Dog Friendly Cottages on the Isle of Wight

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Keeley - Verified booking

  The property is well laid out and spacious.

  Kitchen was well equipped and had plenty of room for food shopping to be stored. Conservatory was pleasant once the sun was on it and a great place to sit and read whilst watching the birds and squirrels in the garden. Plenty of coat and boot storage in the corridor to the downstairs bathroom. Bedrooms were all of good size with plenty of clothes storage. Both bathrooms were spot on. The garden was a good size but not dog secure. There are a couple of places where dogs could escape. Wi-Fi and central heating working as designed. Being centrally located at the south of the isle means you are only every 30mins away from anywhere which is good to explore. There are numerous walks right out the door from a short 0.9km loop expanding to whatever you can accomplish in the time/fitness you have. Perfect for dog walking. Overall we had a great stay but there were a few thing that could have been better.... The first few pots and cutlery we took out were not clean. We had to hand wash quite a bit of stuff. We thought there was only one teaspoon until we found the rest of the cutlery hiding in the top of the dishwasher. We did not use the dishwasher during our stay. The fireplace in the lounge is a great feature and having a real fire going makes for a lovely cosy feeling of an evening. Only being supplied with enough wood for 1 fire was very disappointing though. We got additional wood from the local petrol station, 3 bags of logs and 2 kindling costing £30. Beware the Coop would have cost you £60 for the same amount!! Personally I would sooner have paid £50 more for the cottage and had enough wood for the week to hand. A washer/tumble dryer would be a good addition to speed up the clothes drying process on wet days. We used the airer in the conservatory. I know beds are a personal matter but for me both double beds were too soft and creaky. I think once you have had a Simba nothing else compares. Overall we had a great week exploring the Isle and Goodalls was a great base to do it from. Thanks for our stay.

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• Suzanne - Verified booking

  The parkdean resort was amazing.

  The location, facilities and entertainment were great for a family holiday. We ate on site a couple of time and used the passes to access the pool and clubhouse I. The evening and both adults and children enjoyed it thoroughly. However, the caravan was not uo to the same standard as we expected from such a great site. The interior was dated, there were lots of unnecessary items in the caravan that couldn't be used such as lamps situated where there were no plug sockets. There was a lack of plug in general which meant that you couldn't watch TV at the same time as having a lamp on. The kitchen was very basic. The grill wouldn't stay on and to use it, you would have to keep the gas knob pressed in. There was only one shelf in the oven, which meant that cooking for 5 people was tricky. From staying in other caravans there seemed a lack of storage space in bedrooms. We also couldn't seem to find any instructions on how the heating worked. When we arrived the shower was on and the bathroom floor was flooded, I believe there had been a problem with the water on site before we arrived so assumed that when the cleaners were in they forgot to turn off the shower. The light switch in the bathroom was also too short. This meant that 2 of the 3 children couldn't use the bathroom at night as they couldn't reach the pull cord. It was also very hard to shut the double bedroom door, which meant waking the children up eheb the adults went to bed. I think it would also be worth mentioning that, as you are surrounded by established trees that it is quite a common noise to hear acorns falling onto the roof. This wasn't a problem but 2 of the children were a bit scared of the noise on the first night.

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• Amy - Verified booking

  This was my second visit to bishops retreat, having been there in April 2023 for a girly weekend.

  This time I have brought the hubby and kids to show them the delightful property as well as the delights of both the Isle of Wight and ventnor itself! The island has so much to offer. We highly recommend west wight alpacas and llama walking, off the rails cafe just outside Yarmouth, the needles landmark attraction, donkey sanctuary (free entry but donations warmly welcomed), garlic farm, the gin distillery (has good grub), Besty and spinky’s, the spyglass inn for its amazing views, masala bay has amazing Indian food and my personal favourite a walk along the coastal path to steep hill cove and the botanical gardens. We have had two fabulous days on the beach in the glorious sunshine (rather different to my rather wet 2023 experience!). And now to the host Holly, what can I say, exceptional hospitality, helpfulness and from Prosecco on arrival (and milk!!) to donkey sanctuary biscuits and leaving body boards, buckets and spades out, to treating us to an icecream from the amazing crave (opposite tescos) for being return guests, we have been made to feel so welcome and I feel like I have know Holly for years!! The kids also were thrilled to have access to the Disney channel for a movie night and throughly enjoyed the big nickel bath tub, as did I with a glass of bubbles! Some people might be put off by having no dedicated parking but I’ve easily found a spot on both of my trips and the bus is the best way to travel around and see the sites anyway! Totally 5* thank you and see you again next time!

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• Amy - Verified booking

  5 ladies came for a stress free weekend for a 40th birthday!

  Blown away by the stylish decor but more importantly by the warm welcome and hospitality of Holly (and cleaner Tracey!). Nothing was too much trouble and so accommodating! Walking Llamas and Alpacas in the rain was something we will never forget and so much fun thanks to West Wight Alpacas! The challenging but beautiful coastal (not all coastal) walk from Ventnor to Shanklin was a highlight and was finished off with a lovely sandwich at Pencil Cottage (highly recommended)! Plus the bus service back to Ventnor for our aching feet meant we saw even more stunning views from up high on our return. Swimming in the freezing cold sea being watching by onlookers from the infamous Spyglass Inn made it even funnier! Garlic bread with cheese at the Garlic farm is a must and the IOW gin distillery is worth a visit and purchase or two! Ventnor itself has many pubs, lovely little shops and places to eat, there is even live music along the esplanade in the afternoon/evening bringing a lovely atmosphere. The IOW has so much to offer everyone. We had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend Holly and Bishops Retreat to anyone! Thank you Holly From Amy, Cat, Beth, Jenny and Collette x

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• Mathew - Verified booking

  Delightful property exactly as described.

  The kitchen is beautifully equipped and the conservatory bright and cheerful. Can get hot! (But easily cooled if one opens the windows). Parking ample and safe. Lovely garden and pond with seating areas. Beds comfy and large! Some reviewers have mentioned the lack of separate shower upstairs (there is one downstairs). In fact there's a hand-held shower that comes with the big beautiful bath upstairs so it didn't bother us. Hot water as and when one needs it. Small touches such as a couple of balls and bowls for one's dog much appreciated. My only observation is I'm used to the hot tap being on the left. Here some taps the other way round - and that's by design, not by fault, as clearly the fittings are of superior quality (and have left and right marked!). Maybe that's an IoW peculiarity, so vive la différence! Do book if you get the chance and if a peaceful, character-full property, with all mod cons, is what you are looking for.

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