Portinscale Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• John - Verified booking

  We were extremely pleased that Sykes were able to work with the property manager/owner to address a few concerns we had, prior to our stay, based on the feedback from previous customers.

  These related to the seating (a beautiful new sofa was delivered just before our start date), cleanliness (which was addressed) and a fuel alarm issue (the reasons for which were investigated and explained to us as an isolated incident). So well done to all concerned for resolving these concerns prior to our holiday. The one thing I need to mention (not a complaint but it needs addressing soon) is that there were signs of some water ingression in one of the upstairs en-suites (the one with the glass roof). The ceiling above the door is black in parts and there's some flaking paint. It only rained properly once during our stay but some water came through the ceiling and puddled on the floor, so we put a bucket and towel underneath to catch the drips. The grout in the floor tiles looks like it has been previously washed away in the affected area, which means the water would have seeped under the floor tiles and (possibly) through to the downstairs en-suite if it had rained persistently (and if we hadn't been in the house at the time and spotted it). I can't see any previous published reports of this issue amongst the customer feedback, so I don't know whether the owner knows about it. But I would hope that the property management company has spotted it because the signs are so obvious (whether its raining at the time or not). Maybe the work has already been scheduled, but in that case customers should be forewarned and know what to do if it rains. We hope the property manager/owner will rectify this problem soon, before it turns into a much bigger issue. This didn't really impact our holiday though, other than during the 2 minutes it took us to find the bucket, so we've given the holiday full marks anyway because of the numerous positive aspects - the location, the stunning property itself and the breath-taking views which we were particularly sad to leave behind (the welcome pack was a very nice surprise too). Overall, many thanks for a great holiday that my family will never forget.

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• Allen - Verified booking

  We had a great week staying at Gillside as a base for exploring the Lake District.

  There was only a few issues that prevented it being excellent. It hadn’t been cleaned to a high enough standard for us. When we arrived the rubbish was piled around the full bin outside. It was never collected during our stay. When I enquired I was told this was because the council couldn’t access the property as the road was closed?! The washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher filters hadn’t been cleaned out before we used them. There were cupboards and floors that had residual crumbs/mess. When we arrived on the Saturday there was a note to tell us not to use one of the ensuite showers because it was leaking into the room below, which was visible. We had to leave the key in the key safe if we went out to allow a plumber access. He came on the Monday while we were out and it looked like he had resealed the shower tray. The note was still there with no update, so we had to ring to see whether we could use the shower next day or not. We could and there was no further issues. We also had an unexpected visit from another plumber who wanted to inspect the mould in a different bathroom as he had fitted the bathroom. He took photos and left. There was a lack of space in all the bedrooms but we managed. On the plus side, the view from the property was spectacular and the kitchen was well stocked with cutlery, crockery and equipment to make meals. The broken sofa that had been mentioned in previous reviews had been replaced, so we had plenty of seats to sit on. The beds were comfortable and the underfloor heating worked although we couldn’t figure out how to change the actual time on the individual controls. The gardens were in full bloom and obviously well looked after.

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• Helen - Verified booking

  This cottage is described as dog friendly, which is why we booked it.

  We were told right from the start that dogs were NOT allowed on the beds, or indeed any of the furniture, and were not to be left alone in the property. These are usual requirements, and perfectly reasonable, and we would do this anyway, without being told to. What we were NOT TOLD until we arrived there and found the notice on the table, is that dogs must be confined to the "ground floor". At first glance, this doesn`t seem unreasonable, however in practice, due to the layout, it means that we had to shut our dog in the kitchen at all times, and only the kitchen. If we wanted to relax in the lounge, watch TV, have a drink in a comfortable chair instead of a hard kitchen chair, we couldn`t have our dog with us.A " dog friendly" property where the dog can`t be in the lounge?We paid to hire the whole property, but in practice, could not use the lounge area, or have the enjoyment of it.This put something of a damper on our holiday.We are not happy, and feel deceived. We realise that this is the owners choice, it is his property, and it may suit some people, who wouldn`t mind. However, prospective hirers should be told the terms on the write up, so that they know what to expect, and can make an informed choice. We had these terms, previously not mentioned, forced on us on arrival. We holiday with our dog because we want her with us. Had we known from the start that she had to stay shut in the kitchen, and not join us in the evenings, we would never have booked this particular property.

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• Sarah - Verified booking

  The owners are clearly doing what they can with the layout of this property and we acknowledge that some things can’t be improved due to the sloped ceilings etc.

  The positives: Overall very clean, quirky accommodation with ample goods such as toilet rolls, cloths, washing up liquid, hand wash etc. Great location. Good instructions and no issues getting into the property. Negatives: We couldn’t find anywhere to park to unload on arrival late at night. This was up and down all week, sometimes it was easy to park outside and other times we were way up the road. Needing to kneel in the bath for a shower. We accept that this is the only likely option in this property. The crockery and glasses looked like they’d been hand washed by the previous guests and put away. Some weren’t clean. We ended up leaving a day early as the beds were crippling us. We like a firm mattress but these were beyond a joke. I ended the holiday exhausted with a sore back, hips and shoulder. My partner really struggled with his back after the first night but by day 3 was in agony with his shoulder to the point he couldn’t lift his arm or drive by the end of the week, which has righted itself since we got home. We tried putting blankets under the sheet for him which didn’t do much, but a padded mattress topper may have resolved this. It really took the shine off our trip. The house feels like a compromise due to the parking and shower. We’d have accepted this for the price if the beds were comfortable but sadly it’s unlikely that we will return here again.

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• Tracey - Verified booking

  On arrival there wasn’t even a pint of milk for a coffee.

  When we went upstairs on the first corner step it threw you off balance and into the corner- we think the step is broken. The bed nearest the window was like sleeping in a crisp packet because of the mattress protector it crackled every time you moved and there’s black mould and torn paper underneath the window in the bedroom. Polystyrene tiles on the ceiling in the downstairs loo and boiler room, the door to the boiler room would not close so this could not contain a fire. There’s no warning sign in place to for the boiler room because as you go through you step up and my husband who is only 5’7” banged his head with some force the first time he went through. The extractor in the bathroom didn’t work and only one light worked in there. There were 6 empty air fresheners doted around the property 4 of which were placed like ornaments on the shelving in the dining area. We know it’s an old property but it could be beautiful and there’s so much wasted space, it’s all worn and very dated. We love the area and as you are aware normally love where we stay but we will be much more careful picking our next accommodation. We are aware that we could have contacted the Keswick office regarding these issues but we did not want to wait in for someone to come and we did not want a stranger in while we were out. The property should have been checked thoroughly before we arrived.

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