Blue Harbour Cottage Torquay, Devon

I like to think my reviews are balanced and offer constructive criticism so here goes. Let’s start with the positives. The location is absolutely spot on, five minutes walk to the harbour, shops, pubs and cafes everything is in easy reach. The shower and bath are wonderful and so is the bed in the main bedroom. I can’t comment on the second bed as we didn’t use it. The cottage has everything and possibly more than you will need. Now the not so good. You will need to consider the cost of parking when you are budgeting as no street parking. This cost is an extra £45 for eight days but that does include most of the car parks up and down the coast. The cottage itself is nothing like the photos (hence the title of my review). It is in desperate need of a compete overall. The wooden painted floors must have looked good at one point but now just look a little grimy. The stairs are the same so don’t walk about in socks on them as my wife slipped twice. If you have mobility issues the stairs are not good. The settee in the lounge is old and uncomfortable and looks dirty and so do the cushions (see photos) in fact the whole cottage feels a little dirty not unclean just a little attention to detail needed. The outside court yard could do with a tidy up, the old rusty garden furniture has seen better days and is uncomfortable. The courtyard is also the access for next door cottage so you have people walking past you at random intervals-not for me sorry I like my privacy and this meant we spent less time out there. The cottage also sits behind a restaurant and you can smell the food cooking which is not really the most relaxing thing. The photo of the cottage led me to believe that it was in a prominent seafront position which it is not but I should have researched this for more. The entrance hall, the bathroom floor and drainer have been done in this strange pebbles and grout and again it might have looked good once but now just looks dirty. The cottage is old so there is a bit of a damp smell which is understandable however the diffusers and candles all over the house are empty and just collecting dust so why not either fill them up or get rid. That brings me to other things that need removing. In the cupboards there is food from previous guests (I’m presuming). We found half a jar of lemon curd, sachets of dips from takeaway’s, opened mayonnaise and jars of spices opened and the list goes on. Now I am not going to eat this as for one I don’t know when it was opened let alone by who so just bin it. There is plenty of cleaning products which is great but I know that you should not be writing on sprays that it’s ‘anti bacterial spray’ this is surely against COSHH regulations. Let’s finish on a positive. The weather was fantastic and at home we usually have a fan but the cottage didn’t have any. We contacted Peter the owner who promptly provided us with two desk fans which were very welcome. Would we go again no but don’t let me stop you. Two stars are for location, bed and shower.

We had a wonderful time at Blue Harbour Cottage.. Everything you need to feel comfortable is there. The location of the cottage is perfect for the harbour, the parks, the town and the beaches. There are new contemporary pubs and restaurants as well as the oldest pub in Torquay right on your doorstep. Torquay is also a perfect base for the beautiful walks and sights of Dartmoor and the river Dart, especially if you bring your dog. You can visit quiet beaches with a picnic, paddle board, snorkle, kayak and swim. The choice is yours how active you wish to be.

My family had a great time, it’s very cosy and close to the harbour and sea front.. Will definitely book again at some point!

Very enjoy week in a fabulous cottage everything you needed plus very .... Very enjoy week in a fabulous cottage everything you needed plus very homily,ideal location for Torquay will definitely be back

One of our best X-mas ever! Perfect cottage, - nice, warm, super clean. Our host was the most generous host we ever had - and we had a lot of hots in our life. When we arrived we found wonderful x-mass decoration already, a cake and a bottle of Champagne. The whole time we were in contact with our host and he gave us lots of infos about the region and what to do. We had a great time! Thanks Peter!

A most beautiful and quaint cottage.. Decorated with a lot of TLC and equiped with everything you need and more! Close to fantastic places to explore, surrounded by very nice pubs, restaurants and shopping facilities. Public parking nearby. Well, what more to say what other might not have said yet? What to say to people who are looking at this property? YES, book it. You won't regret it. It is a home from home!!!

I would like to say that our stay at Blue Harbour Cottage was great , Very relaxing and the cottage was fantastic.. Mr Cox was very thoughtful in many ways.

The cottage does not look anything like the photos it needs some tlc.. The outside requires some serious sprucing up, the garden furniture is all rusty and tatty and the so called garden is just a bed of dead plants and weeds.

The location is fab within walking distance of the harbour & all local amenities, but far enough away to be quiet. The beds are also so so comfy for a great nights sleep. However the cottage could really do with a refurb, as the pictures are incredibly misleading. The inside needs some TLC the sofa in the lounge was incredibly uncomfortable & has a random wooden bit in the middle that juts up which we all hurt ourselves on. my son ended up with a particularly nasty bruise on his shin. The room could also do with coat of paint as there are dirty marks all over the walls The bathroom whilst clean, when trying to have a shower the shower. curtain constantly sticks to you...needs a shower door The kitchen....the utensil draw only opens part way as it hits the handle of another cupboard. The draining board wow just wow it’s basically a piece of cobbled pavement stuck to the side..,it doesn’t drain water just floods round the side & behind it causing a musty damp smell & is so small It’s holds about 4 small plates & some cutlery. Also parking in the welcome pack it still states you can buy a weekly permit for the local car park...you can’t you can only get annual ones. We downloaded an app in the end & paid on a daily basis averaged about £9,70 per day. The garden is not private & guests for the neighbouring cottage have to walk through your terrace to get to their front door... Overall the cottage was a base for the evening but lacked home comforts

The cottage was lovely, very traditional and keeping in with the surrounding properties.. The stairs are a little steep so perhaps not the best if you are unsteady on your feet or not very able bodied.

Great cottage fantastic location not a problem for us but there are some steep .... Great cottage fantastic location not a problem for us but there are some steep steps up to the cottage this could cause a problem for a older person would definitely use again owner was very helpful left a bottle of prosecco for use nice touch

Photo of the property is totally misleading! This cottage is located at the back of a restaurant! When the restaurant is active the vent from the kitchen pumps cooking smells into the outside space, this also means you can't open a window if you are indoors☹️ The cottage itself is nice and very quirky, however the curtains are paper thin and don't contain enough fabric so be prepared for some extremely early mornings.

Lovely cottage, central to all amenities in Torquay but situated in a quiet spot away from the noise of traffic.. Good access to internet. Very clean, well equipped and dog friendly. There are steps leading up to the cottage and very steep wooden stairs to upper floor, which may be a problem for some. There is a short walk to the nearest car park in Meadfoot Road and to a grassy area in Torwood Gardens for exercising a dog. We had a superb holiday and the cottage made a homely and comfortable base for our day trips to all the various beauty spots in and around Torbay and Dartmoor.

Cottage was beautiful and right in the centre of all amenities.. Very clean and the beds were so comfy and the prosecco and fudge was a lovely gesture. Will definitely be back

Property was clean and had everything needed.. Bed was very comfortable.

My dog Henry and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the sweet Blue Harbour Cottage, which was well located - walks could start straight from the cottage arriving at the South West Coast Path in a few minutes or good public transportation could be taken from a bus stop a few minutes’ walk away.. The cottage had everything one could need for a week by the coast, including a log burner which was handy in December. The cottage is set back from Parkhill Road, which made it very quiet. The host was available to answer any questions and even allowed us a later than usual check out given our train was in the afternoon and even offered to bring more logs as I didn’t have a car to transport them. I would definitely recommend Blue Harbour Cottage!

We had a lovely holiday.. The cottage is lovely and ideally situated close to amenities. The steps to the property may be an issue for some people, I would have struggled with our pushchair had my husband not been with me. Just something to bear in mind. The cottage itself is very true to the pictures on the website. Very shabby chic and beautiful. It welcomes pets which is nice, although we didn’t take ours in the end. The neighbours have access through the garden to their property, but this wasn’t an issue as we were out most days. The landlord went above and beyond: leaving milk in the fridge (along with a bottle of bubbly), texting to let us know that the property was ready; letting us know of any issues left behind by the previous holidaymakers and telling us not to rush to leave as no one else was booked in that day. Thank you so much, we will be booking again in the future.

We had a great time, the cottage is walking distance to everything.. It had everything we needed except the towels. One small thin towel per person wasn't enough. We ended up buying a couple towels. It was very clean inside. Outside could do with a bit of a tidy. The cottage is not disable friendly. If you have bad knees or other difficulties getting around I wouldn't recommend this cottage, it has steep stairs leading to the cottage and inside the cottage. The wood fire was fantastic and the bed was warm and cozy. You can't park in front on the street. The public car park is around the corner not far from the cottage. You have to go on line to purchase a parking permit. We paid £35 for 6 days which wasn't a big deal, but would think about it in the future. The cottage has everything you need for your stay. It doesn't catch the sun during the day so if you enjoy a coffee in the morning sun this isn't for you. Thank you Blue Harbour Cottage for your hospitality. The champagne and clotted cream fudge was a nice touch.

The cottage was in a great location 2 minutes walk from the town.. It was everything we needed for a base to explore Torquay and surrounding areas.The owner of the cottage was lovely. He had already gifted us a bottle of wine ,then on finding out it was my birthday and wedding anniversary got us another bottle and some tasty fudge. Great holiday . Look forward to returning.

Advert was total fabrication,. cottage very grimy. We had to clean it ourselves. Overgrown garden. Cramped cottage. Substandard sofa,even the dog wudnt sit on it. No reply from owner. Very unprofessional

Cottage overlooking a restaurant. cooking smells every evening. Dishes being clanked.No garden only shared courtyard.overgrown shrubs.tatty mouldy garden benches. Not suitable for people with mobility issues.The most uncomfortable sofa EVER. Had wooden posts inside it.Every time you sat on it you would hurt yourself.No privacy what so ever with the next cottage .Left holiday 3 days early it was that unsuitable .

The owner was extremely helpful, freindly and considerate, by leaving milk tea,coffee and prossecco on arrival.. The cottage was very well maintained and comfortable I would not hesitate in recommending this quaint fishermans cottage to others. The location was also good for access to the harbour and amenities.

Lovely cottage everything you could want or need, great location.. Owner went out hi s way to check we were ok or if we needed anything which we really appreciated. Would definitely go back again we had a fantastic week.

Disappointing.. ..Had no garden.shared entrance.no privacy.The sofa was as uncomfortable as the Victorian sleeping bench for the poor.We were forever banging ourselves on the hidden planks of wood in it.scruffy entrance ,dead leaves / shrubs.mouldy sitting left in front. We left after 4 days as the shared entrance was forever being left open.Had we stayed would of lost our dog on the road outside.The property is above the kitchens of the restaurant so all evenings had cooking smells/dishes clanking till late.Woken most mornings by seagulls on opposite roof at 4.30 as one neigboour regular feeds them.Could not relax the whole time.However the cottage is decorated lovely.

A very lovely cottage has every thing you need for your stay owner left tea ,coffee, milk for when you arrive and a very nice bottle of fizz ,made you feel very welcome , also left lots of information on places and things to do on your holiday everywhere we went the people where very helpful and friendly ..

Lovely character filled cottage.. Lots of attention to detail inside. The best double bed we've ever slept on in any holiday home! It is nicely off the main busy front too. It would have been a higher score but the only things that weren't perfect was the walkthrough garden (although the neighbour was very pleasant); and loading and unloading can be problematic as the traffic warden is very keen. Thank you for a lovely break.

I was a really nice cottage in a great location but the garden was not secure as another family had right of way through it and this meant I could not leave my dog alone there while I did things in the house.. The house also had pop corn in the some of the rooms which the dog loved but we did not appreciate and although the 35 pounds for parking was clearly mentioned on the description we had searched for cottages with parking and had not realized the extra cost until after we had booked.. I would recommend this cottage for couples without young children or dogs.

Perfect little cottage in a convenient location.. Easy to explore Torquay on foot. Felt comfortable having our dog with us. Felt so welcome we would definitely stay again.

This cottage might not be suitable for people with mobility issues as the access is via an uneven path and steps which is unlit at night.. The cottage is comfortable and nicely furnished though. It is close to the harbour and shops with plenty of places to eat nearby. Because of the location of the cottage behind a restaurant there's no view to speak of if you like that kind of thing.

Lovely, homely,comfortable cottage.. Everything you needed to hand.Very good location,only 5 mins walk into Torquay town. Would stay there again.

As we walked up to the cottage the hand rail was loose, and we got into the cottage the stairs were wooden and very steep i was so worried about falling and had to go one step at a time, and almost slipped from the bathroom stairs.. although the sofa looked very nice at first glance, it was so low even the table was higher, if you are have dexterity problems this is not good, i sat most of the time on a dinning room chair. as the sofa was very hard to get up from. no clothes airier. DVD player would have been nice, (we had to go out and buy one) outside the garden area needed attention.

Cottage was very nice and adequately equipped with all you would need..

Amazing location, comfy beds, absolutely everything you need in this cottage.. missing it already.

I would have liked a more comfortable settee in the property that we stayed but in general I was quite happy with the accommodation..

The Cottage has access via an alley way and the view of the cottage is from the alley way.. The cottage had nice modern features and beds were clean and comfortable but the floors were not clean when we arrived (dog hair under sofa and under rug and rug not hoovered properly). It was a good central location however parking was difficult (although did manage to find on road free parking for entire stay 10 minutes walk away). The sofa in the living room was not comfortable and had a hard, hidden, wooden post in the middle of the seats which all of us hurt ourselves on at some point during the holiday. Overall small cottage in good, central location but improvements to seating and floor cleaning would have been desirable.

Beautiful cottage, decorated to a high standard, quiet location but easy to get to the harbour, contained all mod cons for a home from home experience.. Perfect relaxing holiday - will go back.