Great location. Accommodation comfortable, though in need of some TLC. Well equipped kitchen for our party - more would struggle with small fridge. Bedrooms very crowded with too many beds (rental only possible for 8), also dark and felt rather damp due to being at the rear of the property under very large, dark cypress trees. Location made this rental. Rather pricey for obvious reasons!

Great location. Accommodation comfortable, though in need of some TLC. Well equipped kitchen for our party - more would struggle with small fridge. Bedrooms very crowded with too many beds (rental only possible for 8), also dark and felt rather damp due to being at the rear of the property under very large, dark cypress trees. Location made this rental. Rather pricey for obvious reasons!

Average

Average

On arrival at Vine Cottage we were met by maintenance man who advised that there had been a water problem as there had been a leak from the pipe from the adjacent hotel. Rather than wait to ensure it was solved, he advised to wait an hour and then turn on the pump, situated in the unlit cellar of one of the outbuildings. If that didn't work, he suggested I speak to the hotel. I did as instructed on both counts (the hotel gave a different version of the problem suggesting it was the ancient pump/plumbing). A dribble of brown water came out in the kitchen and nothing in either of the bathrooms or toilets. I called the Halcyon Holidays' (property manager) emergency number many times. No answer. Voicemail suggested I email. I did. None of this is easy as the site (great location on Rhinefield Drive) has pretty weak phone network coverage (3 different networks tried in our family group) and the WiFi is again very poor, dropping in and out. Despite our efforts, it took almost 2 hours before Halcyon started replying by text and email (we had had to drive into Brockenhurst to buy additional bottled water by this stage)and get a reliable signal. After several emails but no call back from them, we were finally offered an "upgrade" by Halcyon (8.30pm by this stage) to another of their properties - Wheathill - just out of the forest. With toilets and showers unusable and no news on anything being done to sort the water we felt it was this or drive home. We gave it a go. Wheathill is reviewed online and whilst initial impressions were not as bad as the reviews it was just not suitable for my family and dogs. So at about 9.30om we gave up, and took the decision to drive home arriving at 12.30am. Vine Cottage is in a great location in a large garden it shares with Bothy Cottage. It is basic inside (which suited my family and dogs) but apart from the water situation (which my subsequent digging suggests has been a problem at Bothy before), the 'cottage' looks like it was the former greenhouse to the main house (now hotel). For us this meant that when we arrived (not on a baking day) it was unpleasantly hot in the kitchen, lounge, dining area....there is only one window and it was painted shut. I spotted 2 mobile air-conditioning units and both were broken. Aside from this, Halcyon who manage Vine and several other New Forest properties were difficult to communicate with. Still never had a call, 4 days later. Google them for others' views.