Tidal Reach - W8

Reviewed by Nick 30th August 2026

We booked Byron Woolacombe 8 because of its excellent location, sea views and the facilities advertised with the property. Woolacombe itself is a lovely place, and being so close to the beach is undoubtedly one of the biggest advantages of staying here. Unfortunately, the accommodation did not meet the standard we expected, particularly considerRead moreing the price we paid. On arrival, we found a number of items that either appeared to be broken, had not been checked or had not been properly maintained. The TV remote was broken, and there were not enough drinking glasses for the number of guests staying. While it is possible that previous guests had broken items or failed to report them, this is precisely why we would expect a property to be checked properly between stays. The bathroom ventilation system had also been switched off. Again, this may have been left that way by previous guests, but it should have been identified and rectified during the changeover. Basic checks of the property should pick up things like this. The bedroom blinds were also damaged, with visible deterioration and loose/damaged sections. The photographs we took clearly show their condition. This is not something we would expect to find in accommodation being marketed at this level and price. Cleanliness was another disappointment. There were areas that had clearly not been properly dusted, including behind and around furniture and fittings. The general impression was that the property had not received the thorough inspection and finishing clean we would expect before guests arrived. Unfortunately, the issues weren't limited to the condition of the apartment. The frontline location also means that the property is exposed to considerable road noise. In the evenings, there was additional noise from a nearby bar, including loud music and people outside, continuing until around midnight. This made the property considerably less peaceful than we had expected and affected our ability to relax and sleep. We did raise concerns during our stay, and we had also contacted the company we booked through. However, the fact that we encountered so many relatively basic issues in a property at this price point was disappointing. There are positives. The location is excellent, the apartment is spacious, the sea views are attractive and the leisure facilities are a useful addition. Woolacombe itself is also a great holiday destination. However, for us, the overall experience fell well short of what we expected from the property's description and the price paid. The combination of maintenance issues, damaged blinds, inadequate cleaning, missing/broken items and significant noise meant that the accommodation did not provide the relaxing, high-quality holiday experience we had anticipated. Our advice to prospective guests would be to carefully consider the frontline position and potential for road and evening noise, and to manage expectations regarding the condition and level of checking of the apartment. For us, unfortunately, the accommodation did not represent good value for money and we would not choose to stay in this particular property again. Hide