The Skydeck

4.0★

10 Guests
5 Bedrooms
5 Bathrooms
Pets Yes
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Features

Swimming pool
Off road parking
Sauna
Open fire
Garden / Patio
Cot available
Highchair available
Pub/shop < 1 mile
Dishwasher
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

* Based on a combined average customer score

22 Customer Review(s)

Peter
May 2025

“A reasonably comfortable weekend break for a multi-generational family of 10.”

Maintenance an issue including very noisy extractor fan in master bedroom; condition of all the outside decking (we had to ensure children did not go outside in bare feet) and large hole in stairs carpet. We will not be using Sykes Cottages again. We tried to contact Sykes by phone with some queries regarding the property 10 days before the booking commenced. Initially we were told the wait time was 30 minutes which slowly reduced to 12 minutes and then by 2 minute intervals increased back to ...

Maintenance an issue including very noisy extractor fan in master bedroom; condition of all the outside decking (we had to ensure children did not go outside in bare feet) and large hole in stairs carpet. We will not be using Sykes Cottages again. We tried to contact Sykes by phone with some queries regarding the property 10 days before the booking commenced. Initially we were told the wait time was 30 minutes which slowly reduced to 12 minutes and then by 2 minute intervals increased back to 30 minutes. We then tried using their text message system to be told “an agent will be in touch as soon as possible”. After 3 days with no response I texted again asking for a response, to be told they were waiting for a response from the local office. After a further 5 days they responded saying they were busy and did I still want a response. I replied “yes”. On the day before we were due to travel with still no response I texted again asking if they were able to give me an answer. They responded saying they needed my booking number before they could answer - back to the beginning of the process again! Needless to say we never received an answer to our queries.

- Peter, May 2025

Thank you for your feedback on The Skydeck. We are really sorry to hear that you could not contact us on the telephone. We do provide the email address for the local office prior to your stay, we are sorry you didn't feel you could reach out to us with your questions. The carpet area has now been addressed with a temporary repair until we have time to fit a new carpet, the whole is no longer there. Our maintenance team have attended to repair any areas of the decking that were in need of repairing. Best wishes. Manor Cottages Property Owner
Sharon May 2025

“The property has a great location and appears to have great amenities.”

However there were issues with the cleanliness and general maintenance of the property. I got the feeling the property was cleaned after the last guests and not inspected prior to my use. The fridge held 2 tubs of discarded ice cream and bags of ice cubes. I would have expected these to have been removed and the freezer cleaned prior to my use. There were dead insects and cobwebs around the inside of the property. Whilst I do understand that the timing of our stay meant there were many many many flying insects, inspection of the property would have eliminated this issue. The outside furniture was dirty and needed to be cleaned. We were on vacation so didn’t feel we wanted to do this so we basically did not use it. There were multiple areas where items were stored such as in the closets ( a very old tv is one and a paint can another)and possibly discarded or broken kitchen items stored in the kitchen cabinets. There was a hole in the carpet 3-4 inches long on the stairs which presented a trip hazard. The closet door in the master suite was very difficult to open and there was a sign on another closet door stating it was broken and the owner was aware. Surely this should have been dealt with before we arrived? The whole unit which was beautifully appointed had an uncared for and not particularly clean feel. This was very evident on the outside decking which needed to have several areas made more secure.

- Sharon, May 2025

Thank you for your feedback, we're pleased you enjoyed the property's location and amenities. We take concerns seriously and can assure you that housekeeping and maintenance review the property regularly. The unopened freezer items were left for your convenience, but we will reinforce that only ice should be left. Given the natural surroundings, some insects are unavoidable, but we're exploring ways to minimize their presence. The garden furniture, decking, and building receive seasonal specialist cleaning, and larger maintenance is scheduled between bookings. We appreciate your honest feedback and remain committed to improvements. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention, and we hope we can welcome you back to the Cotswold's again soon. Best Wishes Manor Cottages Property Owner
Kate May 2025

“The Skydeck was a lovely place to spend a long weekend with family - well-equipped, comfortable and clean.”

The views from the top floors were incredible, and the position with nearby access to the nature reserve was perfect for walking the dogs! Our queries were dealt with quickly and probably the only thing we would change would be the addition of some blinds on the top floor to reduce the heat.

- Kate, May 2025
Bernadette April 2025

“Lovely property in an excellent location great for walking and outdoor activities.”

Beds very comfortable and the property is well equipped. A few extra mugs would be handy. It would benefit from some blinds in the kitchen diner as it got very warm this week. The skydeck had lovely views but the staircase access would not be suitable for young children or those with mobility issues. There are some chairs and tables but no shade. The property is a bit tired in places and would benefit from updating. 2 of the ensuites have baths with hand held shower attachment. These would be better with a proper shower over bath or just showers. These are suggestions for improvement they did not spoil our stay and we would return. Be aware there are a lot of flies around the water park. Unavoidable given the environment.

- Bernadette, April 2025

Thank you for your feedback. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay, we shall look at your suggestions and have already added a few extra mugs. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best Wishes Manor Cottages Property Owner
Andrew October 2024

“We really enjoyed our stay here.”

It was pretty much perfect. Everything seemed quite new. We loved the skydeck and being surrounded by lakes. We loved how many bathrooms there were. The cottage had everything we needed. It's also good to see a cottage owner actually give enough toilet paper for our stay. We also appreciated the little touches, such as the welcome basket, the milk, and just being left to enjoy our stay with no interruptions. If I was just to give a few suggestions that would have made the stay perfect: 1) it would be good if there was some lighting on the skydeck for the evenings. 2) the hot water didn't work for the last evening and morning for some reason, so might be worth looking at. 3) we could have done with more dishwasher tablets. Thanks for a wonderful stay, and we hope to come again soon.

- Andrew, October 2024

Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback. We are glad to hear you had such an enjoyable stay and were able to relax away from it all. We have taken your comments on board and will investigate further. We hope we can welcome you back again soon. Kind Regards, Manor Cottages Property Owner
Geoffrey October 2023

“There are no instructions for what to do with bedding when you leave.”

First floor double bedroom - shower drains very slowly. No instructions for where to put rubbish bags. No instructions on how to use TV. Standard of cleaning was below average - lots of hair and dust under the chairs in the sitting room - we cleaned it up! The standard of the outdoor cushions was poor - they need replacing more frequently.

- Geoffrey, October 2023
Amanda August 2023

“We are 2 families with children.”

The house was perfect for us, the kitchen is very well equipped and the house is very comfortable. It is finished to high standard. The water park is fantastic! We had a brilliant stay and will definitely be back

- Amanda, August 2023
Andrea July 2023

“Great property!”

- Andrea, July 2023
Robin June 2023

“It is a beautiful house on a good spot.”

Except the living room is getting too hot and there is no airco of no measures to keep the flying animals away when you open the window. Otherwise it would be perfect. We got the keycodes for the house and the entrance of the park. The code for entrance of the park was not right. We had to ring at the door and sometimes it wasn't answered and we had to wait for another car to drive by so we could go after that car. I sent an email about the codes and the answer was that is was their last information and otherwise I had to inform at security. Not very friendly towars a costumer.

- Robin, June 2023
Paul December 2022

“A delightful, unique property with homely furnishings – perfect for a party of 8 which included 2 small children.”

We loved the environment and free use of pool and tennis courts.

- Paul, December 2022
Anne-marie October 2022

“Covers on the sofas are not great quality and don’t fit well, maybe look at throws?”

? Also no clothes airer, one would be useful! Some bulbs needed changing and batteries in remote needed replacing only minor details! A lovely property that suited the needs of a multi generational family group!

- Anne-marie, October 2022
David October 2022

“When we arrived at the Skydeck on Friday 7th October as is my custom I made a tour of the facilities and found several problems which to me meant that the property had not been checked prior to our arrival.”

Our party numbered 10 adults five couples. We found only eight white mugs for a cup of tea , a few teaspoons not ten, we attempted to use the grill but it would not heat to any sort of temperature to use. not all the showers had been cleaned to a satisfactory level leaving hairs etc photo taken, One of the sofa stretch coverings was all torn. Some of the double bedrooms had only one bedside table and one small light, All bedrooms were allocated two bath sheets and only one small hand towel per couple one bedroom had a very large TV but nowhere to hang a single item of clothing. I did contact the local office and we did receive some more cups and an engineer arrived to make the grill work. lots of small things which when added together made the whole experience not as pleasant as it could have been

- David, October 2022

Thank you for your feedback. Apologies you experienced some issues and were disappointed, we do welcome guests' comments. We are pleased that you contacted our office to give us the opportunity to rectify some of these during your stay. Our managed team will review all of your comments. We hope that you were still able to enjoy your stay. Best wishes Manor Cottages Property Owner
May August 2022

“To say we are disappointed with the service received and the general state of the property is an understatement.”

We logged the following issues with you and they were allocated case reference COR-279277-CF. These were originally logged on 13 August: Broken freezer - still not working properly when we left on 19 August. We had frozen food with us which we then had to disgard given the lack of a working freezer. Obviously this is most unsatisfactory. Only one spa pass was left for us. This was still unresolved when we left on 19 August and caused us some issues as a party of 10 as we had to 'negotiate' with the reception staff every time we wanted to use the facilities. Balcony furniture was tatty and in some cases unusable. Cushions were missing and the deck chairs had no seating inserts, so were unusable. We had no contact with the owner or yourselves other than a holding email to say you were going to contact the owner,.with regards the issues flagged. What I find most astounding is that today I have received an email from yourselves advisng that all the issues have been resolved - what a joke!!!! This is totally unacceptable and we will be posting reviews to say this. In addition to all of the above I would also like to point out the poor cleaning undertaken within the house. Every room was filled with cobwebs and spiders, which have obviously been there for some time. The kitchen surfaces (behind the toaster) was covered in dead flies and dust. In addition the outside of the property would benefit from some cleaning - all the windows and the glass on outside areas were covered in thick cobwebs, which I would suggest hadn't been cleaned for months and months. They were so bad that one of our party cleaned the outside areas himself. As a slight aside, I would also suggest that the property needs some attention with regards decor. The carpets are dirty/stained and the walls scuffed and marked throughout. All of the above is most disappointing, given we paid nearly £3k for a weeks stay in the property.

- May, August 2022

Thank you for leaving us some feedback. We picked up on your email straight away regarding the freezer to which we wanted to send someone to have a look and resolve this. You came back to us saying this was no longer the case so no need for anyone to come out. I really wish you got in contact if this wasn't the case. 1 pass does cover everyone in the property but we are in the process of getting more for ease. I will pass on the comments about the outdoor furniture and cushions. I really do apologize about the clean not being up to standard. I do wish you would have contacted us and we could have got a team round to rectify this immediately. We do hope you had a lovely stay. Property Owner
David July 2022

“When we arrived at the property, it had not been cleaned and had no beds ready for our arrival.”

The cleaners turned up at 7.00 and we finally got in to the property at 10.30pm when we then had to start unpacking. A very disappointing start to the holiday exacerbated by having to wait outside the property for our prebooked food delivery and a gift for one of our party was delivered and signed for on the Friday but never found for us despite numerous requests to the owners. We were disappointed by the owners’ responses to our complaints whilst we were away as all they stated was that they hoped we would enjoy the rest of the week. Very upsetting start to our first family holiday in 3 years.

- David, July 2022

I'm truly so sorry you had to wait for us to clean your property. This should never have been the case. Due to unforeseen circumstances with the housekeeper it meant she was unable to attend the property and wasn't able to contact us. I hope that us refunding you for the price of the delivery that was never delivered to you and the dinner on us was enough to show our sincere apologies. Best Wishes, Manor Cottages. Property Owner
Keith June 2022

“Excellent stay in wonderful area.”

Difficult to find house. Suggest map be provided with documents.

- Keith, June 2022

Thank you for taking the time to leave a feedback. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay and will forward your recommendations to the owner. We look forward to welcoming you again soon. Manor cottages Property Owner
Chris May 2022

“The decor and facilities are a little dated and showing their age.”

There were a number of maintenance issues that needed addressing - lights not working, doors not fitting etc. The deck was very poor. It was desperately in need of a paint and refresh. The deck furniture was very limited. There were deck chair frames but no material. We contacted the owners without success at tracking it down. We made very little use of the deck.

- Chris, May 2022

Thank you for taking the time to leave a feedback, we are so sorry you had issues while your stay. Maintenance will go over now and sort all issues and we will inform owners of your recommendations. we look forward to welcoming you again soon. Property Owner
Amy May 2022

“We had a lovely stay at the skydeck.”

The accomodation was great with every room having an ensuite. The views from the balcony and skydeck were beautiful. It was lovely to spend the evening eat up on te skydeck. We enjoyed the facilities including the lovely pools and the steam room and sauna. It was also great that the owner provided dishwasher tablets, fairy liquid, sponges, hand soap, firelighters and some logs for the log burner.

- Amy, May 2022

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice feedback, we are delighted you enjoyed your stay and we look forward to welcoming you again soon. Manor cottages Property Owner
Stewart November 2021

“This is more for the developer than the owner,catering for 10 with one oven is problematic.”

The site is like a rabbit warren & the black signs with small lettering are not easily seen in the dark. Lost count of the times we got lost. The property is superb, very clean & well appointed. All five couples said they'd come back & use it again.

- Stewart, November 2021

We're so pleased you enjoyed the property and would love to welcome all five couples back in the future! Property Owner
Kate October 2021

“The property is well appointed and lovely inside however just a couple of minor things.”

A couple of the beds had very soft mattresses which I would suggest need replacing. And there are not enough big pans for cooking for that amount of people.

- Kate, October 2021

Thank you for taking the time to feedback on your stay at The Skydeck. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your stay and appreciate you bringing these things to our attention. The property has just undergone a full inventory check and things such as the pans you have mentioned will be replaced. Property Owner
Aaron September 2021

“This is a great location and the property was spacious and well stocked with essentials to make our stay.”

However, it needs a little work to bring it up to the standard of the price being charged for it. A little extra TLC and cleaning is required. The windows are filthy and the amount of spiders was like a scene from a horror movie. Some fly nets on the windows in the kitchen might help? Particularly the corner window, we recommend not opening that for what crawled in within 5 mins sent shivers down my spine and nearly ruined dinner. But creepy crawlers aside, the spa was great, but remember to book your slot or no entry. We had a lovely, memorable two days.

- Aaron, September 2021

Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry for the issues that you encountered during your stay and will take your suggestions for improvement into full consideration. We would love to welcome you back anytime in the future. Property Owner
Sandra May 2021

“We all had a great time but there are just a couple of things that would have made it fantastic.”

We didn’t wear shoes in the house as requested and a couple of us went up to the sky deck with no shoes on and got splinters in our feet as there are places where the decking is not fixed properly. Also the cushions for the sun loungers aren’t great. We did have a problem with a shower leaking and the hot water for the first floor but we reported it and it was all fixed within a couple of hours. However the whole family loved the house and it’s surroundings and the children have all asked if we could visit again, they thought it was like staying in a castle. We all felt the benefit of the tranquility of the surroundings and loved watching and listening to lake and all its inhabitants. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay,

- Sandra, May 2021

Thank you for your feedback with regards to your recent stay at The Skydeck. It's wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed your stay and we will pass on your comments to the owner. We hope to welcome you back again in the near future. Property Owner
Louise September 2020

“We enjoyed staying at The Skydeck and the surrounding area is beautiful.”

The spa was open for swimming and was nice and clean, the Ballyhoo restaurant was lovely and the food really good. We managed to have local takeaways 2 nights and they were nice but expensive. On the whole the Skydeck had everything we needed but the lack of blinds/curtains on the 2nd floor ( living area) made it very uncomfortable to relax. We were lucky that we had some good weather while we were there but being unable to block out the sun made it too hot, like a greenhouse. When we opened the patio doors to let in some cool air we got an incredible amount of bugs in the accomodation. We couldn't possibly keep the patio doors open in the evening as the bugs were even worse. I understand that being close to a lake increases the chance of this which is why I don't understand why the owners wouldn't put in blinds and air conditioning or even just a fan considering you can't open windows. This was such an issue that it would prevent us from booking the Skydeck again.

- Louise, September 2020
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Summary

Over 4 floors, upside down layout
5 bedrooms
Ground Floor: 1 x king size master bedroom with en suite shower, basin and WC and access to a private deck area, 1 x double with en suite bathroom with bath, handheld shower, washbasin and WC
Ground floor cloakroom with basin and WC
First Floor: 1 x double, 1 x twin with en-suite, handheld shower, basin and WC with access to decked area, 1 x double with en suite shower, basin and WC and access to decked area, 1 x familly shower room with shower, basin and WC
Second Floor: open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area, with wood burner with access to decked area
Third Floor: outside fully finished decked area.
Central heating, wood burner
Electric gas hob and electric oven, dishwasher, microwave, coffee machine, fridge, freezer, washing machine/dryer
TV with freeview, DVD, WIFI, iPod dock
Fuel and power inc in rent
Please note an initial supply of logs & kindling is provided for the property between October until end of March; additional log supplies can be purchased locally
Bed linen and towels inc in rent
Travel cot and highchair
Decked areas accessed by 3 bedrooms and from living area with seating, third floor private decked with table, chairs and sun loungers
Shared, unlimited access to the spa, indoor and outdoor pools and gym
Off road parking with 2 adjacent parking spaces and overflow parking not far from the house
No smoking
Shop 0.5 miles, pub 1.5 miles
Note: There is a good housekeeping bond of £500, payable in advance of arrival
Note: Please advise at the time of booking if your party is a single sex group, No hens or stags will be allowed
There are many indoor and outdoor facilities available for you to enjoy on site, such as; bike hire, tennis, watersports, indoor soft play, children's activities and adults' classes
These tend to require booking in advance. Please visit the website to find out more and to book: https://lowermillestate.com/lifestyle

The property

The Skydeck is located on Howells Mere overlooking the Site of Special Scientific Interest, and with stunning, far reaching views this is another high quality property in one of the most prestigious locations on the Cotswold Lakes.

Inside the owners have created an amazing, contemporary holiday home, which has clearly been developed with self catering holidays in mind.

On the first two floors are five good sized bedrooms most with terraces and views towards the water, leading to the top floor - an open plan living space with 360 degree views across the lakes and surrounding countryside.

Finally there is the 'skydeck' itself - the very top floor - an outdoor roof terrace with exceptional and interrupted views for miles.

Wow!

Additionally, the property, of course, is situated within a stroll of the multi-million pound Artspa facility - with its indoor and outdoor heated pools, which really complete the package This is an excellent self catering holiday home with the added flexibility of an on-site restaurant - we are quite sure you will agree!

All facilities are currently open at the estate for your use, but please note you MUST book a time slot prior to arrival to use most of the on site facilities.

Please visit the website to find out more: https://lowermillestate.com/lifestyle

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £500.

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About the location

COTSWOLD WATER PARK

Cirencester 4 miles.

Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, The Cotswold Water Park is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, covering 40 square miles and made up of over 140 lakes surrounded by picturesque Cotswold villages, historic market towns and an area of lakes larger than the Norfolk Broads. The Cotswold Water Park is Britain's largest water park and offers a wide range of activities including boating, water skiing, fishing (some of the finest trout fishing in the country), cycling, walking, golf and horse riding. Also on the estate can be found a swimming pool, sauna, tennis courts, croquet lawn, children's play area and for nature lovers the water park offers an abundance of bird and animal life on the three nature reserves, which can be observed throughout the year. The beautiful Roman town of Cirencester, Gateway to the Cotswolds, is just 4 miles away with excellent shopping, restaurants, ancient buildings and museums.

Note: There is seating for 9 in the living area, and dining chairs for 10.

Note: There is a good housekeeping bond of £500.

Note: Please advise at the time of booking if your party is a for a hen/stag or similar.

Note: This property is over 4 floors, and has an upside down layout with the bedrooms on the ground and first floors and living area on the second floor, may not be suitable for those with limited mobility.

Please note an initial supply of logs & kindling is provided for the property between October until end of March; additional log supplies can be purchased locally.

Note: There are many facilities at the estate for you to enjoy. Please visit the website to find out more:

https://lowermillestate.com/lifestyle

This property offers the following short breaks:

Winter
Off-season
Last minute
Christmas

The Skydeck

Cotswold Water Park, Gloucestershire (Ref. 1022370)

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Features

Reviews & Ratings

“A reasonably comfortable weekend break for a multi-generational family of 10.”

“The property has a great location and appears to have great amenities.”

“The Skydeck was a lovely place to spend a long weekend with family - well-equipped, comfortable and clean.”

“Lovely property in an excellent location great for walking and outdoor activities.”

“We really enjoyed our stay here.”

“There are no instructions for what to do with bedding when you leave.”

“We are 2 families with children.”

“Great property!”

“It is a beautiful house on a good spot.”

“A delightful, unique property with homely furnishings – perfect for a party of 8 which included 2 small children.”

“Covers on the sofas are not great quality and don’t fit well, maybe look at throws?”

“When we arrived at the Skydeck on Friday 7th October as is my custom I made a tour of the facilities and found several problems which to me meant that the property had not been checked prior to our arrival.”

“To say we are disappointed with the service received and the general state of the property is an understatement.”

“When we arrived at the property, it had not been cleaned and had no beds ready for our arrival.”

“Excellent stay in wonderful area.”

“The decor and facilities are a little dated and showing their age.”

“We had a lovely stay at the skydeck.”

“This is more for the developer than the owner,catering for 10 with one oven is problematic.”

“The property is well appointed and lovely inside however just a couple of minor things.”

“This is a great location and the property was spacious and well stocked with essentials to make our stay.”

“We all had a great time but there are just a couple of things that would have made it fantastic.”

“We enjoyed staying at The Skydeck and the surrounding area is beautiful.”

Summary

The property

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About the location

COTSWOLD WATER PARK