Staycation with family and two dogs

Had a lovely stay at Southwinds the furnishings were all very comfortable and clean.bored games to play. Great you had electric fans in each room as the weather was absolutely gorgeous very well equipped kitchen a nice welcome pack on arrival ,bathrooms were lovely and big. The only thing I thought that let it down was the outside area. It needed a bit of TLC grass could’ve done with a cut a bag of grass cuttings lying at the bottom of the garden. A dirty ashtray The outside furniture wasn’t put together properly and the umbrella was not there as it was so hot and the garden is in full sun the umbrella was very much needed. We all had a lovely time

emma

Family time at South Winds

My family enjoyed their stay at South Winds. The property was spacious and homely, with plenty of room for the three generations staying. Our granddaughter, 20 months, loved running and playing ball in the garden as did our little grand dog. The location was very good, just a short stroll into Bourton.

Tracy

South Winds, Bourton-on-the-Water

Overall, we felt the house was somewhat tired and in need of a refresh. There was visible mould on some of the windows, and the rooms were very basic. That said, the new dining area was a real highlight and proved essential, especially given how small the other rooms were. We did encounter a few issues during our stay. There was limited china and glassware available, with some items being plastic wine glasses. More concerning was an ongoing ant infestation on the worktops. As we were staying with two babies and a toddler, this was particularly worrying. On one occasion, a baby milk machine we had brought with us was covered in ants, and unfortunately, this problem persisted throughout the weekend. We were lucky to have beautiful weather, so it was disappointing that the garden was not well maintained. The grass needed cutting, there were chipping’s scattered across the terrace, the outdoor table was unclean, and what appeared to be a broken umbrella had been left behind the garden shed. On a positive note the location was only a 10 minute walk to the town centre.

Richard

Multi generational holiday

Location is great. Not having to drive in Bourton a bonus as it’s very busy. We booked the house as one of the relatives is of poor mobility. The downstairs accessible room and toilet is not wide enough to get a trolley through sadly. Hand rails in the shower would be welcomed also. The beds were comfortable. We loved the social space of the kitchen/dining room and spent most of our time in there. The kitchen however is poorly equipped if you’re used to cooking. No scissors, small frying pan, only 3 wine glasses. We were 5 adults and found this a bit disappointing. Upstairs the rooms were of a good size but mouldy windows and blinds need dealing with. Also the information for recycling needs updating as confusing and makes me believe everything goes into landfill which would be disappointing. Could be great if a few things are addressed but guess the location would mean it’s always rented.

Sarah

Me and my family (7 of us) stayed here for 3 nights whilst visiting the Cotswolds. The house was very spacious with big bedrooms and lovely bathrooms. The stand out room was the kitchen dining area which is what attracted us to stay here as it’s such a lovely big space for entertaining. The location was perfect, it took us about 10 minutes to walk into town. There was also plenty of parking out the front for our car and van. Overall a great place to stay if you are visiting Bourton on the water.

Holly

Beautiful house within walking distance of the town ..spotlessly clean with lovely bedding and towels .. they had thought of everything ! The welcome hamper was such a lovely touch. The house was the perfect place to accommodate the seven of us with plenty of room and felt very spacious

Catherine

Property was beautifully set up perfect for a family weekend, spacious, clean, with enough tableware for a family of 7. Beds were beautifully presented, clean towels and bathrooms with good heating system. We had a lovely time and definitely would repeat!

Patricia

Location, space, parking, comfort, welcome pack. All really good.

Ian

Pleasant Stay

Good instructions, nice house, pretty well equipped on the whole, but not for much more than a couple of days I think. Lovely heating underfloor, comfortable beds and no issues in communicating by email. We had no issues during the stay and the location is brilliant. Great space for entertaining/eating/drinking together. We were a family of 7 for a birthday and was a really great space for us all. No worries about room, 3 bathrooms and helpfully a downstairs en-suite with shower for the older folks. 10min walk into Bourton, far enough from the heavy tourist areas and some good pubs in reach. COmmunication by email, but all pretty good and replied late on the Saturday to a question about check out, so was appreciated. Booking process and information received well in advance again much appreciated. Only downsides, to nitpick a bit....for ~£500 / night, you'd expect far fewer cobwebs and something a good bit cleaner in general. It's obviously a long standing rental as it's generally a bit tired (some, not all furniture) and grubby, with really obvious cheap fixes (there's a TV bracket on the wall, but a new TV just on the stand in front of it, which barely works, I think because of the rotten batteries in the BT TV box). The internet just isnt' acceptable in 2026. Do not expect to be able to work or have more than one device looking anything up at once. Certainly don't expect the TV to stream without buffering, which is your only choice as the aerial cable wasn't connected or didn't work. Not massive issues, but not great when you consider the price point vs reality. Would stay again as everyone enjoyed it and space worked for us, but only for one / two nights.

Simon

We had three generations under one roof for the holidays and that was priceless. The home was warm, cosy, festive and convenient to town. Would highly recommend for a relaxing stay in the Cotswolds. This was a bucket trip list for our family and we are grateful for the memories.

Christine

We have all thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in your house! It was very much a home from home. Thank you so much! The Christmas tree and decorations were much appreciated. As was the basket of blankets in the lounge, lovely touch for snuggling up in the evenings. Great location too. Enjoyed eating out at The Mouse Trap and also getting fresh pastries from a local bakery (The Cornish Bakery) for breakfast. We also did the Christmas Markets and Light Trail at Blenheim, which was incredible. A very relaxed, enjoyable pre-Christmas weekend! Great house and experience.

Wendy

Lovely, peaceful and comfortable. Location was perfect.

Helen

Photographs need updated to show current lower standard

Good location but quite disappointed with the property for the price we paid. From the photos on Bolthole’s website I expected this to be a very comfortable house and a reasonably high standard for a family get-together but it would appear that there’s a new owner (?) who has removed some furniture and is willing to spend less on maintenance and guest comfort. Most of the upstairs windows had mould on the surrounds plus leaks in the flat roof extension had resulted in areas of mould and the garden umbrella was covered in green mould (no response from the housekeeping team when I sent photos). Although it had everything we needed, a lot of items were very basic as if the owner expected guests to trash everything e.g. the plastic sheet over the dining table was an interesting touch. At the moment I couldn’t recommend the property since the website photos somewhat sell it under false pretences. Update the photos, remove the mould and make the repairs.

Guest

South Winds was just perfect for our family holiday. Plenty of space, good size bedrooms and a nice garden.

Deborah

Perfect location

The house was perfect for our family group. Handy to be close to the centre of Bourton on the Water but far away enough to be away from the crowds. Plenty of walks from the door.

Michael

Good location, size, garden, and kitchen.

David

We stayed at South Winds, it was amazing very relaxing we all had a fabulous time. The location was excellent just a 10 minutes walk into Bourton on the Water.

Shirley

Location great

We arrived at South Winds and thought the location was perfect. The house very much needs a deep clean, dead flies in bath, crumbs in kitchen drawers, frying pan full of fat and generally dusty. The blind in bedroom would not open and tv ariel was broken. The dining area was the best part of the house.

Amanda

Fantastic family stay in the heart of the Cotswolds

We had the most wonderful time at South Winds. The property is in a fantastic location and is only a short walk into the heart of Bourton on the water. We were a party of 6 adults, 1 child, 2 infants and a dog and the property could not have been more perfect. The large open plan kitchen diner was a perfect space for kids to run around whilst the adults socialised. The property is well kept and so so beautiful. Communication from the house manager was brilliant and she was very accommodating. We would definitely stay again and recommend South winds as a place to stay if you are coming to Bourton on Water.

Emily

Good but some issues to fix

Excellent location, lovely character cottage and ground floor space, Christmas decorations and welcome hamper were lovely additional touches. The damp/condensation and mouldy windows upstairs in the bedrooms and bathrooms are a problem that disrupts the premium feel of the cottage and really isn’t healthy for sleeping during cold weather. Even though it is an old character property, It’s a pity this isn’t addressed.

Guest

Lovely property in great location. Easy walk into Bourton on the water

This property is lovely and generally very clean and really well equipped. Set off the main road into Bourton it is a quiet location (even building work next door didn't disturb us at any time) and has a lovely big parking area that we easily got 3 cars on. Easy walking distance along well made footpaths (just under a mile) to the town with loads of restaurants and pubs. Lovely big social area around table in kitchen which had everything we needed for our stay. We used the master bedroom and ensuite which is nice and roomy, has a comfortable bed, big ensuite with lovely powerful shower over bath. Another couple had the other double upstairs which they found comfortable (although they did find the shower a little snug). The third couple used the double downstairs but did comment on it feeling cold even though the heating was on. Our only reason for the 4 on condition was that there seemed to be reasonable amount of mould around windows and water collecting on some upstairs windowsills which I think may have been made worse by upstairs extractor fans either not working properly or not very well so we had to rely on opening windows to get some airflow through the rooms. Welcome basket was very much appreciated (couldn't find any pods for the coffee machine though but we had our own instant coffee as a backup). Overall a very pleasant stay in a comfortable property.

David

Lovely weekend break at this property

Lovely weekend break at this property. Comfortable stay , lovely welcome pack provided. A few issues with the keys but sorted with the housekeeper.

Diane

Comfortable stay

We stayed as a family of 5 adults and a baby. The layout was perfect for us and gave us all privacy. The family room on the back was great for us all to come together. Walking distance to Bourton. Had a great stay.

Andrew

DO NOT BOOK WITH BOLTHOLE RETREATS

We would strongly recommend that you do not make a booking with Bolthole Retreats. We booked South Winds back in July and whilst the house is in a perfect location it is very tired and in need of some redecoration. The house was very unclean on our arrival and Bolthole are of the view that it is acceptable for human hair to be left in the bedroom wardrobe and stuck to the internal doors. Plus food debris left on the work surface and dirty cupboards, cutlery, crockery, towels, grubby walls & paintwork and fifthly windows. Bolthole feel it was OK to not use up-to-date photographs of the property in their advertisement as it was not in the same condition or decorated to the same standard as advertised. They say that some of the rooms had been redecorated immediately prior to our arrival! They will tell you they are available to talk to you Monday to Friday (between 9am to 5pm) and the housekeeper is available 24/7 outside of this time. That was not the case for us and we did not receive a return phone call until the following day – by which time we had spent the evening before cleaning the property ourselves. We note that since our stay in July, other guests have posted reviews referring to the noise of the major external building works being undertaken on the property next door. Bolthole have denied knowledge that these were going on but we raised the issue with them back in July so there were on notice of same back then. Their answer to this is that as per the booking T&C’s they cannot be responsible for noise or disturbance which comes from beyond the boundaries of the Property, or which is beyond the Owner's control. But they fail to mention they were aware of the issue prior to the guests arriving after us, which we suggest shows a total lack of courtesy towards those subsequent visitors. Bolthole have tried to fob us off with a derisory offer to which reflects approx. 5% of the total cost we paid for our rental. But they were quick enough to take our money at the time of booking. They say they have acted fairly & reasonably to our complaint and have told us the matter is closed as far as they are concerned. We have never encountered such poor customer service before and would urge anyone who is thinking of booking with Bolthole to think twice before doing so. In our experience there are far better and more professionally run holiday companies than them.

Maria

Building works next door and cleanliness

Feel we should have been advised of the building works taking place next door, builders would arrive at 7.30am and leave at 4pm. The noise from the building works and their radio affected the use of the garden. Property was not very clean. The highchair was covered in dried food and had to be cleaned before we could use if for our granddaughter. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling window in the kitchen. Food and drink stains were on the walls in the kitchen.

Guest

South Winds Bourton.

A nice spacious house but so upset about the patio area outside. It had two foot weeds growing around it, broken pottery planters with old empty plastic pots. The barbecue was filthy. Nothing like the advertised picture. Very upset because I chose this house for the patio area so we could relax outside. No chance of that. I informed the housekeeper and head office to give them a chance to put this right but nobody turned up and nobody followed up my complaint to see if it had been corrected. I have put pictures on the Bolthole review site.

Lorraine

Gorgeous stay in a perfect home

We stayed at South Winds for a weekend in April. The home is beautiful, well arranged and pristine. It’s in a fab location, just a short walk from Bourton on the Water. Highly recommend!

Selina

Well situated spacious property, comfortable and well equipped.

We had a really enjoyable stay here. A 10-15 minute walk from the centre of Bourton on the Water. It was spacious and clean with a large open plan kitchen which is modern and well-equipped. I really liked the option of 3 sitting spaces, one in the snug, one in the main lounge and one area in the kitchen. The children slept well and the area is very quiet. The only negative is that the property needs some TLC in certain areas - there is mould and damp around some of the upstairs windows, the door latch was loose and eventually broke so we weren't able to lock the door from inside. The grass really needed a cut but appreciate it may have been too wet. There was a large collection of rubbish in the back garden with a full black bin plus 2 other bags on the floor, we checked local bin collection dates but it said they weren't collecting in the area. The fridge door is broken so it needs a good push otherwise it will stay open. The freezer main door has come away from the cupboard door so it had to be opened from underneath. If these issues were addressed I'd be happy to stay again as the property is very nice.

Guest

Spacious house

Lovely house and position- the large thick rug in the dining room was full of old pine needles probably left over from Christmas tree was concerned considering we had a baby on the floor and didn’t see them until we had trodden on them and quite painful. The cleaning fee of £175.00 for the weekend was I thought extortionate

Patsy

Would recommend

This property met all our expectations, well equipped and spacious and just a short walk to Bourton-on the water. A great base to explore the Cotswolds.

Rebecca

Excellent location and property. Some attention to detail required.

Location and property excellent. Information provided by email and information folder in the house incorrect/inconsistent/ confusing. Password for Internet incorrectly written in 3 places, only by chance error spotted later in Information folder. Check out time given in folder inconsistent. Would suggest review of folder and information contained therein. Consider separate folders for each letting agency?? Cobwebs on ceiling in ground floor bedroom, Visible without spectacles.

Lorraine

Great stay!

We all loved the house and would highly recommend to future guests! It was as pictured and the location was fantastic, 10/10!

Natasha

A Wonderful Stay

The house was lovely and very well equipped. It was situated perfectly for us. We enjoyed our stay

Guest

Perfect location in Bourton

Excellent spacious property , perfect for our family gathering . Easy flat walk into the town . Appreciated the welcome basket . Comfy beds and excellent showers . Bright sunny garden which the weather allowed us to enjoy .

Sandra

Family weekend away for daughters’s 30th birthday

The house is in an excellent location within easy walking distance to the centre. The space both inside and out was ideal for the six of us. Each couple had a double bedroom with their own bathroom. Beds were very comfy as was the outside seating but we all felt the lounge seating was not comfy at all. The lower rating for the condition of the property is because we felt it looked tired in places.

Julie

Weekend break with friends

South Winds is an attractive property on the outskirts of Bourton on the Water. It is well appointed but the kitchen wear, cups, cutlery etc. needs sorting out and in some cases renewing. There were aspects of the house that could have been better cleaned. The bedrooms were comfortable and once we had adjusted the heating , warm. It would be nice to have some shampoo supplied as there was only body wash in the bathrooms. Overall, a very good stay.

Guest

Great place to get together

Great location for Bourton. Super social kitchen/family space. The house was very well equipped. Great service from Bolthole Retreats. We would visit again and use Bolthole Retreats again.

Donna

Christmas 2022

Beautiful house in a wonderful location. Few cobwebs within the house gave impression of not adequate cleaning but that was the only flaw. Very comfortable. We had an issue with the cooker but replaced quickly with minimum fuss even when the weather was bad due to snow. Would suggest a set of drawers in master bedroom. Beautiful house wonderful stay thoroughly enjoyable.

Matt

Stayed here for my daughters wedding

Stayed here for 1 week as daughter getting married. There was 7 of us staying at Southwinds and it was very spacious and roomy with a large kitchen /diner with table set for 8 Bedrooms were nicely decorated and clean Large garden with patio furniture Spent most of our evenings sat outside as the weather was fine Lovely Welcome pack too in the kitchen Enjoyed our stay here and would definitely return

Guest

Relaxing break in wonderful location

We wanted a midweek break in May and this was a great choice. The house has plenty of room and everything you need, including plenty of parking and 2 TVs. The ground floor bedroom with en-suite was great for elderly or infirm (just one small step down from the bathroom) and the patio area was a real sun trap. On the edge of the village there were walks from the front door, but still only a stroll into town.

Michael

A short stay

We stayed in Bourton-on-the-Water in April 2022. Southwinds was well presented and comfortable base for our activities.

Andrew

Lovely 3 night stay for all the family

We chose to visit the Cotswolds for my 30th and after checking which large houses were available to accommodate us all settled on South Winds in Bourton-On-The-Water. The Meet & Greet wasn't available on our arrival date but this was fine as everything was explained in a quick phone call ahead of time and we were able to let ourselves in with the key box. The house was a good size for the number of guests, and was decorated tastefully throughout. Each bedroom, even the single room, was a decent size and everyone commented on how comfortable the bedding was. The dining area was so lovely that we found ourselves congregating there rather than in the family rooms and the kitchen was a good size to accommodate multiple chefs at once and was stocked with essentials like washing up liquid, kitchen foil, cooking oil etc. as well as a full-size fridge, oven, hob and dishwasher perfect for a large group. The garden was also a good size and would been great for kids, the garden furniture and bbq looked nice, though it was too cold for us to use during our stay. Overall we had a lovely stay and would happily come back again in the future

Laura

Very comfortable

We had a lovely stay in Bourton- on-the-Water with a catered dinner for 6 plus baby which went well.

Chris

Fantastic!

Great cottage in a great place! We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The cottage was completely decorated for Christmas which our two little boys loved. It is cozy and everything you need is present. Thanks Bolthole, we'd love to come back!

Kim

We had a lovely stay.

All was really good. We had a lovely time despite poor weather. The accommodation was excellent. It suited all ages.

Anne

Relaxing family weekend

A lovely family weekend break for 3 generations. South Winds is easy walking distance from the village and has ample parking making it an ideal location for a Cotswold break. The house is pleasant and quite well equipped, the beds are comfortable, and the furnishings are in good condition. Not a cheap rental house but is recommended if you are looking for convenient village comfort.

Sharon

A Perfect Stay

South Winds is a beautiful 4 bedroom cottage with all the essentials needed for a comfortable stay. The massive kitchen diner with large kitchen table was especially impressive. My family of 6 adults and a toddler had lots of quality time around the very large kitchen table. The garden is lovely and safe for children to play. Our grandson had lots of fun playing football. There is comfortable outside seating with a table. We had a couple of BBQ nights which was good fun. The location of the house is perfect as it’s within easy walking distance to the main village area but away enough to feel very peaceful. Bolthole Retreats had excellent communication, always replied to any queries I had prior to departure swiftly and all the necessary information in regards to check in/departure etc was given in ample time. There is also a very good information booklet at the cottage itself. Had a wonderful stay.

Teresa

Lovely cottage, ideally located

We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at South Winds. The cottage is spacious and very comfortable, perfect for our party of 4 adults and 2 children. The well equipped kitchen/dining area was really lovely with patio doors opening out onto the rear garden - we were lucky to have gorgeous weather and the sun was on the garden all day long. The cottage's location is within a quiet residential cul-de-sac which was very peaceful, but it is only a 15 minute walk into the bustling, beautiful village of Bourton-on-the-water. We were pleased that we did not have to worry about finding a car parking space in the village, with car parks being very full on a busy Bank Holiday weekend. Special thanks to James on the Management Team who was extremely courteous and helpful when we stupidly locked ourselves out of the cottage one evening.

Peter

Lovely roomy house

We stayed in South Winds for 3 nights in December and were very comfortable and warm. The kitchen area is fantastic and well equipped. It is conveniently located without being in an area that is too busy and crowded. My only small criticism was that the meet and greet service were unable to meet and greet us!

Wendy

Amazing House

We booked Southwinds for a few days before our wedding and the house was amazing. Perfect location in a lovely village. Will defiantly be returning.

James

Pleasant Break

The house is a mere 11 minutes walk into Bourton On The Water so ideally located. The beds were very comfortable. The kitchen diner area is the main hub as it is so bright and airy. The views over the rear are lovely and open. It was a lovely quick stay.

Guest

Great location and beautiful cottage

South Winds is a beautiful cottage in a great location, providing essentials such as a BBQ, TV, a fabulous kitchen and comfortable bedrooms. It was clean and tidy, and the company we booked with were very helpful and accommodating to ours needs. There were a few issues, however, such as one back door and several windows not opening. They were apparently 'still' broken. It got incredibly hot and made it difficult to cool down. There wasn't enough bin bags or toilet roll provided either.

Louise

Everything you need and more

Great home comforts, plenty of space for six/seven people. Everything to a high spec. Location ideal for pubs/restaurants and walks, without being in the middle of tourist hot spots.

Thomas

Cheltenham Festival

We stayed at South Winds for the Festival and enjoyed it immensely. Everything about the house was fantastic, the cleanliness, the facilities, the aspect and most of all the comfort. I normally judge a rental by the quality of it’s cutlery and it was up there with the best. Would love to go back in warmer weather for some walking in the area followed by a barbecue in the garden.

John

Brilliant weekend getaway

We stayed here for a weekend to celebrate my Dad's birthday. We were a group of 8 - 6 adults and two small children - and it felt really spacious, especially as each couple had their own bathrooms. The dining/kitchen area was lovely and perfect for family meals. Would definitely recommend!

Isabelle

Practically perfect!

We searched extensively before booking our accommodation as we were three couples and one child looking for various individual requirements. South Winds ticked all our boxes and after spending a lovely week there it actually exceeded our expectations. It's obviously fairly recently refurbished and has everything you need for a wonderful stay. The location was just as we wanted too being just a short walk to all the attractions in Bourton include plenty of eating venue options and having plenty of walks around the area.

Raymond

Some things need to change for the money paid

The property needs to be fully completed after renovation before being let out, some basic faults: No privacy from big windows in back extension. This room with its glass roof would be unbearable hot in summer. Downstairs bedroom still has feel of a garage - continual flashing of smoke alarm, wall heating light, old bathroom with step up from bedroom ( not suited to those with limited mobility as stated in promotion of property. Also lack of safety rails and rubber non-slip mat in shower. Continual ticking of metre boxes in this bedroom unbearable so don't expect to get a good night's sleep No occasional tables anywhere e.g. In lounge, reading area in big back room Under floor heating needs to be sorted out properly Cleaning of a very poor standard Could get better accommodation for money charged

Guest

Fantastic weekend away in the perfect cottage

We recently visited Bourton on the water and stayed at the Southfield property for my mothers 60th birthday. The house itself is absolutely perfect for 7 people to stay at with 3 large double bedrooms two of which are en suite and one smaller single bed room. Downstairs is a large open plan dining room/ kitchen where spent most of our time with a table that can seat 10 comfortably. There are also two other separate living rooms with televisions and big sofas to relax in. Double French doors open to the garden which has a very nice patio area complete with bbq and outside table and chairs. The rest of the garden is grass and excremental for children to play in. The location of the house is just outside of Bourton on the water, about a 5-10 minute walk away. The village is lovely though extremely busy during the weekend as it seems very touristy. In the evening though it was very pleasant. I’m summary I would thoroughly recommend staying in this property it was very clean and very well decorated. By far the best property I saw for the price when searching extensively in the Cotswolds for a weekend away!

Guy