Villas In Cumbria

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Imogen - Verified booking

  After seeing the reviews, I was really looking forward to staying at Lake View with my mum for a little break away.

  The views are amazing from the property and you're provided with everything you could need to cook and prepare meals. The hot tub was the highlight for us, it felt really clean and was lovely to get into every night. However, both my mum and I felt the place lacked warmth. The place was very clean but equally felt a bit clinical. I suppose this does come down to personal preference but it would have been nice to have some pictures on the walls, cosier dining chairs and more colour around the place. The bathroom is a wet room and is mostly black with no window and the bedding was all white along with the walls. The sofa was low down which we didn't mind but it is marked and a bit tired looking. Considering what you're paying, it's not amazing! Collecting the key and dropping it off at the office at the end of our stay too was a bit inconvenient and a surprise as we'd never done a Sykes booking before. I feel a keysafe at the property would be much better, although again, that is personal preference. Another downside is, currently, another holiday home is being built very near, off to the left from the property. Its a building site with noise and machinery over the hillside above what they're building! We weren't warned of this and it just wasn't nice to have that going on, on the weekdays, during our stay. Parking is good but the multiple key fobs for gates was a faff. When we first arrived, we drove down the hill to the bottom, missing the fact Lake View was at the top of the hill. The hill is very steep and it was tricky turning round as the road isn't wide enough for 2 cars. It would be good if it was noted on the booking how far down the hill your holiday home is. I imagine it would be tricky to find in the dark. The views are great as well as having the hot tub but we wouldn't go back to Lake View. The hot tub is great but it's different to the one pictured and when you're sat in the hot tub or on the terrace chairs, you can't see the lake due to a wall blocking the view! In hindsight we realise we booked the wrong thing. We wished we had booked a b+b further into the countryside but that is our mistake. I realise it's clear online the place isn't colourful and it's very white etc but it does look great online! It just FEELS like a cold environment when you're there. Also, I presume this is normal when you do an AirBnB or holiday home stay (?) but we had to strip the bed upon leaving and put all laundry in a bag and clear our rubbish. This was unexpected and fustrating considering the stay cost £800+ for 4 nights. The place just doesn't feel welcoming. You're also threatened with a £250 charge to your payment method if you don't leave the place spotless. Consequently this was often in the back of my mind at a time you want to relax. I suppose we were naive to thing the property was on its own, nestled away somewhere but it actually backs onto a main road and is part of a big complex of holiday homes which all look the same in style - grey - and are fairly close together. Life jackets are provided which is great and kayaks were available to use but be aware they're big! We just couldn't lift them down the big steps into the water but I suppose that's down to personal strength. It's not clearly written down or photographed, where they're situated either. If you're looking for a clean, open plan, mod-con filled space then this is the place for you but if you want somewhere private, with no fuss and a warm, cosy environment, I wouldn't book Lake View. I realise some of my criticisms are about personal preference but I think other things I've mentioned would be an issue for most people! A shame it wasn't what we were hoping it would be.

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• Steve - Verified booking

  First of all, we did enjoy our stay, it's a wonderful location and ideally placed for exploring the area without having to drive.

  The facilities that have been fitted into a very compact space are excellent, and the property is well fitted out - the custom carpentry is very impressive! The kitchen has everything that could be needed, with the single exception of a rolling pin (I used a wine bottle). Both the bathroom and the bedroom suffer from very low ceilings. The photos in the listing do show both rooms as they are, but it's difficult to get an idea of just how little headroom there is from the images. It's not possible to sit up in bed and have a cup of tea, for instance, as the ceiling is too low. The bed is very comfortable though. In the bathroom the only oart of the room which allows a normal sized adult to stand up is the strip between the door and the toilet - other than that bending over is required - an inconvenience when using the sink. When we arrived there was a cleaning welcome pack - nice idea, but not well executed. It had dishwasher tablets (there is no dishwasher) and bin bags that were far too big for the small pedal bin in the kitchen, and no washing up liquid. This was rectified with a trip to the co-op, but the contractors doing the servicing were clearly not paying attention. Also there was one roll of tolet paper provided - this is not enough for two people, for a week. It was a nice touch to put up some festive decorations, we appreciated it. Although we came prepared as we have a log burner at home, it would also be a nice touch to have an initial supply of kindling & logs for at least one night. The information pack with local walks was very useful and got us to do some walks we wouldn't otherwise have attempted. But why in the list of pubs & restaurants is there no mention of the Swan? It's the nearest & we had a very good Christmas dinner there!

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• C W - Verified booking

  Overall it is impossible not to enjoy a stay at Lake View.

  In balance however: some features exceeded our expectations and some were disappointing. There was an abundance of modern conveniences which made a great first impression and marvellous views: albeit either side of a large tree. The hot tub was a welcome feature and used on a regular basis. In settling in we found the bed very creaky and the pillows were ultra soft. A wooden slat under the wet room door was loose. Being of an older generation we found the sofa very low to sit comfortably and had a little difficulty sitting and rising. We would have sat at the dining table more but the seats were hard wooden ones as it appeared essentially a good quality patio set rather than dedicated indoor dining furniture. Given the general high level of technology the provision of a microwave was conspicuous by its absence. Cleanliness was general good but the standard lamp light bulbs were covered in dust and there were crumbs in between the slats of the table. The pepper mill didn't work. The hot tub was great but positioned central to the small terrace. The terrace table and chairs were at the rear and it was not possible to see the lake when sitting due to the low surrounding wall. If the hot tub was better positioned, and the table and chairs moved to the front, it would be possible to sit and enjoy the view. Access to the property can be difficult to find and it would be helpful to be provided with a specific reference such as What 3 Words or similar. We are certain everyone would none the less enjoy a stay at Lake View but those with age, mobility or medical considerations may experience some difficulties.

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• Blake - Verified booking

  Honestly, the pictures don't do it justice, everything is stunning.

  The apartment, the views; everything was stunning, even in February when the weather wasn't the best, I can only imagine how much better the views would be in spring/summer Brilliant facilities all easy to use and manuals in welcome packs if you ain't sure how to use something. Not to far away from shops/pubs/attractions so you feel secluded enough for privacy but not too far away from anywhere you might want to visit My only downsides I can say (and they're not really make or break things) the bed and pillows was more on the softer side, which is okay; I personally just prefer a firmer bed. The couch is a little low to the floor, but again, not a huge problem, unless you struggle with mobility I LOVE how the main rooms lights are all separate so you can just light the area(s) of the room you are using, but I often found myself switching lights off and on to get the lights on/off in the right area(s) so my only suggestion is to label each switch accordingly. This wasn't a problem, I think it would be a nice quality of life change for ease of use; I stayed for 4 nights and never got my head around each switch. And you definitely need to be careful with your head as the roof is rather low and taller people will definitely bang your head if you're not careful. All that being said, I have already recommended this stay to friends and I will definitely be booking again around summer to see how much more beautiful it can be without rain

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• Louise - Verified booking

  Such a charming little cottage and I would definitely return if staying in this area again.

  We had 3 nights, on one of which we stayed in and cooked Italian and lit the log burner, and it was so cozy. Everything was as clean as it could be (in a rural setting, you are going to expect little cobwebs) but the important stuff like bedding and towels, soft furnishings etc were spotless. Indeed, the slanted ceiling upstairs would be a challenge for taller people after a few days, and the staircase a challenge for less able bodied guests (although, access to the upstairs can also be achieved via the outside staircase…so this is fine!)……but this little place was just magical. (Not really big enough for 3 adults…more of a couples or single traveller place)… A 5 minute walk to a lovely pub with excellent food (dog friendly), and a very pleasant few more minutes into the heart of Grasmere. There are lovely walks direct from the cottage, one of which we had the pleasure of seeing a couple of otters playing in the small lake. (And on the day of arrival, a red squirrel was in the cottage garden!) My only “miff” would be that there was no welcome pack….I have used Sykes cottages several times, and most have left a little tray with the basics on arrival to have a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit….but luckily we had our own. The village shop is currently (as at October 2024) being refurbished, so the nearest shop is in Ambleside. Highly recommend this little place!

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