Sykes now disguising as Lyme Bay Holidays…
Sykes now disguising as Lyme Bay Holidays! Booked with the original company many times and had wonderful service. Now a completely awful experience with Sykes. Prices constantly fluctuate and 2 nights can cost the same as 5 - game of chance as to whether you get the best price.Having been loyal customers with Lyme Bay Holidays for years we now feel cheated out of our hard earned cash. Customer service is shocking... no one cares. Book with another company, we certainly won't be using them again.
The Lending Loft
Wonderful company destroyed by Sykes.
I have booked with this company for over thirty years for holiday rentals in Lyme. They were a lovely small friendly company who were very contactable at any time. Since Sykes took them over they have become a nightmare. On the first morning of the holiday as I was getting down from a high chair it tipped slowly backwards with me on it and crashed to the floor. I have now been diagnosed with a fractured bone in my back. The flat was lovely fortunately as I was only able to go out for brief periods of time.I tried to report it but they are almost impossible to contact although I spoke to Kevin on the last day and he rang to see how I was two days later. I hadn’t got the hospital diagnosis then. I have fractured the T12 vertebrae. I had to come home in a taxi which cost £270 to Hampton Hill. I know Kevn told the owners about the chairs but their response was they were new. They are actually an accident waiting to happen on a slippery floor . Altogether a sea change in this company and I sadly am using another company in future.
Anne Beach
Terrible after-care service
Terrible after-care service. I am still waiting (6 weeks after our holiday) for someone to respond to my emails and social media messages. The property was in poor condition and not worth what I paid. I keep being told by Sykes that someone from the local Lymebay office will contact me, yet I'm still waiting - and even sykes have stopped responding......
Hazel Wilson
Lyme bay holidays ruined by sykes
Lyme bay holidays used to be a lovely locally run holiday company. Always great service. Unfortunately they have been taken over by sykes. I have been staying in lyme every year for over 25 years, as have my family, and there has been a stark change in their customer service and contact process. In the past when you called them it would be answered by the local office but now it goes to a central phone centre somewhere else in the country to people who don't know the area or the properties.I would say that the properties are still always clean and we love Lyme itself. But Sykes are difficult to deal with, we left a message with their out of hours emergency contact regarding a concern with the property and our toddler's safety and they never came back to us. There are other instances of poor service too. Pretty poor.
Abigail Lavery
Impossible to contact.
After a recent stay we discovered that we had left one of our grand-children's smart watches at the property. It is impossible to speak to an advisor to arrange a return of the item. We have had a phone call cut off after 30 minutes and the website offers a very limited set of options, none of which cover the reason we are trying to contact LBH. From our experience with the company over a number of years, we believe they were much more helpful before being acquired by Sykes.
Bernie
Non contactable
Non contactable. Tried 5 times to phone on the morning of arrival as weren't happy with where our accommodation was . Was cut off each time. Have whattsapped. No response and from other reviews don't expect one. £550 for 3 nights lost. Our advice don't use. Plenty of other reputable companies
Sallianne Sawczuk
I would advise not to use
I would advise not to use. I booked in April via their website for a rental with a Sunday changeover. I have been told in June that this is not allowed and it is a Friday changeover meaning we cannot now make our holiday. Why it took them two months and to take my deposit and half payment, and to actually book before they told me is baffling. Apparently it says on their website about only taking Friday bookings but this is not reflected in their booking system. Customer service is also non existent, for some reason it’s all my fault and not theirs. Please be careful as you could have your holiday cancelled or changed months after you booked it.
Rachel Green
Failure to resolve a Health and Safety Concern
We experienced what we considered to be a potentially serious health and safety issue in our holiday cottage. The actions taken when we reported this during our stay fell short of what could have been done to resolve the problem. This cast a huge shadow over what could otherwise have been a pleasant enough week. Our efforts after the holiday to ensure that action has been taken to protect future guests have failed to provide us with reassurance. We booked through Sykes Holiday Cottages. Lyme Bay Holidays are the local contact – this used to be a local holiday cottage agency. It was acquired by Sykes in 2022, and is now marketed as one of their “regional brands” or “sister agencies”. The local staff were friendly, customer orientated and reasonably responsive, but we found them difficult to contact other than by calling into their office because the email, phones and web contact form go through to Sykes Head Office. Sykes were very slow to respond to our requests and said our issue was being dealt with by “the local office”, and eventually the responsibility of the owner. They were very slow to give us contact details for the owner and then only the postal address, not a phone or email contact. Overall we felt frustrated that Sykes did not take responsibility for our concerns and we have found the experience of navigating between the three parties extremely difficult.
Mary C
Shockingly poor customer service with Lyme Bay Holidays!
We paid over £800 for two nights in an apartment in West Bay at the end of September. Both showers had a temperature control problem, one too hot and the other too cold. I knew that they couldn’t be fixed and the retiling done during our stay, so contacted them afterwards. They said no compensation was payable because I hadn’t contacted them during the stay. There is nothing in their terms and conditions to support this. Then they refused to communicate with me anymore. Shocking customer service!
Customer
Terrible stay!
Terrible stay!Property was poorly maintained and the company did little to try and repair the faults.It had a sewage leak in the en suite toilet, the electrics were "dodgy" - a heated towel rail tripped most of the electrics - we identified the problems.We identified the problems - they popped in, blamed company staff cuts - and did nothing
Bruce
4 Hazelwood Pinewood Retreat
4 Hazelwood Pinewood Retreat: Just what we had hoped and planned for, quality accommodation, freedom no hotel could offer. This holiday was a trial for us making a break from package holidays abroad and overpriced British hotels that never offer value and seldom offer comfort the result was a massive success. Accommodation was spacious, modern, comfortable with a home from home feel, exceptionally well kept, private, with fantastic pool facilities. Many thanks for a great stay this facility is a credit to your vision and commitment, we totally agree that further additions to facilities would change a wonderful environment. King Regards Ian & Julie
Ian
1 ozone Terrace
1 ozone Terrace. Well stayed here for the 3rd time yet again did not disappoint.A beutiful compact Holiday apartment. Perfectly positioned For the full Holiday experience..Footsteps to the beach restaurant pubs and short walk to the town.The apartment gives a warm holiday vibe that could be enjoyed both summer and winter. Tastefully decorated and equipped a real home from home .Booked already for 2024.
Richard Gee
Incredible price rises
We have used LBH many times and stayed in Harbour View in West Bay. Prior to covid prices for September were around £600 / £650 per week and the apartment was fully booked and you had to book well over 12 months in advance. LBH holidays then taken over by Sykes and prices rocketed to £1300 for the same weeks and still lots of availability. Someone is trying to take advantage of us
Alan S
Stayed at Stunning View in Chalmouth…
Stayed at Stunning View in Chalmouth with Lyme Bay Holidays. I asked for the heating to get on when we arrived as have elderly parents, arrived to a stone cold house and the owner told me to bleed all the radiators myself! And asked if I had my own radiator key!!! The house had not had a covid clean and was dusty, had cobwebs,spiders and wood lice so we started the cleaning the house and hoover. The hoover would not pick up and let off a terrible doggy smell, the hoover bag was full so we had to empty that too, not a great start to our arrival! There was no Cheese grater or potato peeler and the frying pan is definitely NOT non stick! So remember to bring these items with you when you stay. Both Lyme Bay Holidays and the owner played down the complaint and refused to offer any goodwill gesture or apologise for the above which was supposed to be a surprise for the elderly parents. Whilst the property has a stunning view I would never use this company again.
Mrs G
