Clouds Hill, Almondbury

Annual family holiday & we always choose a luxury house that has a pool. This is by far the dirtiest place I have ever stayed. It's also fallen into disrepair. It is in need of a deep clean & serious maintenance attention. The pool was too cold to use. The mattress in the master bedroom is disgusting I've never seen a mattress so stained. Fire surround plaster cracked & the fire didn't work. Bulbs out. Sofas torn & poor quality you could feel the wood frame when you sat down. Curtains frayed & one was hung inside out. Cracking on the stairs. Someones clothes in one of the drawers in the master bedroom. The blinds didn't cover the windows, letting light in. Black mould round the windows. Bedding was stained. Towels looked like they'd been used. Kitchen blinds covered in greasy dust. I could go on but I'll let the pictures tell the story. The description uses phrases like: 'a luxury holiday' 'outstanding' 'lavish cottage' 'opulently appointed' 'stunning Almondbury cottage' there is so much wrong with this place. It could be a stunning property if it was clean & well maintained

We stayed at the clouds hill for a week for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. The house is great and very spacious. It fitted us all in just nicely with extra space . It is very clean and has everything you need while your away. Plenty of cutlery.plates,pans, cups everything you need. We had a great stay. It is in a lovely place and very quiet and peaceful with plenty of places to visit . The swimming pool is just a bonus . My children spent a lot of time in there and also in the gym. The garden is in great condition and been lovely sun bathing in this weather . I look like I’ve been abroad am that tanned. We are very happy with our stay at the clouds hill and we would definitely stay there again

Booking the house via Sykes was very easy and they dealt promptly with a couple of pre-holiday queries we had. First impressions of the house itself was 'stunning'. Having the pool in the building was the selling point for us and we used it 2 or 3 times a day. It was a good depth for children (we had an infant, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 11 year old. The pool was nice and warm. The pool room itself got pretty hot, but french doors to outside made it easy to control temp once inside. The house layout worked well for our group, which was two families of 5. Plenty of bedroom and bathroom space. The lounge and dining room we a good size for the group and we never felt on top of each other. There were some niggles during our stay (a blocked drain on the first day), but after a call to the owner, it was resolved the next morning. The list below are a number of small things which we'd consider more as 'areas for improvement' rather than 'complaints'. Nothing major, but after a week of use, they were starting to get a bit annoying. I think the house would benefit from the owner living in it for a week or two to highlight the areas that need a bit of attention. Overall though, we'd consider booking again. -polished tiled floors in main hallway and kitchen was very slippery -kitchen utensils need attention (no wooden spoons, broken can opener, no decent spatula, broken pan handles) -cooker hood too low...constantly banging my head -mismatched and old breakfast barstools -needs twice as many teaspoons -needs twice as many tumblers -need plastic tumblers/bowls for kids -pool filter room noisy 24/7 -white carpets in dining room (nerve-wracking with kids vs bolognese) -broken blinds in main bedroom -treacherous decking outside...very slippery, though we did visit in autumn -sofa springs saggy -lots blown bulbs in pool room -three-storey living is tiring!

I stayed at clouds hill this May with my family . We had a lovely stay . The house is very spacious and clean . There is more than enough room for 10 adults to stay. The swimming pool was fantastic and warm which also includes a sitting area and a gym . Our children spent most of they're time in there . We loved it . I would definitely re visit clouds hill. The area is very nice too and peaceful and there is plenty of places to visit in Huddersfield and holmfirth . It has everything you need for a holiday away . If your looking for a place to take the family then clouds hill is your place . We all had a lovely time

I visited clouds hill in April this year. I wasn't looking forward to the stay due to the bad reviews but it was too late to cancel. But to my surprise the house is no where near as bad as people are saying in the reviews. The place is very clean and spacious and as everything you need . Bit of wear and tear to the house but considering it's being rent out it's not a surprise . I had a very nice stay there with my family and the children loved it. There is nice places close by to visit and the owner is very helpful and polite . I would highly recommend this holiday house as it's in a lovely location of huddersfield and a nice place to stay in . It could do with a bit of touch up on the painting but as far as that I can't say anymore . I was very happy with my stay

We came to stay at this so called luxury cottage with a group of friends. We always go away together at this time of year and always look for something special. But Clouds Hill is definitely nothing special.We were attracted to the property by the description given and the fact that it had a pool. We all felt the same way about the standard of the property and its cleanliness POOR. A bin in one of the bathrooms had not been emptied, The sofas in the living room are old, sagging and worn out, the kitchen/crockery equipment is miss matched, chipped or broken. To top it all off the pool had so much chlorine in it that we could not use it. It was so strong just walking into the pool area left everyone with running and stinging eyes. If your looking for a luxury break DONT go to clouds hill.

Described on Sykes cottages as a luxurious and lavish cottage - in reality it was anything but... 2 very small bedrooms with no direct access to a shower - assume they have to use the gym shower down 2 flights of stairs. 2 bedrooms share jack and Jill shower room - with low set (futon style) beds. 1 master bedroom with en-suite. None of the jacuzzi baths worked, the fire in the sitting room was broken, none of the gym equipment was in a fit state to be used, no extractor fans working in the showers or the kitchen, wooden blocks supporting sagging broken framed settees. The whole place is in need of an overhaul; with litter and dust under beds and scuffed paint work throughout, poor quality beds and linens, lights not working, insufficient tablewear, mismatched glasses and chipped crockery ( some of which resembled dog bowls!) I could go on... On a positive note: the area was lovely with nice walks and a great local pub. Sykes cottages offered very little when we complained to them, despite using them many times before... Very disappointing!!!

A lovely spacious house with an air of luxury. Fabulous master bedroom but three of the other bedrooms are small. In the one other reasonable sized room, the mattress did not fit the bed properly and a member of our party found it a little uncomfortable. The sitting room is enormous! Fitted us all in comfortably and was very relaxing. The older members of our party struggled to get out of tbe sofas which are very low and deep. Kitchen was great to cook in, well equipped on the whole, but for a house that sleeps 10 why are there only 5 dessert spoons, two stools at the island, and only 4 chairs in the breakfast room? Surrounding area was very nice. Terrific walk up to Castle Hill for stunning views. The pool is fantastic. Our kids were down there three times a day! Gym room less inviting as it was suffering a bit from condensation. Our party of 10 ranged in age from 14 to 85. On reflection I'd say the house was better suited to the two younger of the three generations, but we all had a really good week.

The house was even better than expected, photos don't do it justice! Loved the pool & social areas!

Clouds Hill was absolutely perfect for our group of 10 girls, we had a fab time. The pool and gym area really made it that extra bit special, the size of the lounge, TV and beautiful fire, really added to our stay and made us feel cosy and right at home. The bed's were incredibly comfortable and there were plenty of bathrooms/showers/toilets even for 10 girls all getting ready at the same time for a night out!! Location was easy to find and only a short car journey into the centre of Huddersfield, making it an ideal location for both staying in and going out. Overall fantastic weekend in a lovely house.

Clouds Hill is a beautiful home and a real treat to stay in. It was very well kitted out and the beds were very comfy. It was a real luxury week, with the pool and jacuzzi baths, loads of space and all the mod cons. It is well positioned for York, Leeds, the Moors and Halifax. We hope to go back in the future.

I was reluctant to post a negative review, but have monitored reviews for this property and as we were so terribly disappointed feel that future guests deserve to see both sides. We booked this as 'luxury' - it really wasn't. The house was, once, built as a luxury property, but lack of care and investment, not to mention cleaning, has left it in a poor condition. Lights were out, doors didn't close, bin liners didn't fit in bins, tea towels and towels, bin liners etc were not provided. None of the gym equipment worked - it was rusted and dangerous. The whirlpool bath jets hadn't been cleaned and black and green gunk filled the bath when turned on. The 'decking' was full of water as the drainage didn't work on the balcony, and if you stepped onto it filthy water and cigarette butts swamped the decking. The bar b q had never been cleaned and was full of rubbish - the decking at the back was full of moss and unuseable, the blinds at the windows were damaged and didn't close properly - one window had no blinds at all! Dining chairs were bent and unuseable, there was insufficient table cutlery and not enough plates for the entire party - despite being less than the number the property is advertised for. We were instructed to remove our bedding, and found stained and filthy mattresses. It was, in all a very disappointing experience, which left us angry at the advertising for the property which we felt was misleading. To be fair we did receive a part refund - none of our complaints appeared unexpected by the property owner, and I suspect we weren't the first to raise them. If you are looking for a luxury property this isn't it.

We were very impressed with the property, and all kitchenware was to a very high standard. There was nothing we didn't like, it was exceptional.

This is a lovely big house with the 'wow' factor when you first go in. Unfortunately there were a few problems. This was one of the most expensive houses we have rented and would really have expected the little things like bin bags, washing up liquid and toilet rolls. Luckily I had taken a couple of black bags with me otherwise I am not sure where we would have put our rubbish to take out to the bin. Smoke alarm in kitchen not working (unfortunately we burnt some toast). Fire in front room not working.. All the showers require shower mats, they are very slippy and dangerous when wet! And in all there were 9 lights not working!!! For the amount paid for this house we really expected everything to be perfect but thankfully it did not ruin our weekend. The kids loved the pool.

Beautiful, huge house! Lovey location. Children loved the swimming pool. The kitchen was well equipped we made many family meals. Ideal location for Leeds and Manchester.

We have just spent Easter week at Cloud Hills with all of our family. This is a lovely place to stay. There were 10 of us and we did not feel at all crowded. The swimming pool was well used by us all. All of the bedrooms are nice and spacious, as are all of the other rooms. There was only one minor problem, a bit of a dodgy shower in one of the bathrooms, which in no way spoilt our time here. The weather was good to us which helped, but even if it hadn't been we would have been more than happy to spend our time in the house. If you are looking for a place to take all of the family, then you won't go wrong by renting Cloud Hills.

There were 10 of us in the party and no-one had anything bad or negative to say about the cottage. It was lovely inside and was warm and cosy. It was spotlessly clean and it was a pleasure to be there for the weekend. First class accommodation.

Loved the spacious well equipped rooms and the swimming pool was great for a family get together.

Cannot recommend this property enough. We stayed here for the week with adult friends over the weekend ,and then for the rest of the week with 6 teenagers for our sons 16th birthday.The property is so spacious that there was plenty of room for all of us.The swimming pool was constantly warm and a good size even with 10 adults in and got used daily and sometimes till very late.The boys had all taken their mountain bikes so went out on some great rides but did say that the area although beautiful was very hilly. There is nothing much to do or see in Almondbury itself ,but we did visit local towns and had a few nice days out .We were very lucky with the weather and had sunshine every day.We all look forward to visiting again soon.

We stayed at Clouds Hill last weekend with 4 other couples as part of our friends 25th Wedding Anniversary celebrations. The house is fantastic, it is extremely spacious and very nicely decorated. There is more than enough room for 10 adults to eat, drink and be merry, as well as the large living room there are other areas to relax and also lots of outside areas to enjoy. Added to this we spent lots of time in the pool which has a seating area for those who may not wish to swim but can feel part of the party. The house is in Almondbury which is only a small village but there are a couple of pubs which are worth a try and also enough shops to get any bits you need. There is plenty to do nearby, Holmfirth and Huddersfield are only a few miles away and the taxis service was good during our stay. There is parking for 6 cars easily. All in all if you are looking for a place to spend time with friends or family I couldn't recommend this place highly enough.

Beautiful house with lots of space for large groups. Good location with shops and pubs nearby. The pool is great.

We received a warm welcome by the owner who briefly showed us around the property. There were no towels put out in any of the bathrooms and had to hunt around to find them. The swimming pool was the major selling point for booking this property, which was very well maintained and it made the stay worthwhile. The house was spacious, comfortable and very clean and situated in a quiet location. It was just the place to chill out and relax. The only down point was the constant humming noise from the pool pump cupboard which could be heard throughout the house.

Ten of our family stayed here for my 50th and my sons 21st birthday the house was amazing, it was very spacious, the kitchen was lovely well equipped. The swimming pool was great lovely and warm used it daily, very clean, could not fault it in any way, there was plenty of pubs in the surrounding area to eat out or just for a drink , lovely holiday will return again .

Clouds Hill could be a luxurious property - it has a nice, warm swimming pool & changing area and a spacious lounge, dining room & common areas. However it has been cheaply furnished, so wear and tear are really showing eg damaged breakfast stools & rickety chairs. Service was poor - towels were stained (one with a dirty mark), stuck in a cupboard & not distributed to the bedrooms; no dishwasher tablets or dishcloth & pan scourer provided, minimal washing up liquid, no bin liners and no spare toilet rolls. What a shame - with a bit more care this could be a great place to stay.

This property is fantastic. My husband had his 60th birthday here; we booked it for the week and weren't disappointed. The standard of the property is exceptional. The pool is immaculate, warm, with steps at one end for easy access in and out. The kitchen is amazing and well equipped, the cooker is the best I have ever used. The bedrooms are all big and beautiful. The house is so pretty, near by there are shops and pubs and Castle Hill which has the most amazing views I have ever seen once you drive up to the top. Best break ever.

The whole family loved the stay there. Thank you so much for the experience.The pool was a big hit with all of us - especially the children. We invited our English family to this home and there was plenty of room for entertaining. The house was able to accommodate all of our individual needs for living, having fun, relaxing and there was still space left for relaxing.

The house was beautiful with the pool getting lots of use by all of the kids every day. Our two year old actually learned to swim with armbands he was in so much. It was an excellent size and depth for children. The kitchen was wonderful as the adults could sit at the breakfast bar chatting while cooking, and there was a table and chairs for the kids to sit at and play. The living room was a great size and very comfortable for the evenings, with a great sized TV.

Clean and spacious very modern, owner very friendly, loads of hot water well controlled heating, lovely pool at a good temperature.

Wow. What an amazing property. Myself and 9 other ladies have just had the most fantastic luxury weekend at Clouds Hill. The pool was much bigger than we thought and a welcome addition. Would highly recommend the property. In fact, if the owners ever need a house sitter, they just need to call!

It was lovely having lots of space in the living area and the pool was a big bonus. The décor was modern and the house was well equipped with a large fridge and freezer and plenty of seating.

Myself and my 9 friends really enjoyed our weeks holiday in this house. The house was gorgeous, and the swimming pool was bigger than we expected. The village was lovely and the local pub The Radcliffe Arms, was ever so friendly and welcoming. I would certainly recommend this house and area to my friends.

Love to have a break with my family (8 adults)the problem is my mobility have had two lovely holidays through sykes cottages. The problem is we have been too far away from amenities and flat areas for me to negotiate an outing by myself and became reliable on my family to drive me everywhere.

Spacious home easily accommodating 8 adults. The pool was wonderful.

The property was in an ideal location for visiting the Peaks and the Dales. The pool was superb, and gave many hours of enjoyment.

Clouds Hill is a little look into how it would be if you won on lotto. Our holiday was about the house swimming, huge meals with friends, relaxing.The space is wonderful and the furnishings comfortable It was a pleasure to cook in the gleaming kitchen and I fell in love with the snake tap over the kitchen sink!!! The owner met us and showed us around and was on hand via the telephone when the lights fused People laugh when I say we went to Huddersfield on holiday until I tell them about the house. We also found many places to eat and shop We worried a little over the off white carpets with wine, juice and felt tips and breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the week when no stains where evident The house could be more geared to eating in than out by providing some serving dishes but that's my only complaint We are at present thinking about booking again for 2014

Clouds Hill is a stunning property and proved to be an excellent place for our family holiday. The swimming pool was such a bonus, I think my four year old grandson will remember it for the rest of his life. The property itself is bright, clean and modern. It had a wow from everyone of us!

Great house with a wonderful swimming pool where 5 little grandsons had a very happy time.

The House was ideal for a group of friends and made me feel like royalty for the week!! Swimming pool was well maintained and even managed a drink the local pub "The Woolpack". Overall, Top stay and would highly recommend.

It took us a while to get through the snow to the house, so we didn't plan on venturing out for a while, so can't say much about the area. We spent a lot of time in the swimming pool which was the highlight of the holiday. The house was lovely, although I wouldn't recommend it for those with disabilities or very young children.

The situation of the property was delightful with lovely views and a handy village location. The house was very spacious and the swimming pool warm and clean.

Excellent property, no need to explore as I didn't want to leave the house. Swam every morning before breakfast, have never been able to do this in this country. Had an insight in to how I will live when I win the lottery!

Having a swimming pool was brilliant!

We really enjoyed our stay - a family gathering for our Ruby Wedding. The owner met us there and showed us round - the personal touch was lovely. It was well placed for nearby towns, etc, though we stayed in the property most of the time, as we made very good use of the gym and the beautiful swimming pool. All the family, from a baby to great grandma enjoyed staying at Clouds Hill.

Lovely house inlovely surroundings, ideal for our short break. Owners very helpful and friendly. Would love to visit Clouds Hill again.

Excellent property with plenty of space Tastefully furnished throughout and very clean. Pool room is a great addition. Very nice welcome from the owners.

Amazing house and great pool, would recommend to everyone. Very luxurious.

Truly fantastic house that was exactly what a group of 10 needed. Awesome swimming pool area and plenty of space to cook in the well equipped kitchen and comfortable lounge to relax.

What a beautiful place to stay!

An excellent place for a family get-together. It was spacious enough to accommodate everyone (9 adults, 1 child, 1 baby) in absolute comfort. Very stylish and the beautiful swimming pool was used everyday.

We had a lovely time! The house itself was beautiful and had a real wow factor! The pool area was stunning!

Great space throughout the property and it was a decent layout in terms of the accommodation available on each floor. The large lounge was particularly good in terms of the size of the parties you would expect to rent a property of its type.

Fabulous cottage, very friendly and helpful owners. Lovely area. Excellent!

As a family we rented this house for a surprise 50th Birthday for 10 people, everything in the house was a described but slight shortage of saucepans for cooking meals for 10 people...this was a struggle but we did manage...and I would suggest oven gloves as we couldn't find any and we did come home with some blisters!!!...the house is situated in a very private location and handy for local shops if you don't mind a 10minute walk up hill...amenities in the house were lovely and it's a shame the jaccuzzi in the one bathroom didn't work...but all in all a fantastic place to stay and 'Chill'

It was amazing! Ultra modern, stylish and just what I wanted. Beautiful property.

From the moment we arrived and were greeted by the owner and his wife and baby, you could see how beautiful this place was and it didnt let us down. Beautiful accommodation, clean, hi-tech and spacious, just what we wanted for a 50th birthday celebration weekend for my husband and close family. It was amazing and we couldnt fault it at all, although could have done with a few more saucepans and serving dishes, but we managed. The pool was beautiful and we swam twice a day and it was so private and warm. The gym we didnt use much but ideal for a workout if you wanted it. The rooms were spacious and very very clean and the master suite we stayed in was gorgeous, with a separate dressing room and en suite bathroom with jacuzzi bath and a double shower. It was light and airy and perfect in every way. I cannot stress enough how perfect this house was for what we wanted it for and we all had the time of our lives and are even talking about going back same time next year. It has made me come home and want to improve my kitchen now, as it was a dream to work in and lovely for a large family to all join in with the cooking and chatting over a glass of wine. Highly recommended.

As a family we rented this house for a surprise 50th Birthday for 10 people, everything in the house was a described but slight shortage of saucepans for cooking meals for 10 people.....this was a struggle but we did manage.....and I would suggest oven gloves as we couldn't find any and we did come home with some blisters!!!!.....the house is situated in a very private location and handy for local shops if you don't mind a 10minute walk up hill.....amenities in the house were lovely and it's a shame the jaccuzzi in the one bathroom didn't work......but all in all a fantastic place to stay and 'Chill'

The property was excellent. Spotlessly clean, very spacious and excellent facilities. Everyone enjoyed the pool, especially the children. The property is also very well situated. We all had a fantastic week.

Wow! This property was simply amazing! The overall design is to die for, this is a ultra modern home with wonderful balconies and outdoor living. The views are amazing, watching the sunset was something. The pool was the icing on the cake. This is a spacious home, ideal for a special occasion or if you simply want to pretend to have won the lottery!