Brackenwood in Caldy, Wirral

Where to begin?! Positives: Gorgeous house, stunning views and fantastic location. Amenities in the house were great. Loads of activities, kitchen storage/utensils and generally very clean. Negatives: Unfortunately, the owner lets down the property. Poor communication from the start and throughout. Wanting further hefty deposits on the day of arrival despite £500 already being paid! Passive aggressive labels all over the house. Bi-fold doors which you’re not allowed to open, which totally takes away from the selling point of the house. Security cameras pointing directly at the hot-tub and outdoor seating area as well as a ring doorbell on the main property - making you feel like you are being watched 24/7. Mysterious male wanting to ‘look around’ while we were at the property (could be unrelated) but feeling as though the owner was ‘checking discretely on the guests’. Good luck trying to get your deposits back as it took multiple phones calls and over 2 weeks from departure to actually get this back despite leaving the property spotless! You will be kicked out at 9:45am despite the 10am departure time as the cleaners (who were a credit to the property!!) are instructed to arrive at this time to scope out the house for damage. I would like to think this is a one off with the owner but unfortunately these issues ruined the weekend for myself and the rest of the party. Wouldn’t call this a ‘celebration house’. Such a shame.

Brackenwood is a charming property, ideal for large family groups, we were a multigenerational group ages 9-85. The house was spotlessly clean on arrival and a good selection of self catering equipment available. The location was excellent being close to local beaches and easy access to visit Chester Zoo, Cheshire Oaks and of course Liverpool. My personal highlight was a visit to PortSunlight. Overall we had a lovely week together catching up as a family. Many thanks to Julie the housekeeper who made us feel welcome and was available to answer our queries.

Fabulous family weekend away to celebrate my husband’s 70th The house and garden was perfect to meet our needs, even in November. Thank you.