friendly with a good range of beer.
The shower room should have had a bath mat available as it was slippery when having a shower, especially for people who have balance or mobility challenges. The holder for soap and shampoos etc didn’t do its job.
The sofas were not comfortable enough to relax in and there were no table mats provided.
We enjoyed our stay and would book again through Island Escapes.

Guest from Westwood stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 5 nights in September 2024


Sam replied 212 days ago
Thank you for your detailed feedback! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Gatekeeper's Cottage and appreciated the property's convenient location. We appreciate your suggestions regarding the cooker and washer dryer instructions, which we will update in the guidebook accordingly, as well as the recommendation for a bath mat and more comfortable seating. Your comments are valuable and will help us enhance the experience for future guests. We're pleased that you enjoyed your stay overall and look forward to welcoming you back!

Perfect location for steam enthusiasts

Review submitted on Mon, 09 Sep 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
The cottage was well equipped and the welcome pack was very useful when we arrived hungry after our trip. The trains pass so close you can almost shake hands with the driver through the windows. The cottage is very bright and airy and the beds were comfortable.
The only issue we had was trying to navigate the smart TV but other guests are probably more used to the set up.

Paula from Newton le Willows stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 4 nights in September 2024


Sam replied 226 days ago
Thank you for your review. We're delighted to hear you had a fantastic stay at Gatekeeper's Lodge during your visit to the Island. We appreciate your feedback and note regarding instructions for the Smart TV which we will look to improve within our guide. We hope to welcome you to the Island again soon. Island Escapes.

A lovely quirky cottage

Review submitted on Thu, 25 Jul 2024
4.5
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
We really enjoyed our stay at this cottage. Very unusual as it is alongside the railway but it was fun to see the steam trains passing. Unless you are a particularly late riser you won't be bothered by the trains.

We had an issue with the handrail on the 3 stairs up to the main living area but this was resolved very quickly to our satisfaction.

We had our small dog with us and it was great having the enclosed garden meaning we could let her out first and last thing without having to have her on lead. There is a lawn and outside seating area which we didn't really use as the weather wasn't great.

It's a pity the 2 small sofas aren't comfier. Could do with something to sprawl on after a hard days exploring. They're fine though and if you're not a sofa sprawl-er you probably won't notice.

Some table mats and coasters would also be a good addition to help keep the tables surfaces looking nice.

All in all we really enjoyed out stay. It's a great cottage and would be extra loved by railway enthusiasts.

Janet from Hove stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 5 nights in July 2024


Jamie replied 273 days ago
We're glad to hear you enjoyed your stay with us on island! We've taken a note of your comments above. We hope to welcome you back to the Isle of Man one day in the future!

Ideal for Steam Train Fans

Review submitted on Thu, 09 May 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
This newly converted cottage is recently converted from a level crossing keepers cottage. It is only feet away from the steam railway - so ideal for steam fans. But trains do not start early or run late so there are no worries about night time noise. The cottage is comfortable for four with two bathrooms. Easy access to the the station (over the road) to start exploring the IoM rail system. A useful shed to store bikes in.
It is a little sparsely equipped in terms of kitchenware (no corkscrew) and would benefit from a physical information brochure with local information rather than relying on the on-line general brochure. We contacted Island Escapes about a minor issue and they dealt with it promptly and courteously.

Nicholas from Middlesbrough stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 3 nights in April 2024


Lovely cottage next to the steam railway.

Review submitted on Thu, 18 Apr 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Gatekeepers is a lovely cottage ideally located in the south of the island and within easy walking distance of both Port St Mary and Port Erin. It's a great location for watching the little steam trains going past. You can get on the train on the opposite side of the road to the cottage. We recommend purchasing a Go Explore ticket which can be used on all trains and buses - great value.
Gatekeepers Cottage has been renovated to an extremely high standard. The beds are super comfy and the cottage is warm. We weren't so keen on the sofas, they are quite small 2 seaters. They are comfortable but not ideal for relaxing in after a long day exploring the scenic coast and countryside.
Being a new holiday accommodation we have made a few suggestions to the holiday company where some simple improvements, we feel, would make this cottage absolutely perfect instead of almost perfect.
We would definitely book it again if we came back to the Isle of Man.

Guest from Ely stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 7 nights in April 2024


The Gate Keepers Cottage Port St Marye

Review submitted on Sun, 14 Apr 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
We actually live on this beautiful island and we don't visit this part of the island often enough. The cottage was extremely well equipped and very comfortable. There was a welcome pack of bread milk, butter and cheese which was a nice surprise. The steam train went by the window several times, which was lovely to see.
We had Storm Kathleen visit while we were there and the winds were really strong. Despite this we got out and about and found some beautiful places to visit. We actually saw seals at the Sound inspite of very high winds. It was a really relaxing break away .
The only criticism would be that the television was only connected to YouTube. With the storm we found, of an evening we wanted to settle in.
In all I would definitely recommend a stay here.


Guest from Onchan stayed at Gatekeeper's Cottage for 2 nights in April 2024