Last Minute Windermere Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Nigel - Verified booking

  Every now and then we have been lucky enough to experience some-thing rather special.

  Our visit to Elm Cottage in Bowness-on-Windermere at the end of July was definitely one of those occasions. Our visit was for a long awaited family gathering. Mum, Dad, Son and his wife, as well as Daughter and her husband plus four Grand-children between the ages of 10 months and 9 years. The booking was simplicity itself and plenty of notice was given as to how much, and when, the balance of the cost was due. Elm Cottage has that "Wow" factor, safely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Bowness it is located in an area of delightful tranquillity, surrounded by mature trees but commutable to all those Lakeland attractions that we wanted to visit. We had two car parking spaces just a stones throw from the cottage door and another just yards away. Elm Cottage has an air of being looked after and noticeably, the bathroom / en-suites all look like new fittings. Most importantly to us, it was so obviously very clean ! The fixtures and fittings of Elm Cottage are at a high standard which not only provide easy comfort, but present were all those other facilities that we just take for granted at home. In addition to a large fridge-freezer, there was a second fridge, and a washer-dryer in the Utility Room. A large bath-room, three bed-rooms with en-suite facilities and a down-stairs toilet are all included. The large lounge and dining-room was just ideal for our sizable group to come and go while the flat screen TV was a very welcome option on a rainy evening. Prior to our arrival, we contacted the owner to enquire about the provision of a high-chair, a stair gate and a travel cot. They were all present on our arrival. It would be remiss of me not to mention that the hot-tub was checked every day by the staff and as we were packing up to leave, it was drained and cleaned, ready for the next visitors. A very re-assuring sight. My own view was that this place was good value for money. It is a special place just ideal for making memories and our Grand-daughter, aged two years, has asked us if we will put a hot-tub in her bed-room ? Like a shot we will all go back and of course, I recommend Elm Cottage very highly.

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• Mark - Verified booking

  Overall the property size was ok for 4 adults and 4 children with a decent sized living room and plenty of bathrooms.

  Kitchen is small and big enough for one person to be in there. The garden is small and wouldn’t recommend for small children. The property was not clean on arrival. Rather than calling facilities we spent a lot of time cleaning up food stains on benches, hoovering the floor, trying to remove food smells from the property. We in hindsight should have called and reported this on arrival but as check in was 5pm we decided to sort it out ourselves. The overall cleanliness was disappointing compared to other Sykes properties we have stayed in - plates and cutlery had to be dishwashed again and pans were not clean when we went to use them. The major problem we had was with car parking. There is a space at the rear of the property that was not accessible due to a neighbour parking their vehicle on the corner of the bay. No real issue with this as the neighbours are entitled to park outside their property but it meant unloading cars from half way up the street. Parking on the street was a disaster to be honest. Appreciate the location is busy and expected not to be able to park outside the property. However one of our cars was vandalised overnight with with key scratches and fittings damaged. The street is available for general parking however some of the neighbours (guess I would be the same) are protective of the space outside their home. Just something to be mindful of when unable to park outside of this property. The location of the property is great and central for meals, walking to the lake etc. Overall a pretty disappointing experience purely based on the cleanliness and the parking/damage to car issues. Personally we would not return to this property.

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• Julianty - Verified booking

  It was a good-sized property for two families.

  Unfortunately, there were quite a few hiccups! The dishwasher was filthy and turned out it was not working at all and obviously, whoever cleaned up the accommodation before us did not check that the dishwasher was not working. We phoned the property management on the morning of the second day. They said they would send someone to check in the afternoon (while we were out), but did not call us what they have found. So in the late afternoon, we had to call them back to check if someone had been to investigate. We were informed that they will contact the property owner about this and there is nothing that can be done during our visit. What made me unhappy te most was that there were no apologies at all at any point regarding the non-functional dishwasher. The properpy might not belong to the management, but they represent and were hired by the property owner, so an apology is expected. The chrome on the showerhead in the King-sized bedroom had peeled off (old) and gave one of us a deep cut on the thumb. On the second day, we had no hot water at all for hours and hours. One of the children had to be cleaned desperately and had no choice but to have a very quick dip in the ice-cold bath!!! The hot water is finally back on when one of us checked the boiler and had to press a button to sort of reset it or make it work again. This property needs to renew some of its facilities and desperately need a proper maintenance!!!

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• Lesley - Verified booking

  A beautifully furnished, comfortable & clean cottage.

  A perfect place to return to after a day exploring, walking & cycling in the Lake District. Fully equipped kitchen, only minor observation is the temperature markings for the main oven have worn away. Lounge perfect for relaxing, with the log burner adding that special touch. Bedrooms beautifully dressed with plenty of storage for clothing, very comfortable beds. Three also have a wash basin. Main bathroom includes a shower over bath with good of water pressure. Also has a downstairs shower room, though can't comment on water pressure as we didn't use it. Breathtaking views from all main rooms but especially enjoyed from the garden benches on the patio - a perfect start to the day sitting with a morning coffee listening to the sounds of the sheep in the distant fields & the birds. About 15 mins drive to Bowness-on-Windmere access is via winding country lanes with passing places, but very little traffic - just watch out for the pheasants who seem to prefer running down the lane ahead of the car rather than fly out of way. The Masons Arms, a 15 mins walk away, has a welcoming feel & does lovely food. Highly recommend Addyfield Farmhouse for a relaxing base for exploring the Lake District.

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• Patrick - Verified booking

  On the whole it was a really nice property which suited our needs well.

  There were a few (minor) issues which, if addressed would enhance the experience for future guests: - we were given an incorrect code for the key safe. Fortunately this do not prove too problematic as it was a transposition of the last 2 digits. - we were surprised that only one key for the front door was available. This has not been our experience with other previous holiday lettings. We suggest that consideration be given to providing at least one extra key within the house. - we understand that membership of the nearby hotel spa is no longer a feature of this booking. Sykes cottages should remove any reference to this amenity from their post booking information ( ref email from Sykes Friday 24th Feb 2023) and the owners should arrange for the reference to the Spa membership and a membership card to be removed from the Guest Information pack in the property. - the ceiling light in the 1st floor landing bathroom was not working. - there appears to be a blockage in the waste pipe from the shower tray in the 1st floor en suite. The water could build up and overflow causing flooding to the floor if someone remained in the shower for a long time.

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