Daphne - verified booking

"Lovely house and great location but frustrated occupants. Lovely christmas tree thanks. Lovely Aga. Good fridge/freezer capacity. Batterie de cuisine fit for purpose esp knife sharpening steel. Welcome basket lovely but would have liked the pepper grinder filled and decent salt and a small amount of milk for tea on arrival.There was no soap/ hand wash at all in the house! After a long journey seven people wanted the bathroom..............Fortunately we got there in time and knew the Coop opened late from previous visits. We would have despaired if we turned up later or were newbies to Bowness. For the number of people accommodated little space for hanging up/drying outdoor gearNo doormat so the hall floor got muckyOur Main bedroom hopelessly inadequate hanging and storage for clothes . We lived out of the suitcase for the week which was the last thing we expected for the price paid.There were no bath mats. Getting out of baths onto a slippery floor is not good and There were no oven gloves! Eek - a massive Aga- Xmas roasts- burnt hands. Not good. Inadequate quantity of wine and water glasses of same size for the total occupants.We were unable to negotiate the various black boxes and three controls linked to the TV the one or two occasions we wanted to view.Lastly, we are are committed to recycling. We found it confusing. No provision for plastic or card, yet a green bin down the road clearly indicated mixed recycling . Some of us took plastic home to recycle. Feel this is really important for the impact of the tourism industry.We did pop into the local office which said it sent an email about some of the above but did not have any response. We felt inhibited about contacting the phone number so close to Xmas"

Paul - verified booking

"The cottage was clean & tidy on our arrival. However, the cottage could do with some refurbishment and I for one would be prepared to pay more for that privilege. The bathroom was a huge waste of valuable bedroom space and could be made en-suite very easily. The shower over the bath could disappear and a proper shower cubicle could easily fit in the bathroom. The furniture in all the bedrooms was basic and in need of renewal.Not sure what you could do about it but the stairs to the top floor were difficult and dangerous. There is a need for a downstairs W.C. The property is meant for 7 people so this is not an unreasonable expectation. Lounge was adequate but the kitchen could do with a total refurbishment. The cooker top does its own thing (being electric) and the oven is untameable. I have got used to much better quality accommodation and was disappointed with this cottage. Myself and my family will not be back here until it has been refurbished. I'm sorry if this sounds offensive, - it is not meant to be but I believe that it is better to be honest. A lick of more inviting colour on the outside window and door frames would do much to lift the kerb appeal. The photographs on line flatter the property. Location is good and this would encourage a return stay if/when the property is refurbished. Housekeeping could be more diligent as we found three broken glasses hidden in the utility room - on a window ledge which is below counter height, beneath pile of tea towels. We were lucky not to injure ourselves on these. Fortunately, the beauty of the area was undiminished by the sub standard accomodation."

Val - verified booking

"Generally good holiday property for a large party, good space, furnishings and equipment.Too close to a noisy busy road, which meant sitting outside in the small garden area was not pleasant, so we moved the garden furniture to the front, which worked, although it was not private from other residents at The Terrace. It was also noisy during the night and particularly in the morning, for people who were sleeping on that side of the house.Major irritation was the cleaning team! When some of our party arrived early and wanted to park at the property, they were told that the parking spaces wouldn't be available until 4pm and that their cars would be in the way. This might be acceptable, if it wasn't for the fact that on the day of departure, when our departure time was 10am, some of the cleaning/maintenance team arrived before 9am. One parked his van right in front of the cottage, in a space we had intended to use for loading one of our vehicles. He then sat in the van and stared into the front door watching as we all moved around loading our vehicles. Eventually he sat at the table outside the front, and other cleaning people arrived early also. It felt like vultures were swirling overhead waiting for us to go, and definitely spoiled the last hour of our visit. When we were saying goodbye to other family members at 10am, people who we wouldn't see for another year, they were already in the house and stripping the beds."

PETER - verified booking

"Plenty of room for a big party. Bedrooms and bathrooms very good. Position on the main road was a little unfortunate as cars were parked outside the windows and door most of the weekend. Parking for three cars was tight,as rubble and building materials in the drive entrance made parking on the property difficult. Parking opposite in the public car park was OK but we were anxious all weekend because a notice there restricts parking to 1hour. The playground opposite and the convenience of the baker and small grocery store were a big advantage for a group with small children.Our weekend was slightly spoilt by the unavailability of the BBQ promised on the list. As the weather was so good, we planned to eat outside and BBQ twice. We had to buy a portable BBQ twice during our stay. The outside area was altogether disappointing. It was neglected, dirty and un welcoming. There was builders'rubble around and not a pleasant place to eat. There were no proper chairs or tables, as advertised in the photos and nowhere to relax as there were two dirty picnic tables only. There is no garden at all, only a dirty yard. It was a nice property internally but disappointing outside."

Estherh - verified booking

"We felt this was a reasonable priced cottage, therefore the small things such as the uncomfortable living room, the old fashioned bedding in the downstairs bedroom and the run down en-suites upstairs seem acceptable. The rest of the cottage was amazing and the people who spoke to us were so friendly! The welcome basket was a nice touch, the huge arga was beautiful! The hallway was probably the prettiest part of the house. Not much sun in the courtyard but we weren’t too fussed anyway. Overall for a group of girls we found the cottage to be great, the location helped a lot! Bang in the middle of Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere so best of both worlds! I have a 5 year old and wouldn’t take her to this cottage due to the banister upstairs being dangerously low for small children. Such a shame as I would have definitely returned with my family if this wasn’t the case. Thanks for having us."