Lake District Cottages for Short Breaks

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Eleanor - Verified booking

  We were moved to this cottage last minute the evening before our holiday by Sykes who suddenly cancelled our original booking.

  Only 3 alternative options were given, the other 2 being further from the lake district so not suitable. The owner was extremely friendly and helpful over the phone and the location in the centre of town was great, and we were grateful they accepted the last minute booking. It had a large kitchen, was clean and warm and a visitor permit for parking was provided. It worked well as a base for exploring the Lakes and isn't too far from Windermere and Ambleside. Our main issue was that this was not an equivalent cottage to the one we had originally booked (this was entirely Sykes doing and not the owner's who had given accurate details when we checked their listing so please don't hesitate to book this cottage if it meets your requirements). We had booked a 2 bedroom pet friendly cottage that slept 4 adults, with large living room and views, and had made sure this had wifi which my partner needed to be able to work, and also had a washing machine and dishwasher. Unfortunately the cottage we were moved to had none of these and Sykes suggesting this was an equivalent alternative for the same price I feel was very dishonest. My partner ended up having to leave early due to the lack of wifi and phone signal and there was only one bedroom and one bed, which would have been a bit of a squeeze if 4 adults had been coming! We have still had no response/apology or partial refund from Sykes and I would be very hesitant to book with them again after this experience.

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• Valerie - Verified booking

  The photos are misleading as this cottage is a lot smaller than it appears.

  The large windows in the main living area don't open, so there's no ventilation or air flow, making it stuffy and unpleasant in hot weather. It's also dangerous as if there was a fire in the kitchen, there's no way to escape without going through it. The shower overshoots the tiny shower screen, so water sprays over the side and soaks the bathmat and floor. The oversized grab rail also means you can only get under the shower sideways. Water pressure is good, which means lots of water on the floor. Temperature control is variable, so it's just as well it's hard to get under it. The bath wasn't draining, which added to the unpleasantness. The biggest issue that we had, however, was that the kitchen was dirty. Surfaces, dishes, and utensils needed a thorough clean when we arrived and this unfortunately led us to question the cleanliness of the entire place. It was also poorly appointed in the kitchen, making it virtually impossible to actually self cater. There was only one tiny pan that couldn't even poach two eggs at the same time. Overall it was such an unpleasant experience that we abandoned our holiday and left after two days.

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• Jeremy - Verified booking

  Lovely property in a great location so handy for the centre of Ambleside and with a car park pass so you could safely park your car in the large car park a couple of minutes from the property.

  The road the property is on is very narrow and double yellow lined so it is slightly problematic when arriving with luggage. The road is also very noisy on occasion. Right opposite a pub and the dustbin wagon woke us very early one morning. There was a big problem with the main TV in the lounge which was described as a Sky/Smart TV meaning you could watch on demand services. We noticed very quickly that there were no streaming capabilities but the very helpful housekeeper had her husband visit us on the Saturday morning to attempt to resolve it when it was discovered that not only was it not a Smart TV, it neither had any of the Sky functionality either due to the owner's account issues with Sky. In fairness, the father of the owner did try and resolve the issues but it went from getting a new TV on day 2 to finally getting a Roku streaming stick on day 4. The facilities at the property were very good - no microwave but a double oven, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher etc. The bed linens and towels were of excellent quality but, as some other reviews have mentioned, the sofa is pretty uncomfortable.

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• Kathleen Elizabeth - Verified booking

  Absolutely lovely property and we had a fantastic stay.

  We were both impressed with the cleanliness and the attention to detail throughout. The kitchen was lovely and more than adequate for our two meals in (the other one we ate out) and the bathroom was fantastic … bath/shower and separate shower! Toiletries were provided and lovely big towels. The bed was not so comfortable for me (bad back/arthritic knees) but that was just me. The only grumble was the settee was quite uncomfortable for both of us but my husband managed on a chair and I sank into the settee but didn’t feel comfortable. Wouldn’t stop me coming back though! The owners kindly provided us with a lovely hamper which was much appreciated, and we love the location too. Parking is always going to be a problem in Ambleside but we were provided with a parking disc to allow us free parking during our stay. We would love to come back … Ambleside is one of our happy places and the Old Village Shop is a wonderful place to stay. Thank you, we had a wonderful relaxing stay and used buses to get around! Perfect and lovely!

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• Christopher - Verified booking

  Immaculate and beautifully decorated and equipped.

  Perfect quiet location around 10 minutes walk to the lake or, in the other direction, the town centre. Private off-street parking adjacent to the Coach House is a huge benefit in a busy town. The Coach House is very expensive, we paid the same price for a 10 bed Yorkshire farmhouse a few weeks ago. Every other holiday rental that we’ve been to has had a reasonably comprehensive set of instructions on heating, internet, bin schedules, recycling etc. No such information at The Coach House - a perfunctory sheet of phone numbers, a drawer full of equipment instructions and you’re left to your own devices. I had to climb up on a chair in the kitchen to find the router code on the back of the internet router on the top of the kitchen cupboard, eventually found a laminated sheet about bins in the garage and, after scouring the property for a heating timer, had to read the boiler operating instruction book - the owner or agents could and should do a much better job on this imo.

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