The Observatory at Grand Banks

Good size kitchen, living area with lots of natural light. Good size bedrooms and main bathroom. There was some nice views over the industrial area to the water. There was secure parking, a washing machine and dishwasher. The apartment had a good size balcony and most importantly double glazed windows to block some of the train noise when closed. Between the trains it was nice and quiet. The beds were reasonably comfortable and it was a very easy walk to the beach, promenade, shops and eateries.

Trains: The apartment is right above the train line and there were lots of diesel trains going by which made it very noisy particularly if the bifold balcony doors were open. It seemed like every 15 minutes or so a train ran in sets of 2 or 3 trains in close proximity. Trains started around 5am. Door code pads: On arrival, there were lots of doors with codes to get through (six or seven key pads from the car park entry to the apartment) and two lifts at different points of the apartment from the car park area - this made it difficult to get bags and groceries up. Lots of instructions in different formats: All the check-in codes and check-out instructions should be sent in one simple email with a printed version in the room rather than the multiple emails and separate documents (these work by computer, but not by a mobile). Security Bond: A security bond was demanded prior to accessing the apartment. This further raised our expectations on the type of property we were accessing - but it was actually lower than we expected - particularly in comparison to luxury apartments with sea views we had recently stayed in. This property is nice and reasonably comfortable but not luxurious by any means. The location is behind an industrial area/ sheds; there were dark stains on the carpet; and a broken bin (amongst other things) on our arrival that did not give a great first impression. We sent the agent photos of these but they did not respond. Poor customer focus: We felt a lack of customer focus compare to other properties we have rented across our Ireland/ UK travels. Instructions required us to ensure we left the place clean (fair enough - we do this always) but amongst other things to not leave a dishwasher going as this may inconvenience the cleaners. As travelers, we often cannot wait for a dishwasher to finish its cycle after breakfast items to put items away. Of course we adhered to these host rules that inconveniences the customer rather than the...

Nothing trains consistently

We lost our deposit left the place impeccably

Lovely decorated and clean. Sea view beyond the docks perfect. Lovely welcome package.

If you have a young family and a lot of stuff as we do then it’s really quite hard to go between the room and the car park (two lifts) to pack and unpack the car every time. It’s quite hot on a sunny day and the trains are exceptionally noisy (although fine from bedrooms if windows shut). We would stay here again if it wasn’t for the inconvenience of the parking situation and the trek to the room. It took us 8 trips up and down to pack up!!

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Clean classy apartment

A lovely apartment with superb views and wide opening doors to the balcony to let the fresh air into the lounge. All mod cons and in excellent condition. Despite there being a railway adjacent to the balcony, it was more of a novelty than a nuisance. Moreover, you couldn't hear the trains in the bedrooms.

Instructions for using the appliances absent and I couldn't access videos on you tube to see how to do things, like work the hob. There needs to be written instructions within the apartment. Not everyone, especially of the older generation, can, or want to, get info on media. Trying to control the heating was a total mystery. Really needs clear instructions. The parking space was extremely small, but we were lucky that your staff enabled me to use another vacant space during our stay.

Very nice apartment, with good quality fixtures. Lovely view.

The balcony can be noisy with the trains.

I absolutely loved our stay at The Observatory - it was even nicer than I had expected! I have high expectations for cleanliness, and this did not disappoint. The entire property was so clean from the bedrooms, bathrooms and lounge/kitchen area. The kitchen is stocked with essentials such as oils, etc and wonderful high end utensils and cooking appliances.

Ideally would love to have been in a slightly closer location to the town - but it isnt too far!