Villas In Ambleside

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Mr John Forster - Verified booking

  The location just a short distance from Ambleside was perfect with a safe walk into the town which had plenty of amenities. We all had a wonderful time as the lakes are stunning and the weather was very kind and dry. The equipment at the property was plentiful, no real need for an iron, ironing board, who irons when on holiday and a dishwasher as there’s only the two of us. The log fire is also OTT as you have underfloor heating. There’s no permanent place to put clothes or towels in the bathroom so everything has be hung on either the shower stall or the clothes airer which takes up half the bathroom. The sink outlet pipe is obviously blocked as the note above the sink testifies to other stayers having similar issues. A number of the wall unit doors were sticking especially the end cupboard door and the dishwasher unit was badly fitted so the door was 2” out at the top. 3 of the plates were chipped. We were asked to remove the bedding which revealed large stains on the Mattress, mattress cover and duvet cover. The storage cupboard had a freezer an iron, an ironing board which reduced its capacity and wasn’t needed. Overall the-feel of the property was a little cramped and that it needed a good clean especially to the outside of the property which let it down. We’ve become accustomed to having a few treats on arrival with all the properties i.e. milk tea coffee or a bottle of wine etc so was disappointed with not even a welcome card. The property was very comfortable the bed the sofa etc, apart from the 2 pillows which were rock hard, but as I said difficult to move around the bed with the TV on the wall next to the bed end, next to the fire base, the stools as well as 2 large dogs and their beds. Value of the property was ok but never sure what the accidental damage charge and the £20 per dog goes to as the property had all wooden floors. We booked a midweek break but the 4pm arrival and the 9am departure time for the soul purpose of cleaning left me with the feeling it was more like 3 days and the regular reminders of the arrival and departure times x6 were tedious and excessive. We would have no issue with booking with your company apart from the additional charges, admin dogs etc if we found a property but not The Hideaway. I Never recommended companies or products. Just to say we did have a pleasant stay but due to issues raised above it felt short of our usual experience and expectations

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• Fiona - Verified booking

  We loved the apartment, especially the stunning view over Fairfield Horseshoe with Rydal Hall in the distance.

  It was lovely to relax and look at the view. The apartment was very comfortable. The bed was comfortable and we slept well. It was quite firm but we prefer that to a too soft and squishy bed. The apartment was well equipped with everything we needed. The Wi-Fi was good and my teenage son was very happy. In fact he said it was the best holiday accommodation he has stayed in. It was well located and within easy walking distance to Ambleside across the park. A very quiet and peaceful location. The garden was lovely with a lake view from some areas. It was very hot for our first few days - 30 degrees, very unexpected in the Lakes! As it’s a top floor apartment it did get hot but there were plenty of windows to open, remote controlled velux and a fan. I expect it will be cosy in winter. We had no problems with the arrival instructions or the gate button and door codes as mentioned in another review, it was all straightforward. The hairdryer was in the bedroom drawer. There were signs there had been a leak and there was scaffolding on the roof. It rained while we were there and there was no leak. There had been some storm damage to a couple of trees in the grounds probably from Storm Arwen which was still being repaired. They have sadly lost a very large tree. I agree with previous reviews on the unavailable lift. It had a code lock on it and we couldn’t work out whether it actually worked. Nobody from any apartment used it. It is hard work on arrival and departure getting luggage up and down the stairs. There also needs to be a light immediately outside the apartment door as the switch for it is inside and it can be hard to see the lock. There also needs to be recycling facilities, particularly as this is a national park. We are very green and recycle absolutely everything at home but still draw the line at looking for the council recycling facility while on holiday. Also be aware that the road Under Loughrigg is no motor vehicles and access only through to Rydal if you turn left out of the property gate but some less reliable satnavs (like our car one) may try to direct you down there from either direction!

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• Sophie - Verified booking

  Myself and my Husband stayed at the smithy cottage for our honeymoon.

  The cottage wasn’t very clean at all. The bathroom looked like it hasn’t ever been cleaned and had black mould all over the tiles, around toilet and bath. The upstairs dressing room had mould all around the skirting boards. The cottage hasn’t been dusted and had cobwebs in most corners and on al lamps. As there wasn’t a allocated car parking space the parking was a struggle. The on lane parking for the cottage isn’t ideal. We struggled to get parked near the cottage on a few occasions with other cars tending to park here from other cottages. The information booklet left by lake lovers provided some information regarding flexible rates and deals with some leisure clubs in the area to use their spa facilities. When calling lake lovers on our first day the lady we spoke to didn’t know anything about it. She said that someone would contact us the following day. However we waited the remainder of our holiday with no further contact from lake lovers until the night before our last day where we received a voicemail and email telling us that they were unaware of any literature regarding money off/discount for spa facilities in local hotels. I feel their response time to this query was not very prompt at all and we had to wait nearly our whole holiday to hear back regarding it. Overall the cottage was in an ideal location within Ambleside, perfect size for a couple and great base to visit many of the surrounding villages. However, since the cottage wasn’t very clean at all this is spoil our honeymoon as we did expect more from lake lovers. Wd did attempt to email lake lovers regarding our concerns on the cleanliness whilst we were still there but are still awaiting a response from them. We wouldn’t recommend this cottage or using lake lovers due to our above experience.

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• Zoe - Verified booking

  A perfect cottage for 2 in the center of Ambleside.

  We booked this for the week after our wedding and even though we have family in the area, it was a great place to have our own space. When it comes to parking there is only really space for one car as you have properties surrounding that also have access to the street parking - however it does come with a parking permit for various carparks around the South Lakes. The on street parking does require you to park your car close to the hedge (especially if you don't have the space directly in front of the cottage) but there is enough room for delivery vans to still pass without any trouble. The stairs pictured are narrow and quite steep, so wouldn't be suitable for anyone who requires accessibility. They also proved to be difficult in getting a large suitcase upstairs before unpacking it downstairs, however we did manage to get smaller cases up with ease. There is a small wardrobe in the bedroom that is tucked into the wall, but there is an ample size dressing room that contains the boiler and clothes dryer as well. You could tell the bathroom is new - however, the mirror above the sink is too high (I am 5ft 6 and could just about see), also the paint on the ceiling needs redoing as it was flaking during the last few days. One thing that we did have to do when we first arrived is move the multiple air fresheners into cupboards as they were all different scents which were too strong for a small property. Overall, I would recommend this cottage to couples who want something close to amenities but still has that cosey feel to it.

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• A - Verified booking

  This was our third stay in this lovely old building, each time in a different apartment.

  We love the location, with a 10 minute walk into Ambleside across the park. It is also brilliant having parking, so avoiding the need to park in Ambleside which can be a nightmare. The steep lane from and to the building will not be for everyone, but it is possible to drive down to the main gates and leave your car there for the ascent back up the long drive. There are lovely walks to Grassmere, Skelwith Bridge (and on to Elterwater), Rydal and Loughrigg Fell from the lane outside the house and many more from other parts of Ambleside. The apartment was generally well equipped and very clean. A decent TV and streaming services, plus a little Bose bluetooth speaker were much apprciated. It was nice to be able to control the hot water and heating (only used to warm up the towel rail as we had beautiful weather). A few tips for the owner: 1) the seal under the glass shower screen over the bath is perished and water leaks onto the floor 2) we were surprised to find a plain sheet on the double bed rather than a fitted sheet, though the bed was very comfortable 3) we stayed in two other places on this holiday and both provided welcome packs with a few basics (nice if you arrive late) 4) a second bath mat would be helpful as there are two showers. But these are just minor niggles. It was a lovely apartment and the views were spectacular. We did not want to leave.

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