The Byre

Well-appointed kitchen <br/>Good amount of space for family<br/>Enjoyed watching the horses training next door!<br/><br/>As soon as I saw every room had a plug-in air freshener I knew something was up. There are serious issues with damp on many of the walls; the main bedroom and bathroom in particular. The bathroom smelt like an old castle (literally the only way I can think to describe it) and only had a very dirty little extractor fan for ventilation, no window. I appreciate it’s a very old building but that doesn’t mean it should be allowed to have such problems and be rented out for £150+ a night. There were also significant stains on the main bedroom carpet. <br/><br/>The biggest issue, however, was the hosting company. We never met the actual property owners so can’t speak for them, but Host and Stay are not my kind of company. A hidden £25 damage waiver (or £250 deposit if you can be bothered to try to get it back) is only requested immediately AFTER you’ve already booked and a reminder email is sent as soon as you’ve arrived at the property to tell you that you’re responsible for any damage. It’s terrible way to do business as it feels designed to catch you out and make money out of you, and set us up for the least relaxing stay, especially with two small children and a dog in tow! Thankfully the kids and dog were impeccably behaved but the lingering thought of ‘you break it, you buy it’ meant we felt we were walking on eggshells (something we wish the noisy neighbours upstairs had done!) I fully understand the need to protect the property but to only reveal the cost of additional charges after you’ve booked and paid your money is frustrating and flies in the face of the ‘transparency’ that Host and Stay claimed they offer.<br/><br/>I would not stay at a Host and Stay property again because of this damage-driven attitude, never mind the problems with the house.

Convenient location. Clean, tidy inside and nicely furnished. Very comfortable furniture especially the sofa and the bed.<br/><br/>Couldn’t get terrestrial tv programmes. Lots of weeds around the outside of the property making it look untidy. Large dung heap on the other side of the wall directly behind the garden, creating a bad smell.<br/>Inside the property was a little dark, creating the need for lights on during the day, but not a problem.

Would have been nice to have accessed the property!<br/><br/>Managed through Host & Stay Via booking.com.<br/>We arrived having confirmed our arrival time 24hrs before and also paying insurance deposit that was not advertised when booking. Only to find someone was staying there. No previous notification of this. No help to find alternative accommodation. No apology. Host & Stay said the property was uninhabitable due tk plumbing work… evidently not the case. But we only got this information after arriving and calling them directly. there was no advanced warning. <br/>So far I have not received and refund of the booking or the insurance money.

Good layout and property location and plenty of parking<br/><br/>Stuffy rooms couldn’t open the bedroom windows. Could have been a lot cleaner in the bedrooms. Hair ball on the carpet dead wood louse on the pillow and used contact lenses on the floor. And rising damp on the walls.

Beautiful property with lots of history inside and out<br/><br/>Property was fabulous although slightly unsure where to park

It was well presented, clean and had all the comforts of home with easy parking close to the barn. It was quiet and had good access to all routes. A bit of old world charm. We loved it.<br/><br/>It’s really nothing to bemoan but it would have been good to have enough dishwasher tablets and loo roll for the five days and an extra dishcloth and tea towel.

Beautiful interior and very well equipped from the kitchen through to books. Very comfortable stay.<br/><br/>Although this was on only 20 mins drive from Durham not much going on in Easington

We liked how cleanly/spotless the property was and how fully equipped it was with all of the essentials and more. Decor was beautiful and really well thought out. Modern, yet also In keeping with the age of the property. A great balance. Very peaceful. The place was within a short driving distance from Seaham which was fab because we’d come for our daughters birthday and we all wanted to go hunting sea glass. There was Plenty of room for parking and the owners where very friendly and down to Earth people. We’ll stay here again.<br/><br/>Nothing.