Host & Stay | Sion Hall Cottage — Guest Reviews

Positive: Location, facilities, pet friendly, parking Negative: Could have done with storage in the second room.

A lovely warm property with beautiful design homely touches. Less than 100 metres to Alnwick centre, but it can be a little noisy during the night as people leave the pubs. Also, the flats opposite spoilt the area. The property is in need of a deep clean as it took over 3 hours to clean the property even with the help from the owner. The owner was apologetic and accepted that the cleaning service had to be improved. However, loved the character of the property and the side storage area with a private courtyard was ideal for my dogs.

The house is lovely and pretty much as illustrated. When we checked in there was a very strong pet smell and the carpet was filthy. The kitchen worktops, blinds, hob and kettle were covered in dirt/dust. The sofas in both living areas were heavily stained and damaged. Upstairs rooms had lots of dog hairs and again smelt. This in spite of the house rules prohibiting pets upstairs. The sheets on the beds were ill-fitting and one was torn. The toilet brush was covered in faeces. We contacted Host and Stay who were not very sympathetic or helpful. More over hid behind “terms and conditions” when we asked to be relocated. The owner, who is charming, turned up within 20 mins however and did her very best to clean the carpets but could only do so much in the time available. We suspect she was not aware of how very bad the agents and cleaners are. The cleaning charges are very high for this property and the accidental damage insurance seems laughable given the above. Very dissapointed

Great location Positive: Safe enclosed area for doggies. Central location Well equipped accommodation Good choice

A real find Cottage location ideal for exploring Alnwick on foot .. everything within a few minutes walk. Cottage pretty and very well equipped . Parking easy, enabling us to leave car most of the time but use it for visits to the coast . Was also ideal we could bring my little dog .My mother had a great time. Thank you

A lovely property in a super location. Positive: Highly recommended. A super location close to the town’s facilities. The property was bright and nicely decorated. The beds were comfortable and the property was cosy. Parking for two vehicles outside the property was also hassle free and very convenient. Our family, including small dog, thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Negative: A very small negative. The sofas didn’t suit us for comfort because they are not what we are used to. But we would still return, and would still recommend the property!

Relaxing lovely cottage , good location Positive: Property done out to a good standard , felt very comfortable. Negative: Could do with a map highlighting possible parking for cottage residents . Possibly wooden flooring in the dinning room with it been dog friendly .

We had a fantastic stay at this property. It beautiful and exactly like the pictures. The two bedrooms are great sizes and it was the perfect house for our family. The communication from the host was fantastic, really proactive and the online guidebook was a really nice touch. We only had one small issue which I reported and the host replied really quickly to resolve. We’d have loved to stay longer and would definitely recommend.

We had the most fantastic time in this wonderful cottage in a superb loaction. Positive: Location was absolutely superb for visiting all of Alnwick on foot. Size/space was perfect - we had a 20 and 17 year old with us Easy parking All the facilities were good Very well presented cottage and lovely and warm. Negative: These points are considerations only as we had the most brilliant time … Another toilet would have been really helpful with 4 of us. The house has an odour of pets, which we understand, as it is a pet friendly accommodation, but we did not plan for this. The flats opposite were not great to look out on to, but the location and interior of the house outweighed this.

Lovely house, I was impressed with the space and location. Parking right outside and permits provided. Some great helpful touches - I liked the nightlights both upstairs and downstairs, children’s plates and cutlery and highchair. It falls short of a 5 star review for me for 2 reasons. This property has a very high cleaning fee and I did find a few hairs in the bath and a toenail in the living room! I also find it so frustrating when there are not adequate curtains or blinds in bedrooms. My 5 year old was up at 5am insisting it was time to get up because of the amount of light the blinds let in. The location is brilliant and one of the main reasons I booked to stay here, would definitely recommend for exploring Alnwick and the surrounding areas.

Beautiful Alnwick and overall excellent accomondation. Positive: Beautifully furnished and very central location Negative: Only one bathroom and really could do with an extra WC. We were a family of 3 but i dont think that any more could manage woth just one toilet. Also need stronger / black out blinds. While the location is very central unfortunately on two nights we were woken up by loud shouting outside that kept us awake. The area opposite is a little less savoury and we think that this noise was return from the pub arguments. It did not make a restful nights sleep which was a shame.

Really cosy and clean cottage for me and my family to stay at. The location is right at the heart of Alnwick and you can easily walk to the castle and the gardens and around town. Such a lovely wee place and can highly recommend.

Great place, the house is beautiful and spacious & has everything we need. The only reason its 4 stars for cleaning is because the high up shelves and the green plastic leaves in the bathroom have a think layer of dust on them (feels as though they just aren't on the cleaning rotor). Also the hoover struggled to pick up much, so i used my own (we are staying here waiting to move in to our new house so have quite a lot of kit with us) and it filled up 3 times when i did the house. Otherwise, spot on - very clean. My only other small grumble is with Host & Stay. I think it is a bot that responds on the messaging system and it can be unhelpful. When i asked if we could stay another week, the bot said no. When i called in, they nearly bit my hand off to take the extra days booking. I wonder how much business they have lost this way?! But again, over all - fantastic and we're very happy. This is our 3rd week here.

A Gem Positive: Lovely stone double fronted cottage within a short walk of Alnwick centre and convenient for Morrisons supermarket. Very nicely appointed, clean and tastefully decorated. Good selection of kitchen utensils and equipment. It was warm and welcoming as we arrived. Parking permit provided enabled us to park right outside the property. Negative: I was staying with my elderly mother who has recently had hip replacement surgery so her mobility is restricted. The final steps at the top of stairs - one to turn to the right and the other to the left had high risers and would have benefitted from having a grab rail (or similar) available to assist people less mobile as there was nothing to hold on to. A non slip mat in the shower would also be a good addition as the shower tray is quite slippery when wet.

Fabulous and excellent value. Positive: Fantastic location in the centre with free parking . No view but that was fine. Negative: The estate opposite needs a little TLC but the property itself was excellent.

The house is in a perfect location, literally a 2 second walk and you are down the street where all the shops are. You don’t need a car. But if you do have a car, they give you a free permit to use during your stay. Easy to get in, was pleased about that as we had a later flight. I know Alnwick well as my family are from there, I was just visiting with my husband from Spain. The house was lovely and cosy, heating is easy to work just turn up when needed. They have wifi in the guide book. Bedroom are big, bed is comfortable. Thank you for a lovely stay.

Lovely stay in a beautiful town restaurant and bars all fabulous! Just keep ya blinds closed as night 🤦🏻‍♀️ Positive: Centrally located so close to bars and restaurants lovely and clean and modern throughout Negative: Because of its central location you do get noise from the local pub and the flats across the road is very ACTIVE of an evening ( seems drugs are rife everywhere) not enough cleaning products and only one bin liner for a whole weeks stay is a bit mean ! Having stayed at several host and stay properties we were a little disappointed with no toiletries it’s the little things that make all the difference but it wouldn’t stop us from booking again

We made at excellent choice for a special Anniversary visit with good friends. Positive: Everything. We would book again in the future if available. Negative: Nothing!

A fantastic 4 day break exploring Northumberland - great beach walk from Seahouses to Bamburgh, taking in the castle and Positive: Superb location, literally 2mins walk to Alnwick High St for all local shops, pubs & restaurants; clean, comfortable & decorated to a modern & high standard Negative: Just missing a few basic items e.g. 1 toilet roll, no spares! No salt & pepper in the kitchen - the simple yet basic things you expect from a self catering property

Great property in a great town. Positive: Literally 50 metres from the centre of Alnwick which was great for eating out. Negative: Nothing!

Clean, lovely deco and in a great location

We'd stayed for a week in late September and rented a car. Pros: * Central location for seeing all the castles and other historic sites in Northumbria. Kept the driving to a minimum. * Unit was in the old town and we walked each night to dinner and hit many of Alnwick's best restaurants and pubs. * Spaces in the unit are very large -- very unusual for and old town unit. * Kitchen has dishwasher and a clothes washer -- nice! * Unit has been recently upgraded with new doors, hardware and appliances. Felt like a much newer building. * While we parked on the street, we had a parking pass and usually parked right in front of our unit. * Nice that the TV/family room was separate and had its own door. * Very good communication with unit operator. Con: * Only bathroom is upstairs -- which are a bit steep. Be aware if you have mobility issues.

A gorgeous sunny warm relaxing stay . Thank you would definitely recommend.

Great time lovely town. Positive: Clean and tidy good location

Very conveniently situated property with easy parking. The house was very clean with new fixtures and appliances although some rooms were a bit musty smelling. Beds were comfy. The house is very much a rental property, the decor being a bit vanilla and lacking a bit of personality.

Wonderful, comfortable and when we had a slight problem, solved immediately by Debbie snd Steve, great hosts Positive: It was lovely, very much a home from home. Beautifully furnished and decorated. Had everything you need, and it was two minutes from town Negative: Nothing

Positive: Very clean and comfortable cottage, in a great location. Negative: The only thing that let it down for us was the dirty outside space. The weather was great and we would have liked to sit out with a drink after having a fab day walking. The whole space, table, and chairs were covered in bird poo, it could easily be hosed down for each guest.

Beautiful cottage, but should remove from advertisement that it has a private back yard , very misleading , as we brough Positive: Proximity to the town, spacious , clean Negative: Back yard disgusting, full of bird dirt everywhere, on the outside table and chairs , unusable for the whole of our stay, health hazard,

Really nice house in an absolutely ideal location 50 mtrs from the main street

Positive: The property was excellent great cottage great to relax in Negative: Nothing everything was great

Positive: Very good central location and excellent parking parking. Comfortable spacious house. Negative: Carpets needed some cleaning. Frying pan was the stickiest I've EVER used!

Positive: Central location, easy access to town and restaurants. Negative: Staircase at top, odd arrangement stepping down then up between bedroom and bathroom.

It more than fulfilled our expectations and was an excellent base for touring coast and inland Positive: Cottage location excellent. Easy access to Alnwick centre and places of interest locally. Centrally located to other places of interest to us that were further afield Negative: The outside area at the rear of the cottage was scruffy and dirty.

Lovely spacious clean cottage close to town .

Parking was easy, convenient and permits provided by host.Easy walking distance into town and amenities.

Brilliant! Positive: Central and spotless! Negative: It was all great - would be good if there was recycling facilities

Perfect location to enjoy Alnwick and the surrounding area. An incredibly short work (30 seconds) into the town centre but still a really quiet location. The house was lovely and clean, with lost of space for a family of 4. First time visitors to Northumberland, we loved seeing the puffins on the Farne Islands and Alnwick was the perfect base with so many places to eat in the evening, we will be back.

Beautiful cottage, exactly as described. So close to town and castle. Everything from booking to check out was easy. Great w/e had by all. Thank you

Great location, no noise issues at all. 30 second walk to all the bars and shops of Alnwick. Parking permits are provided that allow parking right outside the front door. A big property that would definitely accommodate 4 people. Inside was nicely finished and clean and tidy. Let down by the £110 cleaning fee which is extortionate. The decking out back hadn’t been cleaned in months, it was cover in bird excrement. Also annoying to receive a message after booking that stated their standard rate is much cheaper than the amount we actually paid. Also the shower is terrible, it’s one of those rubbish electric ones that produce barely more than a trickle.

Positive: Great location and have been before. House and facilities all good. Negative: Some signs of wear and tear. Bit of mold in the shower and lots of dust behind beds on on some surfaces. . Didn't bother us but may be an issue for others. Also the venting of the lig burner needs looking at as a residual smokey smell in the lounge.

Extremely disappointed with the service received from Host & Stay. Communication has been terrible from them. Would Positive: The property was spacious and location was great for walking distance to local amenities. Negative: The property was freezing cold (8 degrees) on arrival & still only 12.5 degrees by the time we went to bed. It was dirty, bed sheets were stained, facilities were poor and the crockery & cutlery were disgustingly dirty - we had to visit the local supermarket to buy baking trays to make our dinner.

Nice property however location not a holiday location

A very comfortable stay just off Alnwick high street. Thank you!

The house in Alnwick was ideal for us. We were close to the town and were also able to easily visit towns on the coast. Had the most important things. A good shower and really comfotable bed.

Super Sion Hall Cottage Positive: The cottage location was fantastic! The cottages itself was beautiful - had all the amenities we needed, decorated in a lovely way - it was just perfect! Would definitely stay here again and recommend to others! Negative: That we hadn't booked for longer!

Great location for a week in Alnwick

Not worth paying twice for! Negative: You have charged me twice and I am in dispute with you over this booking

Positive: Spacious, clean and well furnished and great location. Free parking right outside with permit provided.

Lovely stay - thankyou! Great location with free permit parking just outside. A 1 minute walk in the town centre. Great stop over for our trip.

Alnwick cottage Positive: Fantastic location, right in the heart of town. Parking in front of the house. Furnishing all in good condition Negative: Outdoor space is very small, enclosed and the resident pigeons have made a bit of a mess. Kitchen is fairly minimally equipped.

Positive: Great location. Lovely little cottage, nicely decorated Negative: A few things could make it 5 star. Courtyard very dirty. Kitchen floor not very clean. Only 1 teatowel. Crumbs in drawers and two very dirty baking trays in oven. Lacked serving dishes/plates. Only one toilet roll for 4 people for 3 nights. Just small things which could make a big difference.

Great location sack the cleaners Positive: Great location 1min off the high street with restaurants etc on your doorstep Negative: The cottage was needing a good dust one of our party had to leave and stay with other people due to the dust causing an asthma attack, the livingroom had a strong dog odour and the outdoor area was unusable.

Very comfortable stay in a beautiful cottage. Positive: The cleanliness, the decor, the location in fact everything. Negative: Not being able to park the car outside the property although a parking permit was provided for parking in adjacent streets.

Good location right next to the town centre in walkable distance to Alnwick Gardens. Would recommend.

Quick to tell u to leave but had to call 6 hours before to confirm n Charlie wrong job Property was nice but no confirmation with codes to enter u til 5 hours later called Charlie no number lucky I found another number we were 4 hours from thinking a scam . Luckily it want but if I hadn’t called . E mail before we left from Charlie advising won’t use them again.

We had a lovely weekend break in a lovely AirBNB. Dale was very quick at responding everything was made extremely easy for us, from checking in, to communicating during our stay to a very easy checkout. It is a lovely place and we would definitely stay again!

Lovely property and ideal to explore Alnwick and Northumberland. Parking permits supplied so able to park outside property. Property was clean and today and Dale gave clear instructions. Would happily go back gain for any future visits.

Great stay at a really nice cottage. Fabulous location - just a few seconds walk to Alnwick town centre.

Lovely Positive: Good location, nice property with everything you need Negative: All good for short stay

Great host and lovely house

Another fantastic stay, lovely accommodation

Beautiful accommodation close to all local amenities. Will definitely stay again.

Fantastic cottage we will be back! Positive: Very comfortable and an amazing location Negative: The back yard is probably the least attractive area of the property.

Favourite Positive: The property itself was great Location fantastic Restaurants/bars/cafes & shops on your doorstep Negative: Only one thing and that was the hard mattress on the double bed.

Very central for Alnwick Castle and Alnwick gardens. Both were wonderful. Also only a short drive to a great beach at Alnmouth

Lovely property in great location Positive: Lovely property in a very central location, walking distance to pubs, restaurants and Alnwick castle. Negative: Nothing

PLEASE BE AWARE Positive: The cottage is lovely it's the surrounding areas which caused us problems. The house is a shirt walk to the main street in Alnwick. Negative: As said previously, the cottage is lovely it is just such a shame where it is situated. No disrespect to the surrounding area. However, when we stayed, we felt unable to relax because of the behaviour of some individuals living directly across from the property. We witnessed drug deals directly outside of the window of the cottage and also anti-social behaviour in the flats directly opposite. We had booked for three nights at the property however only stayed for 2 . We were woken each morning in the early hours (3.40am one morning 5.15am the second morning ) one of the mornings by someone shouting and trying to kick the door down of a property directly opposite to gain access. This went on for sometime! The person was obviously under the influence of something and was seen to be pacing up and down. This obviously was concerning to us, and we did feel very vulnerable. Throughout the stay, we noticed groups of people sitting in the communal garden drinking and smoking cannabis! It certainly wasn't the tranquil surroundings as advertised! As I say, the cottage is lovely, and I feel for the owners. However, we do feel that people should be aware of what could happen. We approached host and stay with our complaint and asked for our money back for the last night when we didn't stay however we were told the surrounding area and the surrounding neighbours are not their esponsibility or concern! PLEASE BE AWARE !

Had a great time, nice house and good location. A couple of things that could be improved: there was not a lot of crockery in the kitchen, which meant we had to run the dishwasher frequently. The second point is the £30 insurance against damage which seemed very unnecessary and something I never had on AirB&B before. Still a nice place though, with simple opportunities to improve the overall feel.

Great location, beautiful cottage, very clean and comfortable. Positive: A Lovely fresh and clean cottage. Beautifully maintained. Well catered for. Great location. Negative: The little outside area wasn’t the most attractive place to sit due to adjoining building work being undertaken. Residents in flats opposite were a bit lively at the weekend, but no problem at all.

Good house with lovely kitchen in centre of Alnwick. Positive: Proximity to the centre of Alnwick. Lovely town with access to the region. Negative: Ignore the guide provided re wifi network and pw, which are on the back of the modem. Also, Australians don’t know to find the red switch for the shower. Took us 24 hours to work it out.

We loved the house which was stylish, characteristics and homely at the sametime.

A very relaxing weekend in a beautiful area. Positive: Very spacious comfortable and clean Negative: Nothing

A comfortable and stylish cottage in a perfect location. We had a wonderful stay!

Lovely holiday in a great location. Positive: The location is brilliant - right next to the town. The house was bright and modern inside. Negative: The double bed was not comfortable at all.

Lovely location and cottage Positive: Lovely property in the centre of Alnwick Negative: Central and tastefully decorated. Comfortable

Fabulous accommodation in a great location would visit again. Positive: Very well appointed and in the heart of the town. Negative: Nothing it was great maybe a coffee machine and a slightly later checkout.

I was surprised to be asked for a further payment and more personal details after I had booked (an insurance waiver or a insurance deposit with admin fees). When I questioned this, as we were both covered by Aircover I was told it was clear in the house rules, I missed this. I asked if I had to pay they said no but I wouldn't get the check in details until I had. With 'strict' cancellation terms I would have lost a lot of money if I cancelled. There was a £110 cleaning fee and I spent an hour cleaning the kitchen contents when we arrived, it was grubby with dirty cutlery etc. I had lots and lots of messages from the hosting company but when I asked a specific question about what I should bring the owner never replied. The cottage wasn't decorated in a sympathetic way to the period. It was styled by Ikea, this works for some but it made it seem soulless for me. Lots of blank white photo frames and fake plants (33 I counted) Alnick is stunning.

Alnwick❤️ Great location and cottage We loved everything about Alnwick and our stay at the cottage

Positive: Perfect location

If you could pick up the cottage and move elsewhere it would be perfect Positive: Great decor Negative: Located on quite a run down street with flats having parties till early hours

Just spectacular Positive: The location was great! Everything with in walking distance Negative: The entrance way at bottom of door way there is a high lip. Make it easy to trip on.

Lovely house in the heart of Alnwick. Lots to see and do in the surrounding area. Positive: Central location for Alnwick Negative: Outdoor space limited

Lovely cottage, very comfortable and in easy reach of the town centre. If I had to criticise anything it would be that we had to wash our own towels in order to have clean towels for the duration of our stay, can I suggest that if someone is staying for a week then a towel change halfway through the stay would be in order. One other thing I would suggest is a small welcome pack, just a couple of biscuits and some milk in the fridge so after travelling you can make a cup of tea. A small gesture but one that would have been very appreciated.