Lake District Cottages for Short Breaks

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Deena - Verified booking

  Firstly the cottage has not been cleaned on arrival.

  With two children and after a 4 hour drive we had to them sit in a local pub for 2 hours whilst it was cleaned. (Sykes did give us some compensation however 6 days later have still not received). On arrival back at the cottage it was still not cleaned to a suitable standard. There was hair stuck to the carpets upstairs and fat splatted at the back of the cooker. The hob has residue left on it and the bathroom has marks on the floor. The parking situation outside of the cottage caused havoc. The advert stated roadside parking opposite the cottage. This is not true. There are double white lines painted therefor you cannot park opposite them, which when we were loading and unloading we were told by numerous ‘locals’ who would go out of their way to tell us we can’t park. There is also a parking warden issuing £35 fines. To find somewhere to park in a village of this size with no parking available was an absolute nightmare. I was baffled on arrival at the front patio which is actually the door step… you would also never want to sit out there on a main road through the village? To watch tv we tried using the sky box which asked us to insert our viewing card. Firstly it’s 2023, who still has these type of devices and secondly, if we did, why would we bring the viewing card on holiday?? Wifi is chargeable, we had to buy this daily at quite a significant cost. There are no instructions for the cottage left out we had to search cupboards but this was minimal. As there is no garden, there was also no access to an outside bin so the kitchen bin became very full and we had to start taking rubbish out with us to find a bin? The welcome we received was the most unwelcome I have had in any cottage I have stayed in over the years. There wasn’t as much as half a toilet roll in the bathroom… The whole experience left us baffled, frustrated and put off from ever staying with Sykes again. It was an inaccurate listing of a property. That said, the village itself had 2 nice pubs with very friendly staff.

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• Mrs Richards - Verified booking

  Squirrel Cottage was a lovely comfortable base for us to explore the more northern areas of the lakes, and we had a lovely stay. It’s relatively small but very cozy and perfect for the three of us and a fluffy one. We’ve visited the lakes for many years and stayed in various cottages and lodges but this has to be the most well equipped accommodation we’ve ever stayed in, right down to having a step for our little girl to reach the sink, and a bean bag for her to relax on after busy days out! We arrived late and hadn’t had chance to get the basics in so when we were greeted with thoughtful items such as Prosecco, eggs, bacon, bread, milk & biscuits we were very grateful. Things like kitchen foil, washing up liquid and shampoo aren’t usually provided in self catering accommodation so these were pleasant surprises too. Parking was sometimes a problem getting a space on the road in front of the cottage but the village had other places to park so wasn’t too much of an issue. Lots of really nice places to eat nearby; The Sun, Pooley Bridge Inn and Ullswater Inn. I’m aware the owners are new to holiday rentals but would be good to get a visitor book for future visitors to leave ideas for days out, places to eat, etc… we’ve always enjoyed reading them in places we’ve stayed before and find them extremely useful. Lovely castle right on the doorstep too so be sure to visit Greystoke castle before you leave. Really enjoyed our stay :-)

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• Daniel - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage and lovely hosts.

  Very compact living area with large bedrooms, each with own en-suite. Dining table and chairs are available and folded. It is possible to make space for them by moving furniture but most adult groups probably wont bother. Kitchen is tiny but very well thought out. we found it easy to prepare food in kitchen, but having a crate to store bulk food elsewhere turned out to be useful. We brought our little dog who felt welcome there and got on well with the hosts' dog. There was lots of space for her for constitutional walks although no enclosed garden. The area is absolutely lovely for walking and cycling: much quieter than the central Lakes. There is a pleasant pub in the village which serves food as well as a selection of real ales. We did not go in during our week as the vegetarian options were not terribly appealing and we were off drinking following Covid. There is also a great little cafe that serves nice lunches and proper teapot tea. Overall, a nice cosy place to stay with very friendly and helpful hosts. Overall, would highly recommend

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• Gail - Verified booking

  The cottage was quite remote, and I don't feel this was made obvious on the information.

  It tells you it's in a village, it's not. It is a tiny hamlet. The cottage itself has very recently been converted so is new. The bedrooms are excellent as is the bathroom and kitchen. But the living area for us was too cluttered and small, and this spoiled it for us somewhat because we like to settle down in evenings either watching a film or reading. It didn't have that cosy feel. Also parking if all 3 adjoining cottages are in use isn't easy. The small entrance makes driving in to the parking area a little difficult if you have a larger car. We have a Honda CRV and needed to bring in the wing mirrors every time. Anything wider and you wouldn't be able to get through. We also didn't feel there was any privacy from the other cottages if you wanted to sit out. The pub which is in the hamlet and 1 minute walk away is excellent however. Friendly staff and excellent food. Sadly we wouldn't return as the drive to the cottage every day is a little too much off the beaten track for us. For others I realise it's not an issue.

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• Karen - Verified booking

  The property was falsely advertised.

  Photos made the appearance of the property spacious, however, dangerously cluttered with furniture making it very difficult to move around. The WiFi did not work and no card for the sky box. There were food bits and chewed gum on the floor and couches. Surfaces very dusty. The photos showed outdoor space with garden. There were lawn chairs in the house and no place to set them.outside. The mattresses were extremely hard and uncomfortable. There was a pair of boy's underwear under the duvet of the twin bed and stains on the duvet. I talked with a representative on Friday who told me to respond via email. This is my second complaint and I have had no response from Sykes. I have rented via your company many times, I am very disappointed that there has been no follow-up on your behalf, poor business practice in my opinion and very hesitant to further rent a property listed with Sykes. I await your feedback and some resolution to the absence of advertised amenities.

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