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Hill Cottage

Hill Cottage

4.4
out of 5
Ratings from 30 reviews
90% of guests
recommend
Cleanliness
4.3
Comfort
4.4
Condition
4.2
Location
4.7
Value
4.3
Customer
Service
4.7

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Situated in between the beautiful village of Alverstone and nearby Apse Heath; with its convenience store, is this modern detached 3 bedroom holiday home that can sleep up to 7 guests in the main house and 2 guests in the adjoining annexe.

Great house for a family

Review submitted on Sun, 14 Apr 2024
4.3
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Lovely house for a family and the annexe means that there is somewhere for a couple or grandparents to have some time away from the rest of the party. Good location for access to all areas of the Island and only a few miles to good beaches and places to eat. Again same comments as previously, lacking a few basics such as still no lampshade in the annexe bedroom and very little cutlery in the annexe. Rooms are spacious and ple with of parking.

Would you return?
Yes





Hill cottage

Review submitted on Thu, 04 Jan 2024
2.0
out of 5
Guest doesn't recommend this property
Cleanliness
1.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
1.0
Location
3.0
Value
1.0
Customer
Service
2.0
On arrival house hadn’t been cleaned. Despite property management saying it had , it hadn’t Cob webs everywhere dirty oven and pans .Poor kitchen utensils not fit for purpose ..
Shower has seen better days and certainly not been cleaned . Photos to prove.
Freezer needed defrosting/ replacing as it’s so old .
Annex hadn’t been cleaned either. You don’t expect to enter a holiday home at Christmas to start cleaning and purchasing kitchen essentials!

Linen was clean and beds were comfortable .
Although you would expect a hand towel to be provided for downstairs toilet and soap , so we purchased those as well.
This isn’t a budget holiday home and would have expected higher standards.

Would you return?
NO



Island Holiday Homes replied 108 days ago
Thank you for your valued feedback, Island Holiday Homes strive to ensure our guests are happy with our service and their accommodation. As soon as our office was open, we noted your concerns we addressed the issues immediately, the housekeeper was offered to return. We proceeded to feed back to the owner all the suggested improvements can be made. This has been taken on board and they will arrange replacements where appropriate. We are sorry that you felt the property did not meet your expectations. We have been assured by the owners cleaner the property had been prepared prior to your arrival, they advise they provide a hand towel for each guest. Spiders and their cobwebs are out of our control and can appear at any time. Following our conversation today regarding your review rating of our service, we are pleased you will continue to use Island Holiday Homes in the future.

Lovely Hill Cottage

Review submitted on Tue, 07 Nov 2023
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
A great stay in a deceptively large property.
Having the annexe makes it a great place for family or friends.

Perfect if you enjoy walking as the woods are practically opposite.

Loved our family holiday here!

Would you return?
Yes





Comfortable cottage

Review submitted on Thu, 28 Sep 2023
3.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
3.0
Value
3.0
Customer
Service
4.0
Hill cottage was clean and tidy and well maintained. The garden would have benefited from some maintenance.
The house was in a good position for visiting lots of different destinations on the island. Although the immediate location of the house was not ideal, positioned on a corner plot between two roads you did experience a lot of road noise.

Would you return?
No





Island Holiday Homes replied 210 days ago
Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate all reviiews and aim to improve our offerings to Island visitors as best we can and reviews are an integral part of that. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay at Hill Cottage, it is very popular and we have had many a happy visitor enjoy the location and accommoation, with many placing a 5/5 for value. We are surprised by your mention of road noise as this is a semi-rural location and only used by the neighbourhood. It is rare that very much traffic passes by, There is a bus, but this is an added benefit to visitors. We can only think that the traffic lights on the main road may have diverted some extra traffic down the road and into a back route to bypass this minor congestion. We have not had previous guests mention traffic noise so we are not pleased you found this to be the case, it will return to the normal low level of passing traffic in due course and can really only sugggest it may have been bad timing in this instance. Again we sorry your time there was not as peaceful as expected. Kind regards Island Holiday Homes

Quiet home in a good location.

Review submitted on Thu, 24 Aug 2023
4.3
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Love the house. Good location. Quiet. Plenty of parking space. Lovely Annex to the side.
My only problem is the lack of essential items. I.e cleaning products, only 4 dish washer tablets , 1 mini 10ml bottle of washing liquid, 1 dish cloth, 2 tea towels ( 1 for main house 1 for annex ) No unbreakable cups etc for children only large or wine glasses. Fridge needs replacing. All shelving on the door is broken making it difficult to store milk etc.
Having said this I have rebooked but hopefully these issues will have been resolved.



Summer Break with the family

Review submitted on Thu, 10 Aug 2023
3.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
3.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
3.0
The cottage was lovely in a great location and very spacious.
The only thing it lacked was attention to detail. We didn’t realise tea towels weren’t provided and didn’t consider this before we arrived as towels were provided. The kitchen utensils could do with being replaced, knives were very blunt it was a struggle to chop vegetables etc.
Cleanliness was ok but the conservatory was infested with ants and hadn’t been cleaned at all, window sills very dirty. The weather wasn’t great when we were there so spent time in the conservatory which wasn’t very pleasurable.



A bit more furniture

Review submitted on Sun, 25 Sep 2022
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
Very spacious and well located property.
The kitchen was large but poorly equipped and the fridge too small and in need of repair or replacement (broken shelves in the door making it hard to store milk etc.
The beds were comfy and spacious rooms but lacking in furniture. I.e. dressing tables, chairs.




Hill Cottage was lovely. Plenty of space. Large enclosed garden. Plenty of off road parking. Quiet .

Review submitted on Thu, 18 Aug 2022
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
Hill cottage is a lovely place to stay. Good location to reach all places on the Island.
Would have liked more mugs, plates and bowls etc as only enough per person and although there was a dishwasher there were only 4 dishwasher tablets. Also perhaps a few non breakable beakers etc for children .
Would definitely recommend and I have already booked next year.





In some ways good - but some changes are needed. for both safety and comfort reasons.

Review submitted on Sat, 30 Jul 2022
4.0
out of 5
Guest doesn't recommend this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
2.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
3.0
Customer
Service
4.0
We had three days here with our five grandchildren and their parents and it suited my wife and I to have a separate annex.
The property was spotless and the agents helpful.

However, we found some easily rectified problems. The downstairs toilet in the main house had no working lock so every time someone used it someone else had to stand guard outside. One tap was also loose and wobbly. We reported this but it was not fixed although we left a key in the lock safe.

In the annex there was an odd problem in that the toilet roll holder had no central spindle- that's a first!

Our main problem was that the shower was unsafe for us to use, as there was no grab rail or bath mat. A mat was delivered at our request but the shower without a grab rail was still too dangerous for us.When we renovate properties we always install grab rails.(One of my jobs is supervising property maintenance on blocks of flats and houses etc}

The stairs were steep and we found the single stair rail inadequate, so went down also holding onto the spindles. A rail is needed on both sides and also on the steps down out into the conservatory,

My wife found our bed so uncomfortable that she slept downstairs on the sofa as when anyone moved slightly in the bed the other person was disturbed.. A poorly made bed.

In the main house there were some of the most uncomfortable dining room chairs ever devised, forcing you to sit bolt upright on very hard surfaces.They were possibly chosen for their designer look but most folk would vote for comfort..

The house needs a Sky dish as we found the TVs hard to operate and the DVD players also difficult although we did manage to play one DVD for the children.Another one ran without sound..

And finally, many of the framed pictures and paintings were delightful except a big one in the lounge featuring a nasty looking eye staring out at us. It looked like a nightmare in the wax museum -horror section



Island Holiday Homes replied more than 1 year ago
Dear Mrs Franklin Thank you for taking the time to report back your concerns and feedback on your stay at Hill Cottage. This is very welcome to enable us to improve the guest experience and keep our guests safe and comfortable. The owner has been made aware of your issues and they are in the process of being reviewed to look at making the necessary improvements. Again thank you for your feedback and we apologise for any inconvenience or discomfort caused. Kind regards Island Holiday Homes

Lovely peaceful stay

Review submitted on Thu, 07 Jul 2022
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
In general the house was very clean and comfortable but the only let down was the conservatory which was infested by ants so we had to keep the doors shut which was a shame for my disabled mum who couldn't walk all the way to the back door to access the garden.
The village was very quiet and peaceful and borthwood copse was opposite which was great for walking the dog



Island Holiday Homes replied more than 1 year ago
Thank you for your kind review, unfortunately the weather brought out the ants. I can confirm that the situation was attended to by our maintenance team. We hope to welcome you back again in the future. Kind regards Island Holiday Homes

Hill Cottage

Review submitted on Sun, 03 Jul 2022
4.3
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
5.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
4.0
This house was perfect for my requirements. I had staff working at the Isle of Wight festival and plenty of space and showers so no one had to rush to ready and out to work in the mornings.
Cottage was clean and tidy without being anything spectacular. It may not suit all but definitely catered for all my needs



A lovely Stay

Review submitted on Wed, 29 Jun 2022
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Had a great time at Hill cottage. Location is quite central off isle Of Wight. Cottage offers pretty much everything. Thanks



Lovely accommodation in a good location.

Review submitted on Wed, 04 May 2022
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
Lovely spacious accommodation in a good location for getting around the island. Fully enclosed garden at rear ideal for dogs. As mentioned in other comments the annexe is in urgent need of a new mattress.



Christmas 2021

Review submitted on Tue, 04 Jan 2022
4.2
out of 5
Guest doesn't recommend this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
3.0
Condition
3.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Had an enjoyable family Christmas at hill cottage. Hill cottage is a beautiful property
If staying for Christmas be sure to bring extra decorations!
Beds were comfortable no complaints and linen nice and clean.
Dinning room a little dark and dining room chairs very uncomfortable as they dug in your back.
Conservatory looked lovely but couldn’t use it as cold and damp.
Location was perfect for our family Christmas






Back again

Review submitted on Wed, 06 Oct 2021
4.2
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
3.0
Condition
3.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Stayed here several times now ,location is excellent for access to the islands attractions ,good price for being able to sleep 9 people ,the two double beds could do with updating or maybe a topper also the sofas in the main house need new springs /straps as once sitting in its hard to get up as you sink into them .Wifi was very poor this year barely 2mb and refuse facilities i.e one small bin not really suitable for nine people for two weeks (we left 20 black bags piled up which may attract vermin).Overall we love staying here and have booked again



Repeat visitor

Review submitted on Wed, 22 Sep 2021
4.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
3.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Second time staying at this house and will more than likely stay there again. For us the location is excellent with the bus stop outside the property and good links to the rest of the island. We have a dog and also chose this property due to the excellent dog walks from the front door. Communication with the letting agents was also excellent. The property would benefit from a good upgrading throughout however this isn’t something that would put us off rebooking in future. On the whole a lovely property in a quiet location offering something for everyone.



Excellent property

Review submitted on Sun, 15 Aug 2021
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 had a great week in Hill cottage. It was extremely comfortable for the 7 of us and the dog. The annexe was the added bonus along with the conservatory.

The only issue I had was that there was not a lot of crockery or glasses - this only meant the dishwasher was put on twice a day.

Would definitely stay again - thank you.



Sizable space for island exploring

Review submitted on Sat, 07 Aug 2021
4.5
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
4.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
The house is a good size, particularly with the addition of the annex. There is nothing in the immediate vicinity to do, but the house's central location make it easy to access all of the south-west of the Island (within 10-20 mins).



Great house, really good location fantastic week

Review submitted on Sun, 18 Jul 2021
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
A lovely house, great for a week away with our extended family. The house is in a really good location to the beaches and places of interest. A short drive from lost pubs but had all we needed. The buses are really frequent and stop outside the house



Lovely spacious house. Great for extended family celebration.

Review submitted on Mon, 14 Jun 2021
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
3.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
A lovely spacious house which was ideal for a family holiday to celebrate my 60th Birthday. The location is excellent, particularly for walking, but also close enough to the beaches at Sandown and Seaview. One negative was the WiFi which was very poor in the main house. It was good in the annexe so if it's possible to put the main hub in the big house that would be better. Another negative was the crockery which has seen better days with many items chipped. There were also not enough glasses for a party of 6 to 8 which the house accommodates. Overall a very enjoyable stay and I hope my feedback can improve it even more.



What a fabulous holiday home, very good location really comfortable ☺️

Review submitted on Tue, 04 May 2021
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 arrived at Hill cottage easy parking for two cars, the lock boxes where easy to use for access to the main house and the annex. The house was very clean & bright the garden is well kept with plenty of nice shrubs and the beautiful blossom tree in the front driveway.What a perfect position the hose is in close to big supermarkets and Shanklin. Very comfortable stay☺️



Great house in good location to visit most of the Island.

Review submitted on Mon, 26 Apr 2021
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Lovely comfortable house nicely furnished with plenty of space. Good enclosed secure garden for the dog and right next to Borthwood Copse for dog walking. Liked it enough to book it for next year while we were there. (Minor issues, needs a bigger outside dustbin and could do with some wine glasses.)



October break

Review submitted on Wed, 21 Oct 2020
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
A lovely time had by all at Hill Cottage...1st time stayed here and would definitely return. Ample room for 6 plus 3 dogs and the annexe a big plus especially with Covid...immaculately clean and everything in house to make real home from home.
Only thing we not used to but probably Isle of Wight, 1 small dustbin to put all rubbish and no recycling so had to bag all rubbish in bin liners and leave beside bin



A comfortable base for our week on the island.

Review submitted on Sun, 27 Sep 2020
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
4.0
With spacious rooms, comfortable beds, good hot water and good lighting Hill Cottage suited our needs very well. We used the car to get to the west end of the island to shorten the journey time otherwise used the excellent bus service from outside the door. The woodland opposite made attractive walking and we followed an interesting round route from our OS map because Covid19 restrictions prevent any guides being left in the house. We found our way around the kitchen in the end but it has to be said that if all the beds were taken there would be issues with things like crockery and glasses.



August Holiday Hill Cottage

Review submitted on Sun, 16 Aug 2020
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
The cottage was well equipped and was very spacious.

The house was clean and very comfortable. There was a good powerful shower in the main bedroom.

I found it a little difficult to operate the oven at first and almost gave up. Also the cutlery and crockery was left in the dishwasher and we couldn’t find it at first.

It would be good to have a holiday home manual for information on bin days and where they are kept, keys, emergency contacts, places to go etc. It might also be good to offer a couple of fans for very hot weather.

The home is good for a family with grandparents who could use the annex. It’s great for families with 3 children.

The location was good with local Shopping at Morrisons and Aldi. There is also a KFC nearby for a quick meal. It was also close to popular resorts such as Shanklin, Sandown, Ryde and Bembridge which are good coastal towns for families with kids.

There is a bus stop outside the house and it is situated on a pleasant road in a decent neighbourhood, the other houses nearby were all very nice too.

We had a lovely holiday in the Isle of Wight. The weather was glorious. On a very hot day the Smugglers Haven Tea Rooms had plenty of shade and were perfect for relaxing for a couple of hours with a cup of tea and scone.

The Donkey sanctuary has a very good cafe with air conditioning in a redecorated and remodelled old building. Well worth a visit.

St Helens Duver is well worthy of a visit too. Postcode PO33 1XZ.

Overall a lovely cottage and a great holiday.




Near everything

Review submitted on Sun, 22 Sep 2019
4.3
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
2.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Good price for being able to sleep nine, the location is close to most of the attractions.The property is nicely furnished and have stayed here before .The cleanliness was let down this time with the kitchen cupboards and doors having splashes of what looked like coffee everywhere and needed a good wipe down and the carpets were not that clean, some repairs were also required as the shower was broken and the tiles in both bathrooms were cracked and many light bulbs were out but most of these were and are being fixed by the maintenance team (perhaps cleaning people should check and report these things )We Left it cleaner than when we arrived .The garden is dog friendly but children would need watching due to the walls for the terracing. Its a 15 minute drive to Blackgang chine and Robin hill theme parks and Shanklin beach which is great for all ages.Would gladly and probaly will return to this house again.



Island Holiday Homes replied more than 1 year ago
We are so pleased that you had an enjoyable stay and that our maintenance team dealt with the issues that you raised during your stay. If we had been informed about the cleaning issues we could have contacted the housekeepers and arranged for them to return as we treat all cleaning issues seriously, however we have since contacted the housekeepers to ensure this does not happen again. We would like to thank you for your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.

Comfortable holiday home in good location

Review submitted on Sun, 21 Jul 2019
4.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
3.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
The property was as described on the website. Better location instructions would have been good as Alverstone Road is a long road of un-numbered properties. There was ample parking for the three cars we had with us. The property was clean and comfortable for our stay. But there are a number of improvements that would make the property even better and more suitable for young families:
- The room with the single beds had very light curtains and no blinds. It would be good to have a black out blind or at least darker curtains we resorted to pegging up a blanket to keep the kids in bed a bit longer.
- The kitchen was the main area which needs attention - more crockery needed for large groups. Much of the existing crockery had chips. There were no trays for the oven, no oven gloves and no heat mats to protect the worktop. Our first use of the dishwasher resulted in everything coming out VERY cloudy - it needed dishwasher salt (which we had to buy) and rinse aid - this should really be checked for every rental. No indoor clothes airer.
- A highchair would have been useful - we took our own. Also stair gates to cater for those with young children.
- No visitor book and no guide to the house/local area (e.g. bin collection days, general info)
- One of the bedside lamps was left on the bedside table with a note saying do not use - faulty switch. This should have been removed altogether or at least put in a cupboard.
Despite these moans and groans, the cottage was comfortable and suitable for a large party of guests and we had a lovely week there.



Island Holiday Homes replied more than 1 year ago
Thank you for your feedback, this is always valuable to us to help improve the customer experience. The owner has had this information too and she will review it and make improvements where needed for 2020. We will point out, however, that as a local Isle of Wight company we are accessible and always here to attend to guests queries whenever needed. We always recommend guest get in touch with us directly if they feel they missing some essentials so we can replenish where feasible. Any faults that are reported to us will be remedied at the earliest possible convenience by us or our maintenance dept. As far as we are aware (and we have added up to date refuse information to it ourselves) there is a welcome folder including instructions and useful information at the property, but we will check. We will also check the broken lamp. Again thank you for your feedback and we hope your return to the Island soon. Warm regards Island Holiday Homes

Great location

Review submitted on Fri, 07 Jun 2019
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Great place to stay for up to nine guests ,location is near to all the attractions like black-gang chine and Robin Hill .The accommodation is home from home with everything you need and local supermarket is 5 mins drive away.Children would need supervising in the garden due to the raised lawns and the house and garden is dog friendly . Also island holiday homes are very helpful and friendly we always book through them and they even altered the dates for us due to one of our parties ill health .Will definitely be going back .One small issue was the vacuum cleaner which is cordless and lasts about 15 mins which was hard to clean the whole house in one go as we like to leave it as we found it.



Very enjoyable and comfortable stay.

Review submitted on Wed, 22 May 2019
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
4.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
We arrived on Friday 10 May 2019 after an eight hour journey from Devon to a smart looking cottage. We found some tea in the kitchen, which we presumed the previous holiday makers left, but no milk, so we had to go to the local shop. It would have been welcoming to have had some milk in the fridge. That, however, was the only downside of our stay at the cottage.
We just used it as a base for bed and breakfast and ate out every day , but it was well equiped and cooking would have been easy in the modern kitchen. The beds were clean and comfortable and lots of TV games/ dvd available for wet evenings, which fortunately for us we did not have. the cottage was spacious and I would definitely recommend it as a good base for a holiday a large family or group, especially with a bus stop right outside the front door.
Regards
Diane Cox + 4



Lovely holiday home

Review submitted on Wed, 24 Apr 2019
4.7
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Annexe is definitely the bonus part, the whole house is spacious and cosy, the facilities are great! Xbox, blue ray player, board game, sound bar and subwoofer, etc...
The table with wheels, wooden chairs, the landlord has great taste! We didn’t went out because we enjoyed every single minute there!