"Really lovely comfortable house, with balcony over the falls."
As per last review, I also had trouble finding it- future guests - turn right at Bobbin Mill Cottage and you’ll soon see the garage on the right (with the key box on the road side end of the garage inside wall.)
Reviewed by Kirsty5.0★ Mar 2024
"The property was warm and spacious and finished to a very high standard."
Having two bathrooms also made getting ready to go out on an evening very efficient.
The car parking space was generously sized - once we located it - but more of that later....
This week marked the 15th anniversary of the first time we took our daughter on a cottage holiday when she was just 10 weeks old. We have averaged between 2 and 4 cottage holidays per year over that time, visiting a mixture of old favorites as well as exploring new ones. 2023 has been no exception and our week in Ambleside was our 4th cottage holiday this year and the third at a new property.
My point is that as a family we are well used to locating and gaining access to properties in places that we have never been to before - although I do know Ambleside town very well having been a visitor for the last 30 years or more!
We had a relatively trouble free 3 hour drive over to Ambleside last Saturday afternoon and arrived in town quite relaxed and in good spirits at around 5.00pm. We were also able to drive pretty much straight to the lane end on Kirkstone road marked "Edinboro" which we turned down as instructed. We drove down a very narrow track and came to what looked like a dead end with cars parked everywhere and nowhere to turn around. I decided to reverse up and review the written instructions, but in doing so scraped my car along a low wall that I hadn't seen. At this point I was fit for driving back home and we were at the top of Hardknott pass by the time my wife persuaded me that we should go back and try again.
At this point we had to reverse along Edinboro twice more to allow delivery vehicles out as there is absolutely no room for vehicles to pass each other and no space to turn around.
Finally, I drove further down and we located the parking space for number 16 - but it was now beginning to get dark. I unloaded the car whilst my wife and daughter set about finding the apartment. There was a sign on a wall marked 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 - but not a number 16. We asked other people but nobody else knew where number 16 was. Eventually my daughter explored a little further and after about 20 minutes we finally found number 16. It was now after 6.00pm and darkness had fallen.
By now we had been in Ambelside for well over an hour, but we had yet to locate the secure box with the key in it. There was a secure box in a well lit area with what looked like a faded number 16 next to it on the wall near the fuse box for number 16, but our key code would not work. We phoned Sykes several times and eventually they sent a local assistant to help us. He wasn't going to arrive until after 7.00pm so he advised us to go for our evening meal and he would tell us how to get in once he had fixed the secure box.
So two hours after arrival - we set off down into Ambleside for our meal and just made it in time for our 7.30pm booking.
The assistant phoned me half an hour later to explain the our secure box was in the parking space next to our car. It did say that in the instructions but it was pitch dark under there and none of use had seen it and we were all a little frazzled by this point.
I don't care if "everyone else manages to find the property and the secure box OK" - we didn't. It wasn't the best start to our holiday and really spoiled the mood for a while what with scraping the car and all.
The site is compact, but quite complex with several apartments in different buildings over four levels. The instructions really need a plan (map) of the site clearly showing the location of the designated parking space and the apartment entrance.
Also the key code and location of the secure box should be on a separate line in block capitals - not buried in a paragraph of text which includes navigation instructions from Windermere town.
In summary, a great apartment in an amazing location. Summer nights on the balcony must be absolutely lovely. Just needs better instructions supplemented by a site plan or map to help locate everything that we struggled with for nigh on two hours.
Reviewed by Jason5.0★ Oct 2023
"Lovely place to stay and a short walk from Ambelside."
No dishwasher, nut we managed fine!
Reviewed by Becky4.7★ Oct 2023
"The property is in a lovely location above the falls and has everything you need for a weeks holiday
Our only issue (and this has been mentioned by others in reviews previously), is the overwhelming smell of damp in the master bedroom."
On closer inspection, this is coming from the carpet. There is a large stain, so there must have been a leak at some point (we actually cut our holiday short due to this)
On our return, we contacted Sykes to mention the issue, who duly sent in their maintenance team... Their response was that there was no damp smell at all and no signs of a stain (Claiming it might have been a shadow) and that they now considered the matter closed!
I did offer to drive the 6 hour round trip to meet their representative and point out where the problem is, but I had no response. If the issue is not raised with the property owner, then no action will obviously be taken. (We will not be booking through Sykes again)
Thank you for your feedback.
We are sorry that you had issues with the property during your stay.
Unfortunately, as we were not made aware of this until after your stay we didn't have opportunity to resolve the issue to make your stay more pleasant.
The owner relations team - Lakelovers
Property Owner
Reviewed by Wesley2.5★ Sep 2023
"Hmmm Dirty."
The place itself is in a good condition however the cleaner / cleaning company lets it down. This is what we found…
Dirty carpets clearly not hoovered, I ended up emptying the hoover and hoovering top to bottom which made a huge difference to the carpet. Cobwebs, hair and dust everywhere including cooker hood, ornaments, hob and all the paces that are not so easy to get to. Simple things like a table were clean but it seemed like anything that required a bit of effort to clean wasn’t. There was also a really strong smell of damp or mould downstairs which was horrible. We had hoovered but it was coming from under the bed so we got some incense stick which took the edge off enough to sleep. Upstairs toilet doesn’t flush properly so we only used the downstairs bathroom. No dishwasher is a bit of a pain but most of all would of helped with hygiene as the cleanliness of the pots, pans and cutlery didn’t inspire confidence, again we washed what we needed by hand. Would NOT recommend and would NOT go back.
Reviewed by Lee2.8★ Sep 2023
"We had another fabulous stay at River Falls View."
Our 2nd time here. We arrived during the hottest week of the year so we made good use of the balcony and the apartment stayed cool. The apartment is really well equipped and clean - it has everything we need and the bathrooms are modern and spacious. I don't think we would look for anywhere else to stay when in Ambleside. Parking under cover is a bonus too. Can't wait for our next visit.
Reviewed by Paula4.4★ Sep 2023
"Great apartment with great views from the balcony over the flowing river."
Very comfortable and all facilities provided.
Reviewed by Toby5.0★ Aug 2023
"This was our 3rd stay here."
It is a lovely house with everything you need. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Reviewed by Sharon5.0★ Aug 2023
"Very nice property on two levels."
Clean and tidy and well equipped. Nice balcony overlooking the falls but be warned the sound can be VERY loud! Also the property is surrounded by lots of trees so is very shaded all the time, ie gets no sun inside, or out on the balcony. Well located for Ambleside but it is a very steep hill back up to property.
Reviewed by Christine3.8★ Jul 2023
"Great property, in an amazing place."
This was our second stay. The location is everything, the views from the property and the balcony are incredible. The property itself is great, with everything provided, nothing was left unthought of. The only issue we had is how ridiculously soft the bed is, made sleeping through the night almost impossible.
We love this place. We are sad that we will no longer be able to come here. We are about to become dog owners, and the property doesn't permit pets. This is really sad for us. If pets were permitted, we would be back on Lakelovers site today booking River Falls View for next year!
Reviewed by Carl3.4★ Jun 2023
"Great property, well maintained and very well equipped."
Extremely comfortable, couldn't fault our stay. Would definitely book again. Worth mentioning though that it is located up a steep hill approx a fifteen minute walk.
Reviewed by Michael4.7★ Jun 2023
"Clean and tidy, good carpets, good bathrooms and really nice balcony."
The property needs some maintenance. The heating needs to be looked at and some radiators are not working, the ground floor bathroom towel rail needs to be bled, it’s cold. The freezer needs defrosting and the bins were overflowing with evidence of rat droppings in the garage where the bins are located. The Sky box is ancient and needs replacing and I’ve not seen a VHS player for many years. The kitchen has virtually no work surface and could do with a narrow bench along the left wall.
We couldn’t find the property and got some help to do so, the signage says 17-23 however 16 is next door. I won’t rent this property again.
Thank you for your comments. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay.
We take all comments on board.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Keith3.1★ Apr 2023
"We have stayed in this property a few times before."
No complaints again this year. The cottage was clean, warm, comfy and it is well equipped. We made use of the balcony, even in February! The parking space is larger than most on the site and undercover which is good in frosty weather. There are plenty of guest parking spaces on the development too for the days when we had two cars here.
Reviewed by Brenda5.0★ Feb 2023
"What an outstanding holiday home."
The location is incredible with beautiful views of the waterfall!
The house was clean, comfortable and very well equipped.
We did not have to use the car for the entirety of our stay as restaurants and amazing walks were all close to the accommodation.
Will be rebooking in the future!!
Reviewed by Jane4.7★ Oct 2022
"We stayed in this cottage last year and loved it so decided to come back again."
However it has gone downhill a bit. There appear to have been a few breakages over the year and some were replaced. A champagne flute had a long crack down it when we took it out of cupboard (not us) so we replaced it. The shower pump box in downstairs bathroom had black mould around the on/off switch and dial. I did clean them (forgot to take before and after photos). The shower head still needs a good clean. We cleaned the shower head in upstairs bathroom too as mouldy.
We came prepared for the tv and brought chromecast so we weren’t relying on sky and dvds that wouldn’t work last year (other reviews reflect that this hasn’t been addressed).
It’s still a great property but cleanliness not up to Lakelovers usual standard.
Reviewed by Liz4.1★ Sep 2022
"Our stay at River Falls View was about as perfect as it gets."
A beautiful cottage with stunning views. Had just about everything you could wish for. We will definitely be back.
Reviewed by Stephen5.0★ Sep 2022
"Lovely comfortable accommodation, well-equipped & luxurious."
Will definitely stay again. Thank you for a wonderful holiday - even the weather was fairly kind to us.
Reviewed by Susan5.0★ Jul 2022
"Spent a lovely week at River Falls."
The property is comfortable and in a good location. Sitting above Stock Ghyll Force was unique - would recommend!
Reviewed by Jean5.0★ Jul 2022
"Beautiful and well maintained apartment."
Very clean and well equipped. Loved the wrap around balcony. Felt very safe and comfortable here. Bathrooms are fabulous. We always love coming to ambleside and the weather was fantastic for us this time.
Reviewed by Paula5.0★ Jun 2022
"We have stopped in many properties in ambleside over many years and this property is up with the best of them ."
Only small gripe would be a bigger mat could be provided on balcony to help keep carpet clean.and bottom bedroom was cool but guess that is down to construction of building. but all in all it is a credit to the owners
Reviewed by James4.4★ Jun 2022
"A brilliant, stunning property."
Loved our mornings and evenings sitting on the balcony and enjoying the amazing setting. The cottage is so well equipped, with everything you could ever need. Ambleside is always a joy to be in.
The only change I would suggest would be a much firmer mattress on the bed in the master bedroom.
We will definitely be staying again. Thank you for such a happy holiday.
Reviewed by Carl4.4★ May 2022
"River Falls View is wonderfully situated right over the falls and we spent lovely hours sitting at the wooden bench, chilling and gazing at the water."
The apartment (feels more like a cottage), is so comfortable and pretty much has everything you could wish for. It’s quite extreme getting in and out but you get used to it. I might add, that if you are a mature couple with limited ability, and don’t mind sleeping in twin beds, this is for you as you can live extremely comfortably on one level. We loved it and I got very emotional having to leave the lovel view of the falls running underneath the wrap around balcony.
Reviewed by Anne5.0★ May 2022
"Beautiful cottage, great views, fab location and spotlessly clean."
Kitchen and bathrooms excellent. Only suggestions would be improved tv signal(couldn’t get sky to work), a tv or radio downstairs, and comfortable outdoor seats/cushions.
Reviewed by Mark4.4★ Apr 2022
"The cottage/duplex apartment is pleasant and we'll equipped with a nice view over the Ghyll and we enjoyed our stay."
The downstairs double bed is pretty awful though, incredibly soft and uncomfortable which didn't make for a good night's sleep. Also very cold downstairs whereas the upstairs is nice and warm. The sofas are also pretty uncomfortable
It really shouldn't list Sky TV as it's almost non functional. Works for about 2 mins max before failing. Clearly been like that for a long time too from the comments book in the property.
We enjoyed our stay and the area is lovely but will choose a different property next time.
Reviewed by Rowland4.1★ Apr 2022
"We had a great stay at River Falls view and would highly recommend the property."
It was very well situated with a gorgeous view of the river. We spent many hours watching the water flow past whilst having a cheeky glass of vino.
The property was well stocked with many items you don’t normally see in holiday let’s such as a hairdryer and cleaning items which was a bonus.
On arrival we found it clean and well maintained and the decor was akin to a country cottage (very quaint)
The only recommendations we would give are for it to have a set of recycle type bins in the kitchen rather than just the one bin as when you go to the refuse area outside they expect you to separate for recycling, having separate bins in the kitchen would make it easier to organise for the quest.
The other recommendation would be to improve the outdoor seating as it’s a gorgeous view and great to sit out and watch the birds and wildlife but the plastic chairs and table provided don’t fit with the elegance of the property, are faded and stained as well as uncomfortable (no seat pads) which is the same for the wooden bench at the other side of the balcony (again no seat pads to make it comfortable to sit for any length of time)
Other than that we loved the property and would certainly book it again, I. Fact we tried for June but it’s already fully booked.
Reviewed by Tracey5.0★ Mar 2022
"Beautiful accommodation."
Everything there what we needed. Comfort and cleanliness was to a very high standard. Couldn’t fault anything and would definitely consider returning.
Reviewed by Jayne5.0★ Mar 2022
"Really nice place, the internet wasn’t great though and the TV is very old also seems to have a lot of power issues"
Reviewed by Adam4.7★ Nov 2021
"We really enjoyed our stay here and the location was so lovely over the water."
Our only slight criticism was the heating, there were times where it just didn’t feel toasty and in November I want to feel cosy and toasty especially as there’s no log burner or any kind of fire but this would not put us off staying again, it’s just our personal feedback.
The other thing would be a small set of drawers in the main bedroom but again it wouldn’t stop us from booking this property again.
Thank you
Reviewed by Dean4.4★ Nov 2021
"Lovely clean and well equipped property with beautiful views."
If any improvements were to be done it’s only in the need for somewhere to hang outdoor coats when returning from a rainy day out. Would recommend this property to anyone and would definitely book again.
Reviewed by Elaine5.0★ Nov 2021
"Lovely apartment with good access into Ambleside."
Furniture but dated but clean and comfortable. Could do with an oven glove in the kitchen. Overall very well equipped and comfortable apartment.
Reviewed by Emma3.8★ Oct 2021
"Lovely appointed apartment overlooking the gyhll."
Large balcony where we spent many hours watching the water rush through, wildlife etc. Good size rooms and a nicely set up kitchen (with view also). Short walk (10 mins) into town for all facilities.
Highly recommended!
Reviewed by Paul4.4★ Sep 2021
"Lovely property with everything you would need for your stay ( iron, cleaning products, vacuum etc )."
The beds were very comfy and the downstairs bathroom was beautiful. The best part was the wrap around balcony with stunning views over the waterfall. We would stay again.
Reviewed by Stefanie5.0★ Aug 2021
"Difficult to find the apartment and only had one key."
But the place was spotless and had everything you would need.
Reviewed by Sharon5.0★ Aug 2021
"Great location next to Stock Ghyll Force, straightforward walk into Ambelside although quite a steep climb back."
A well equipped modern kitchen, comfy beds & two lovely bathrooms.
Could desperately do with some coat hooks as there is no where to store walking coats/layers etc, ended up with it all hung over the bannisters.
Reviewed by Alex4.7★ May 2021
"Lovely well equipped apartment,everything you would need for an enjoyable stay,modern kitchen & bathrooms to the highest standards, comfortable beds."
The shower needs attention only because the water drains away slowly probably needs hair unlocking from the outlet.Will recommend this accommodation.
Reviewed by Patrick5.0★ May 2021
"Such a relaxing stay."
Just what we needed. Gorgeous setting and facilities excellent. Will be recommending.
Reviewed by Dawn5.0★ May 2021
"Our fourth stay at River Falls View."
Great location, very comfortable property and we will definitely stay there again.
Reviewed by Stella5.0★ Apr 2021
"Beautiful setting above the waterfalls, we were treated with a visit from a deer wandering along the banks on our last morning."
A short stroll into Ambleside, perfectly placed to explore the Lake District.
Wonderfully comfortable apartment, especially the beds! The upstairs shower was fantastic.
If I may offer three recommendations for future guests - the knives were all very blunt and not fit for purpose, the table placemats are a little shabby, a larger clothes airer/dryer would be great as it was a large capacity washing machine, but only a small drying rack.
A really wonderful holiday, thank you.
Reviewed by Adele5.0★ Apr 2021
"The house is lovely, well equipped & spotless."
The ensuite is superb. We immediately felt at home. The location is great, we enjoyed sitting out on the balcony each night watching the bats as the sun went down. Would love to return & have already recommended to friends.
Miss BoxJul 2019
"Third time at The Falls."
This is the nicest property we have stayed in and will be back.
The Bennett FamilyNov -0001
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