Great location, very nice property, comfortable and had everything we needed

Our first evening in Lesbury was ruined by the lack of support from Host & Stay, the company managing the property on behalf of the owners. When we arrived, the smoke alarms were sounding, and we couldn’t silence them for more than a few minutes. We contacted the help number and were asked to send photographs of the alarms, which we did. We received no further help and have heard nothing since. We spent around three hours trying to resolve the problem ourselves, while also looking for last-minute alternative accommodation. Thankfully, we eventually managed to sort it out, but we had to cancel our plans and were left anxious and frazzled. To be clear, our complaint is not with the property itself, or even the fact that the alarms went off (problems can happen). It is the complete lack of support and follow-up from Host & Stay when we needed help. Being left to deal with this ourselves, without so much as a check that the issue had been resolved, was unacceptable. I would strongly encourage the owners to consider a different management company - one that takes an active interest in its guests and provides practical help when something goes wrong.

Excellent property … 4 of us had wonderful time at The Old Reading Room at Lesbury, Alnmouth, a beautiful village, quiet and peaceful with lovely volunteer run upmarket village shop/cafe, pretty garden (with handy lawn area for woofs) and just 20 min walk along a pretty footpath to coastal village of Alnmouth. Spacious property with everything we needed … and fabulous restaurants in Alnmouth

ONLINE house manual - would much prefer a paper/ring binder ‘house manual’ than an online one … as nice to get away from phones! And easier for quick reference

The house was excellent - very spacious and had everything we needed. Kitchen was well stocked with all the cooking equipment we needed. Bedrooms and bathrooms were clean and well kept. The rooms were huge, with the living room being perfect for relaxing movies nights.

We couldn't enter the property until 15 mins after our agreed arrival time, as the maintenance guy was still doing final checks - not a major problem, but not a great start to our holiday.

The booking site informed us that a £250 damage deposit was required and that after a couple of weeks it would be refunded in full if all was well. After a couple of weeks it was returned to us minus a £10 admin fee. Not happy. We also had to go off site to pay the £250 via a portal before the keys were released to us, something that the booking site is always asking guests not to do. There was thick dust under the bed I was sleeping in. I have a photo but can't find anywhere to upload it. I will never book to stay in a property managed by 'Host and Stay' again.