Admirals Cottage - a cottage that sleeps 4 guests in 2 bedrooms

We had visited the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago and loved it so much decided to revisit the island. As we travel by public transport and ferry to Yarmouth we chose to stay in Yarmouth as the buses to Newport and onward to the rest of the island are frequent. We had chosen another cottage but were advised by Island Holiday Homes that our cottage of choice didn't supply linen - an added burden with no car! I'd looked at Admiral's Cottage but dismissed it based an previous reviews, but this was the only suitable alternative to our first choice. The previous reviews couldn't have been more wrong. The cottage was fantastic from a very well equipped kitchen with full instructions for every appliance (a welcome addition as in the past we have spent a week trying to work out how to operate a supposedly easy space age, state of the art cooker!!) to two lovely bathrooms and even the prominently displayed password for the wi-fi. Admiral's cottage is definitely spacious enough for four people (although there were only two of us) with plenty of crockery, cutlery and glasses and a very good sized kitchen/dining table. The location is brilliant as it is an absolute maximum of five minutes walk from the ferry, and just two or three minutes from the delightfully picturesque two centre and square which has a good variety of pubs and restaurants. It is also very well situated for access to the old railway shared use path to Freshwater with its two eating establishments that are a must for anyone who likes cake! "Off The Rails" is a real gourmet coffee shop and restaurant with fantastic cakes and lunches as well as being open two or three nights a week and is housed in a former railway station alongside the original platform, so is a must for railway enthusiasts. At the Freshwater end of the path, and opposite the nearest supermarket to Yarmouth, is a more 'ordinary' cafe, but equally lovely. This is on the site of the former station, but is in a newer building, though built in keeping with the railway theme. The path alongside the River Yar is a delight, with birds galore, including the song of the elusive reed warbler. All absolutely gorgeous in the Spring sunshine.

We had a little trouble manipulating the key box to access the keys to the property, and the staff at Island Holiday Homes couldn't have been more helpful. Had we not managed to dislodge the box cover a member of staff would have come to our aid. Likewise, the booking process was pleasant due to the lovely cheerful staff, who also phoned to ensure that everythings was satisfactory.

We are planning to return and hope that Admiral's Cottage is available as we enjoyed our stay so much.

A relaxing holiday, we found Admirals Cottage was in a quiet location and the cottage was clean and tidy with every thing to hand and a plus for us was a comfy double bed. Shops pubs ect just a short walk.

A week spent at Admiral’s Cottage, Yarmouth was the perfect way to recharge our batteries. I took my elderly mother who loved it. The cottage was very clean and the beds soft. It was ideal having 2 bathrooms, as we were able to have one each. My mother, who is 77, found the steep stairs daunting, but she got to grips with them. We had mixed weather but the cottage was always warm and welcoming after we’d been out for the whole day. The kitchen was very well resourced and I cooked for my mother most evenings without any hitches. The front room is particularly comfortable and we spent one day snuggled up and reading our books. The WiFi is decent and it’s always useful to be able to plan your days out and book in advance online. We know the Isle of Wight very well but still managed to find things we’d never done before-the Steam Railway, Alpacas and Quarr Abbey-all of which we’d recommend. Yarmouth itself is a lovely place, with plenty to do. We particularly love the art gallery and the Blue Crab fish and chip restaurant. There is a grocery store a 5 minute walk away and the harbour is a great place to sit and watch the comings and goings. A down side is there is no parking outside the property and the only real choice is to park in the Yarmouth car park, 5 minutes away. We paid for a week’s pass online. This costs about £40. However, it means you can park across the island for free and we made use of this in Freshwater and Newport. You need to factor this in to the cost of your week, however. A minor issue is the disposal of rubbish. It is not practical to take smelly bags of rubbish home with you. We tried to recycle using local bins but there is no where for general waste. This needs to be addressed-cleaners, contractors to dispose of rubbish so it’s not left to clients, would be better. It’s a lovely footage, in an ideal location, and I’d stay there again.

Admirals Cottage provides good accommodation and is well equipped. We were very disappointed on arrival to find only one working bedside lamp shared between four beds. In addition, the battery in the smoke alarm was chirruping repeatedly and could not be silenced. The owner cannot be contacted directly by guests. So we had to contact the agents. Although their response was commendably swift and helpful, the owner was either unwilling or unable to resolve the lamp problem. So we had to make do. The smoke alarm proved to be faulty and had to be removed by the agents' maintenance handyman. It was not replaced during our stay. It is not acceptable to let out a property with these faults.

The cottage is conveniently situated in the centre of Yarmouth. Although the rear bedroom is blissfully quiet, there is disturbance from traffic noise in the front bedroom - very disappointing to be woken by that sound. We went on holiday for a rest and to escape from that kind of disturbance.

Very clean and comfortable. Lovely location. Steep staircase so not ideal if you have mobility difficulties. Well equipped.