Crab Cottage

On the plus side, we really liked the way the cottage was laid out and the aga was a bonus once we discovered how to make it hot enough to cook in.

The garden (although a climb) offered outside space, however the view of the sea was partially obscured by vegetation. The plastic box containing garden furniture had a door which was on the floor when we arrived and needs fixing. The boiler was located in a locked shed with no clear access if needed. We experienced a flood in the main shower on the Sunday after we arrived due to a blocked trap, which we managed to clear. It appeared to be a build-up over time. There were a number of maintenance issues throughout the stay. The aga required regular adjustment as it overheated at times, and there were spider webs on the extraction fan. There are numerous light switches that do not operate any lights, and the lighting in part of the kitchen/dining area was inadequate. The underfloor heating was difficult to regulate, sometimes becoming much hotter without adjustment. The kitchen filter tap often ran hot. The bedroom with the ensuite had a speaker but no main lighting, and the bedside lights were not sufficient for the room. The ensuite toilet flushed with hot water for most of the week. There were limited logs provided for the fire, which was not sufficient during colder weather. There was an old, broken microwave in the scullery, and cupboards contained a number of unused items that could be cleared. While there were supplies such as toilet paper and dishwasher tablets, there were limited basic kitchen items such as cleaning products, tea towels and cooking essentials. The pots, pans and trays were well used. The information provided for operating appliances and systems was limited and would benefit from being clearer. The gutter at the front of the house also appeared to require repair during wet weather. None of this reflects on the cleaning staff, as the cottage was clean, well presented, and furnished with comfortable beds and good quality towels. The cottage is in a great position and has a lot of potential, but a number of maintenance issues affected the overall experience.

This was my fourth stay at Crab Cottage.

It is an excellent lovely cottage, well equipped and cleaned to a high standard. With the underfloor heating and the Aga, there was certainly no need for any additional heating. Very cosy indeed. Ideally situated for beach walks and the views from the garden are magnificent.

We stayed in Crab Cottage over Christmas.

I was a little apprehensive at first as this was our first Christmas away from home in 50 years! However, all of that melted away when entering the cottage to a really warm welcome. The cottage was warm, well equipped and had everything we needed for a great Christmas. The welcome hamper with Christmas goodies in was a lovely touch. The beds were comfortable and the showers all good. There were a couple of little maintenance niggles (the cabinet in the en-suite and a couple of lights not working) but nothing that impacted our stay at all. The garden area was spectacular and I ur dog was the happiest pooch in Sandsend! Would definitely return!

We had a relaxing stay at this well equipped cottage.

The beds were very comfortable and the kitchen was equipped with everything that we needed. The utility area proved useful for drying coats on the day that rained relentlessly! The garden areas are lovely and with super views (as stated in the listing, not suitable for people with mobility issues due to the steepness and steps involved) and we really enjoyed using the summer house, particularly at night for star gazing. The en suite shower was blocked initially and it was sorted quickly after we reported it and we were kept informed throughout. The Hart Inn and Fish Cottage serve delicious food (worth booking at the pub as it gets busy) and there are lots of nearby walks to enjoy. The car parking spaces are a real bonus to the property. We really enjoyed our stay and would return.

The cottage is beautiful.

In a lovely location and has great sea views. We particularly enjoyed the garden area. Some down sides, some of the windows couldn’t be opened. (Mainly ones upstairs in the bedrooms) despite us trying the keys in the drawers. There were no fans in the property and the AGA was on when we arrived, the heat was in the high 20’s which made the place unbearable on an evening to sleep. Which is a shame as the beds are incredibly comfortable. Also the cleanliness wasn’t that great. It’s when we looked a little closer and noted that the AGA top wasn’t clean, the sides didn’t look wiped down, dead flies and other insects around the windows, cobwebs here and there. Which again was a shame. Finally the shower in the front bedroom was boiling hot, despite turning the taps down to fully cold. I also noticed this as we left on the tap on the kitchen sink. We weren’t there long enough to mention it really, and if I’m honest Sykes were a nightmare to try and get a hold of before our booking began so I can’t imagine it would have been easy to call someone to come and resolve the issues. The last thing you want to do on your holiday is press one for this, press two for that, please hold etc. The owner did stop by on our second day to drop off a welcome hamper which was kind of her. And in all honesty, the cottage was so nice despite the above, we would love to stay there again. Location and views alone made it worth it. I think Sykes are letting it down, I tried to amend the dates and it was incredibly difficult to get in touch with anyone, but then only when I made a complaint did someone get back in touch and offer a gesture of goodwill free night. Either way, our family had a lovely stay overall and I’m sure with the bits mentioned above ironed out. It would be perfect.

Nice cottage in a wonderful location.

The beds are so comfortable! Garden is just lovely with superb views. Well equipped and the welcome hamper is good. The area outside the back door could be cleaned up and refreshed a bit.

review ok

Really lovely property in the perfect location.

Beds very comfortable and having towels and a hamper on arrival were very welcome. And having designated parking spaces was a god send. Just to let you know that we heard a bang upstairs and found a the bathroom mirror had come unstuck from the wall, to reveal a hidden TV (opposite the spa bath). We used neither. There was also a some black mould in the shower, which didn’t bother us but might some guests. We would still stay again!

We had a great week at Crab Cottage.

The cottage is lovely and the garden is fabulous. There are a lot of steps in the garden but that was OK for us. Location is perfect with a bus stop and the beach at the end of the road. We had an issue with one of the showers but a plumber was sent out within a couple of hours and it was resolved by the time we got back from a trip out, which was a great response.

Lovely cottage beautiful garden with great views added bonus was the allocated parking.

The treat hamper was unexpected but must welcome.Just across the road from the beach which the dog loved. We were so lucky with the sunny weather great base to explore the area. Walked on the Cleveland Way visited Runswick Bay & Whitby. Recommend the Fish Cottage we have a fabulous meal there. Had a brilliant week thank you.

This is the third time I have stayed at Crab Cottage.

A beautiful, well furnished and very well equipped cosy cottage. Stunning views from the garden. If I could suggest a bread bin, that would be great. Looking forward to my next return.

We had a wonderful stay at Crab Cottage.

The location was fantastic for access to the beach and surrounding area. The cottage was warm, clean and comfortable and cooking using the AGA was great. We enjoyed feeding a friendly robin from our hand outside the front door as well as the local ducks. The garden gave us wonderful views of the bay and opportunities to sketch. We visited Whitby, the abbey and church and enjoyed lovely fish and chips. We had super weather, sunshine and glorious morning pastel coloured skies, walks along the beach with long winter shadows and glittering sand. We loved our stay, young and older (teen and octogenarian).

Firstly, it appears as though the gas certificate for the Aga is out of date?

The kitchen knives are extremely blunt. The oven trays should have been condemned long ago and there was only one wooden spoon and a broken silicone spatula (I purchased extra wooden spoons simply because I needed to cater for both vegetarians and omnivores) There were barely enough forks. Roof skylights were dirty. Only one extractor fan out of three worked. I had need of assistance on Christmas day as I couldn't get the electric oven to work( was hoping to cook vegetarian foods entirely separately). I called the number in the welcome pack and was diverted to a different answer machine in a different company... despite leaving a voicemail and an email, I never received any response. This cottage could be quite a nice place to stay, but I feel that due to the lack of attention to detail and maintenance it is NOT.

We were very disappointed with the whole experience whilst staying at this property.

When we arrived on the Friday late afternoon on first glance the property looked nice however we soon discovered that there was sand on one of the beds and dirty throws covered in dog hairs and the glasses and cutlery were filthy and a dirty coffee cup still with coffee in it. I called Sykes straight away and they offered to send someone out on Saturday and as I explained at the time this was no good as I need the property to be clean when we arrived!! So I spent the first hour of my stay loading and putting on the dishwasher with the dirty glasses plates and knifes and folks and sorting out the other problems. Not good enough!! Then we woke up on Saturday morning to find the aga not working and it was cold in the kitchen. Followed by the wifi going down on Saturday afternoon and not coming back on until Sunday teatime. I called and emailed Skye’s at least 7/8 times over the weekend to report the problems and all these problems soured our experience of what should have been a stress free weekend away. I did not want to spend my Friday evening cleaning have just spent 4 hours in the car driving to sandsend!!! On return home I contacted Sykes and explained in detail about my experience and was offered £150 for the aga not working. I asked what about the cleaning and the wifi? And was told that because I declined the offer of a cleaner coming on Saturday afternoon I wasn’t entitled to a refund. As I explained on Friday when I spoke to someone a Skyes I had already cleaned the property myself!! I feel that this response and lack of understanding and compromise on your part was very short sited. We come to Sandsend a lot as we have friends there and had you been more accommodating with the compensation I would have stayed at your property again however I was disgusted your compensation and will never stay at crab cottage again. Also I have now looked at your reviews on various platforms to find out that you have had the same problems before and have lots of unhappy customers. I wish I have checked these out before and wouldn’t have wasted my hard earned money in the first place.

Our third stay at Crab Cottage and we will be back!

Gorgeous property and very cosy! It has everything you need and is home from home! The location is so picturesque. Excellent communication from both Sykes and Yorkshire Coastal Cottages.

Accommodation was as described.

Comfortable and convenient. However the Aga and central heating were on at arrival and we had to ventilate the house fully before it was comfortable enough to be inside. We also found broken glass on the floor in the utility room and the living room. Probably enough to make up the stem and base if a wine glass.

Beautiful location.

Beautiful cottage. Beautiful welcome hamper. Disappointed by thermostats downstairs which didnt seem to work so could only control heating by turning off and on at control panel so we alternated between being too hot and too cold. Garden most unsuitable for children and dogs as open with dangerous drop straight into to neighbours yard. Steepness of garden not explained well enough on website. Upstairs window fixed shut and very black mouldy in twin room which agency have promised to deal with (pics sent). Clean in cottage but this reduced the cleanliness rating for me. Aga pretty but impractical and turned off for safety during our stay. Thankfully oven provided in utility room. Exposed electric switch in bathroom agency have promised to deal with. Twin beds are narrow. Sheets and towels are very nice. Sky TV very nice to have. Parking spaces great to have but sign is not clear enough as falling over and one day a car was in our space but only for a short time. Overall well equipped.

Very good location great views from the garden and house would definitely return

It is a lovely comfortable cottage with everything we needed.

The location is excellent, with very good and easy parking. We would definitely recommend it.

A lovely comfortable cottage Only issues were windows painted shut in lounge and bedroom 3 .

It was very hot as we had a sunny few days . Outdoor areas a bit neglected …especially front area and garden furniture . Otherwise really good and would like to return

A beautiful and charming cottage in a magical setting, close to everything you need for a relaxing holiday.

The only things that could be improved on would be firmer mattresses, clearer instructions to use the aga and induction hob and better maintenance of the garden and garden furniture. It was such a shame the view was blocked by the shrubs at the summer house. Over all though we would return and recommend to others, as the cottage was full of character and was warm and welcoming, we will be taking lots of lovely family memories away from our time there.

Crab Cottage felt like a home from home very comfortable seating, dining and sleeping facilities set in a superb location with private parking.

We didn't use the AGA or Jacuzzi bath but the alternative cooking and showering facilities were more than adequate for our party of 4. There are beautiful surrounding valley and sea views from the garden/summerhouse area. As it is set in a valley location, the garden has a slope up to the summerhouse, there are well constructed steps to access the summerhouse and upper garden areas. Nice sheltered private patio up a short flight of steps from the hallway door. Ideal location for walking that part of the Cleveland Way whilst also having great access to the local coastal bus route.

The cottage and facilities exceeded our expectations.

Summerhouse wonderful, but perhaps worth stressing the steepness of the steps to access it. Good job I'm a fit 81 year old! Another 'hidden benefit' - the proximity of the bus top for easy access to Whitby, Runswick Bay, Staithes, etc.

This is the second time of staying at Crab Cottage.

It is a gorgeous, comfortable, cosy & well equipped cottage. It is in such a peaceful location. Slept very well in the comfortable beds. Could I possibly suggest a bread bin which would come in very handy. I look forward very much to returning again

Loveky, we couldn’t find a pen to complete the book, but a lovely time had by all and such a beautiful house and in such a beautiful setting.

The heating and hot water broke down but was quickly fixed in a few hours.

What a great stay.

The cottage is perfect location and very relaxing! We cooked every night and only thing we couldn’t find was a measuring jug - everything else was perfect. Washing machine was a god send as it was wet! Jacuzzi bath was amazing. Bathrooms are beautiful. Can’t fault the cottage at all. Location was amazing. Kids loved playing out in. The garden and the beck at the front watching tides come in and out. Walked from our door step every day for hikes. Perfect!

General furniture a bit uncomfortable Shower in the en-suite leaked making floor very wet Shower in main bathroom also leaked glass door seals In very poor condition There was a water leak in main bedroom when it rained heavily somewhere near sky light Windows impossible to open and where very drafty Both front door and back foot very drafty Lighting out the back very poor making steps very dangerous

Lovely cottage here stayed twice perfect location and lovely and warm and cosy The only thing was we decided to cook one night and there was not one single knife capable of cutting through even a fillet of beef or a crusty loaf and for a luxury cottage that was disappointing But it was still a great stay

The cottage is really great, we loved it and we will be back.

The cottage has a real quality too it, we were very pleased with all aspects of the stay,

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Crab Cottage.

When we arrived and opened the door the cottage felt so cosy and welcoming. The hamper was a nice touch with premium products. We had everything we needed for our stay - it was very well equipped. The property was clean and the decor very tasteful. The car parking spaces near the property are brilliant too as parking in some of the cottages in Sandsend is non existent. We will definitely return as it was good value for money. Thanks for a lovely holiday.

What a beautiful home.

So tastefully appointed, lovely and warm and a thoughtful, locally-sourced welcome hamper. Looking forward to a repeat visit!

We have stayed in sandsend many times wonder location, beautiful cottage thankyou

Information book out of date.

Steps up to the house not mentioned. Difficult if one was infirm. Decor of house slightly shabby. No spare bin bags or battery in the torch which was required when taking the dog out at night.

The cottage needs a handrail outside together with a gate.

The steps are very high. This could be done whilst the cottage was occupied. The lighting very dark, especially in the dining room. The settee and chairs very uncomfortable. The windows do not open. The outside space at the front needs flagging , and 2 new benches

Exterior furniture, front and back, very poor standard.

Just needs replacing regularly. Overgrown plants and weeds. Weather was super, but couldn’t enjoy either outside space. Summer house looked dirty, weeds growing up the doors and view blocked by overgrown plants. Front and back doors of the cottage are worn out. Showers have mould issues. I think Crab Cottage may be the victim of its own success. Owners must be careful, it’s maintenance is running away with itself.

Yet again another perfect stay in this beautiful cottage.

Location is perfect multiple seafront café/restaurant. Pub and lovely chippy. Would defiantly recommend

Biggest disappointment on arriving at the cottage was the general standard of maintenance of garden areas and summer house.

Due to overgrown vegetation there was no view when sitting in the summer house and it felt quite dirty. I would say that some of the cottage was tired, with the beam in the sitting room water stained. The back door was particularly hard to open with only one in our party able to open it. Even though heating wasn't required the radiator in the main bathroom was red hot making the bathroom unbearable. The height of the skylights here made them only accessible using a chair. We had to hoover the carpet in the ensuite bedroom on arrival as it had some sort of ash on carpet area just adjacent to ensuite.The wardrobe? space in the double bedrooms was very limited due to height restrictions. The skylights in bedrooms had no blinds making it particularly bright very, very early in the mornings. There were no salt and pepper dishes available and two of the four crab mugs were chipped.

We enjoyed the cottage very much.

A comfortable cottage all round with super beds. Loved the aga too. Uncomfy sofas and chairs in sitting room! Fabulous position for getting to the beach which has great facilities. Good parking with cottage. The main bathroom has a bad shower leak under shower door. Wasted towels trying to mop up and the floors could do with a good clean downstairs. Just a little concerned about how easy it would be in case of fire to leave the property via windows. They are locked And the key is inaccessible for a quick get out. Otherwise a super stay and we wish it was ours. We are in love with Sandsend.

The location of Crab cottage was perfect; walking distance into Whitby along the beach or the bus took 8 minutes and the beach was minutes away.

The cafes and The Hart pub all did lovely food. There were some lovely walks from the cottage. The furnishings in the cottage were good quality as well. The hamper which was there when we arrived was a lovely touch, especially as the village shop has closed and the nearest local store is in Lythe which is up a very steep hill. However, the maintenance of the cottage needs to be improved. The Aga was not hot enough to cook meals and the cooker in the utility didn’t work. If we had wanted to cook a meal we would have been at a loss other than using the microwave. There were no blinds in the dorma windows in the bedrooms . Many of the windows and doors were difficult to open , the garden was not suitable for young children or the elderly as it was very steep and slippy. The summer house was a nice touch but the fridge and the kettle etc were filthy and it needed a good clean. We love Sandsend and would recommend the location , we had a lovely holiday inspite of the few niggles with general maintenance of the cottage. However, given the cost of the cottage better upkeep is required.

Excellent cottage.

Clean and spotless. Comfortable and warm.

We had a great time in a lovely cottage.

Cottage was well equipped with everything we needed and it has some really nice finishing touches. All the beds are really comfy so a relaxing break was had by all. It’s a superb location in gorgeous surroundings. A few minor points to consider, that didn’t spoil our stay;- A blind was broken in rear bedroom and one of the whirlpool jets in the bathroom kept falling out. There is no blue recycling bin so we had to bring lots of waste home in the car with us Yorkshire coastal cottages called and left a message on Saturday morning at 10.30am to ask to send a plumber to the property at 11am for a ‘maintenance check’. I would expect routine maintenance to be scheduled between bookings and us not to be disrupted trying to find a phone signal in the middle of a short stay, so the request was politely declined. Many thanks

Beautiful warm cottage with comfortable beds.

Clean and well equipped in an excellent location. I will definitely be returning ☺️

Fabulous cottage, it was perfect for our family pre Christmas holiday.

The cottage is very well appointed, has all the amenities you require, lots of car parking space for 3 cars, a beautiful garden and it was very warm through an extremely cold week in Sandsend. Customer service was great and we want to rebook for next year too. 5*'s.

This was a very comfortable cottage.

We were worried it would be a bit chilly in there as it’s old but it was beautifully warm in every single room. It is in a beautiful position very clean everything you could wish for it was really lovely and we were very very pleased with it.

Crab Cottage is a lovely, comfortable warm cottage perfectly located for exploring the coast around Whitby.

Booking with Sykes was hassle free and we had great communication from them in the run up to our holiday.

Fantastic property and location no problems will be booking again.

Congratulations to the owners one of the best we have stopped in over the last 30 years.

This is a beautiful cottage with a quirky seaside decor.

Very comfortable with a traditional feel but all mod cons. We loved it! The location is superb. Surrounded by other lovely little cottages in a pretty valley, just a minute’s walk to the beach. The parking spaces were a huge benefit. We hadn’t been to Sandsend before but we will definitely be back, hopefully to Crab Cottage if it’s not fully booked. Wonderful holiday!

Crab Cottage is a fantastic place to stay, packed with touches of luxury, particularly the bathrooms and the Summerhouse.

The location could not be better and we have very much enjoyed our stay.

Absolutely beautiful cottage, very well placed with stunning views.

Nice touch with the hamper on arrival. Very well equipped. We loved it so much we have booked again

The cottage is fabulous.

The facilities are great and the garden and summerhouse overlooking the beach was lovely. We loved the kitchen, using the aga, cooking whilst enjoying company of the family using the dining table to play board games until meals were served. The whirlpool bath was a big hit with some of us at the end of energetic days hiking the many footpaths from the house. There was so much to do and a good local shop,cafe and restaurant. We were surprised how good the bus service is too. Everyone wants to come back.

Crab Cottage was a beautiful place to stay.

Very homely and an excellent location too. Would love to go back. Nice welcome hamper too thank you.

The cottage was clean and welcoming with a very good parking space which was absolutely necessary given the amount of other cars over the busy Easter period.

There was a wonderful welcome pack. The boiler did stop working but was rectified very quickly by the engineer. Both the bench area at the front and the sea views from the garden at the back were great for relaxing. The cottage was well equipped and we really enjoyed our stay in this idyllic location.

The rooms were wonderful but could do with blinds over the skylights as the rooms were very bright as soon as daylight came.

Minor problems

Really lovely cottage in Sandsend.

Very comfortable and beautifully decorated. We did have a problem with the hot water and heating stopping working which was promptly fixed within a day.

Did say a see view from the summer house but the trees we’re overgrown,otherwise everything was lovely

Its the 3rd time we've stayed at that particular cottage and we couldn't be happier with everything.

Excellent in every regard, in a great location. We hope to do it again very soon.

A truly wonderful cottage in a great location.

The only complaint is that it is so well insulated and with underfloor heating we daren’t try out the log burner - we would have literally roasted! We also had to turn off the AGA and open the windows even with outside temperatures of only 7.5 degrees. We had great weather so managed long walks on the beach with the dog and with a welcome coffee in the Sandside Cafe to finish. All in all a very relaxing week thank you

We enjoyed the most fabulous family holiday, in a perfect setting, for good walking, access to shops, pubs etc The house comfortably worked for 6 adults, although the twin bedroom was more suited to children.

We have just returned from an amazing 3 night stay at Crab Cottage.

The Cottage is absolutely gorgeous. We were delighted to be welcomed by Christmas decorations and a beautiful welcome pack. The house was absolutely spotless. The decor is so tasteful and well thought out. We have 3 young children and a dog. There was plenty of space and the cottage felt so homely and cosy. The garden is breathtaking. So quaint with amazing views. The allocated parking area is perfect and easily enough space for 2 cats if needed. One minute walk from the gorgeous beach at Sandsend. We cannot rate this stunning cottage highly enough and we would certainly love to return. It’s a little haven on the gorgeous Yorkshire coast. Thank you for letting us enjoy this special place.