Holly Cottage

This place worked well on the whole for our family of 4 adults.

Mattresses in twin room not so comfortable for an adult. Found main bathroom shower didn’t work. Notified maintenance who came and looked at it. It worked for one occasion after that, then the same problem reoccurred. Location - great short walk into town. Note, this is a purpose built holiday apartment. To get to Holly Cottage front door, we had to walk through the enclosed patio area of the smaller let under our property. Only other minor issue was, no kitchen hand-towel was supplied. As we cook for ourselves most days we picked one up from the local shops to cover this. In every other way, the place was well equipped. I’d add some task lighting on the other side of the fireplace, but others may not mind at all that this was missing! Accommodation was clean, nicely arranged, worked functionally. It was a great base for our holiday.

The accommodation was fine, well appointed, clean, well equipped and very convenient to town - walking distance even for a walking stick using old codger.

My only real complaint is the very poor communication with and from Sykes Cottages. When we wanted information before our visit and when we had trouble with the central heating during the visit it was impossible to speak with a live person - all we got were a series of automated (I hesitate to use the term because the responses lacked the "I") and in the context of the heating it took more than three days before an engineer turned up unannounced. Skes Cottages get 2/10 for communication and customer care!

We had a fabulous stay at Holly Cottage.

The location is great, nearer to the town centre than I expected and the walk is steep but fine. Being able to sit in the bedroom and hear the waterfall is really lovely. Facilities all good, kitchen very well supplied. Please note some of the sites say there is only one bathroom but in fact there is a bathroom and 2 en suites so that was an added bonus. Updates seem to have been made, perhaps in response to previous reviews. There is a new front door and the cottage was in good decorative order. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and hope to visit again.

Well situated in nice quiet area, we had a comfortable stay , however , some areas (particularly downstairs bedroom and bathroom ) tired and needing freshened up.

I can provide photos if required. Light over mirror in bathroom not working I should stress issues mainly with downstairs bedroom /bathroom. Overall pleasant little cottage. Just needs some maintenance

Holly cottage is in a good location and is a comfortable place to stay, well equipped, large open plan living kitchen area, good sized bedrooms two of which is en-suite and one family bathroom with shower to share.

On first impression the cottage is clean and tidy, however there is a lot of areas that I noticed that needs attention with a more thorough clean and some tlc with the decorating and decor..

Holly Cottage has everything you need for your stay.

From the 3 very comfortable bed rooms all with their own facilities. To the kitchenette with everything you will need. Outside is a small sunny seating area for you to relax, after a day at the lakes. Just a few minutes walk from the center of Ambleside (all be it up quite a steep hill). Ambleside has a wide selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. So if your a walker or just spending time at the lakes. It's a lovely cottage.

We had a wonderful stay at Holly Cottage, helped by the fact that the weather was beautiful all week.

The location is great. It is up quite a steep hill but just a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of Ambleside. The cottage was lovely and with a little TLC could be perfect. There was no damp smell whatsoever as other reviews have mentioned, and a new fence means that the little garden area is fully enclosed with a small table that gets the sunshine all day. If tidied up this would be a lovely space to sit. The kitchen equipment was plenty but there was no bottle opener so take your own. I did contact SYKES twice prior to going to check on the towel situation as it didn’t state whether towels were included. They are, so it would have been nice to know prior. The cottage is quite small. It would not suit 6 adults in our opinion. We are a family of 3 (2 adults one toddler) and the living/kitchen space was perfect for us. The beds were really comfy and the bedrooms large. We would recommend and would stay again.

Beautiful cottage in a great location.

Spotlessly clean and comfortable place to stay after being out exploring the area all day. Only a 10 minute walk into Ambleside too. The only criticism is that it should be made more obvious that the fire in the living room is ornamental as it took us a while to discover this!!

We had a brilliant time here, lovely cottage and so close to Ambleside amenities.

We really loved this property.

Lots of cooking done at plenty of utensils. Beds comfortable. Spacious, very cosy and few elements had been updated since site pictures such as fireplace and rug and curtains. Felt homely. Very quiet yet 2 minute walk in to Ambleside. Loved it!

Holly Cottage was perfect for our stay.

Great position for walking into Ambleside. We were very comfortable there. The only thing is the downstairs bedroom smelt a bit damp and cold. Hopefully that can be sorted out.

This is a comfortable cottage well located only 5 minutes walk into Ambleside albeit a steep climb up the hill coming back!

It is generally well equipted although the kitchen area is quite small - only big enough for one person to work at the same time. The downstairs bedroom and bathroom are significantly colder than the rest of the cottage (probably because the cottage is built into the hillside) which made it difficult to heat without the other areas of the cottage becoming far too hot. Perhaps more adjustment on the radiator valves would help. Overall good holiday accommodation which fitted our requirements very well.

We specifically booked this because it had an enclosed garden and at the time of our booking it was classed as enclosed as we have a dog so this was disappointing.

Only a week or so ago did it change to not being enclosed in red writing as a new additional comment . I assume this was after a review I saw commenting on the fact it’s shared and there is no gate, so it’s misleading and disappointing. I have emailed regarding this but had no response which again is disappointing ! So I would appreciate a reply. The house was in a lovely location and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Great location and really nice cottage just needs a bit of love and care and attention in places and then it would have been 5 star

This is a semi with little outside lounging area and no outside privacy at all The photograph of the front of the house misleads as half of the property shown is not part of Holly Cottage.

The photograph is angled so you cannot see the entrance door to the other property which is just a few feet away. Also the photo of the area to the front of the property with table and chairs give an impression of some level of privacy. Once again it misleads as it also serves as an area for the other part of the proprty where they also have their table and chairs just feet away from yours with absolutely nothing to divide them. We have to pass between their seating area and door everytime we go out and come back as there is a shared acces route. The outside area containing the table and very uncomfortable plastic chairs is very small and is the only outside area connected to the house, there is no play area for kids, no area to sunbathe or have a barbeque, no area to hang washing, it is the smallest external and least private area we have ever had in a Sykes property. Evening meals and private socialising outside is impossible as you are doing it within near earshot of neighbours. Both parties had a very awkward first night sat outside whispering. The next door property consists of a 2 bedroom ground floor flat, with our third bedroom on top of it, their seating area is directly below our third bedroom, the noise they make we can hear in the bedroom as well as from their flat below. They have a baby and sit outside from 7.00am in the morning making it impossible to sleep or relax in our own bed. I expected Sykes to be more open about the properties shortcomings and not attempt to mislead in their website marketing of the property, i would not have booked it if i had had known we would have no privacy at all and be so near to the noise from next door. I am very surprised no other visitors have mentioned this, which makes me a bit suspicious as to what feedback Sykes cottages allow on their site, it will be interesting to see if this one makes it onto their site.

Holly Cottage was spacious, warm, comfortable and clean and had everything we needed.

Only minor downside was a bit of a smell of damp in the downstairs bedroom coming from the shower room. Location was ideal for easy access into Ambleside and the starting point for lots of lovely walks which meant we did not have to use the car. We very much enjoyed our stay at Holly Cottage and would definitely recommend

We had a lovely holiday, short walk and we were in town centre so no car needed for the week, very comfortable accommodation, well laid out and good outdoor space to sit in the evenings.

It was ideal for mum with the downstairs bedroom and en-suite. We have given 4 for facilities as downstairs bedroom was cold and slight damp musty smell still lingering but didn’t detract from our holiday.

Very comfortable cottage.

Well equipped. One or two little extras like a tooth mug in the bathrooms and a welcome pack with some tea bags etc would be nice. Also more toilet rolls. We had an issue with the heating when we first arrived it would be good if that had been checked and activated for our arrival. Apart from the above we had a lovely holiday with our family, the cottage is very convenient for the town and beautifully decorated and kitted out. We will certainly return.

Nice location .

property nice size suited 5 of us .Downstairs en / suite very damp extractor fan did not work . Few cobwebs in downstairs bedroom . Would of been nice if the electic fire plug was still attached so we could just use it for the lights to give it a warmly feeling .Also would of been nice to of added a standing xmas tree and few decors to make it feel more xmassy . Did not feel very x massy. Overall we had a nice time and would return again .

Very enjoyable stay and only a five minute walk to the centre of Ambleside would certainly recommend the property

We had a wonderful week at Holly Cottage.

The house was lovely and comfortable, the kitchen was well equipped for everything we needed. The beds were so comfortable and it was a real treat to have a smart tv and internet which pleased my daughter! We would absolutely stay here again. Thank you very much for sharing your house with us.

Great location to shops and good parking, but unfortunately the cleaning wasn’t up to much we sat down and got covered in dog hairs, damp in downstairs bedroom and bathroom with left clothes feeling damp when u go to put them on.

Horrible stay.

Only plus side was proximity to the shops and parking.

Lovely property in a perfect location, a 5 minute walk to the centre but up a steep hill.

Large enough for 6 adults, all bedrooms are large and the beds were comfortable. We had a great time. No complaints.

We had an excellent week in Holly Cottage.

The outstanding feature is the location - so peaceful, with good parking, yet five minutes walk into the middle of Ambleside. The upstairs of the cottage is much larger than the downstairs. Both upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms are lovely. The kitchen is fully functional and lounge is well laid out. The only improvement needed is new (or at least re-upholstered) sofas.

The location was great but the state of the property not so great.

Damp bathroom on the ground floor with water running down walls even using fan and open window. No food storage cupboard in kitchen especially if 6 people were staying. Property needed decorating, looked like hadn’t been done for a couple of years. Ripped seat cushions on sofa. A little disappointed but still enjoyed the Lake District.

This was our third stay at Holly Cottage and we noticed it has been refurbished in the kitchen diner / lounge area which is a big improvement.

The kitchen is small (hardly any food storage space apart from a large fridge freezer) but adequate, the downstairs en suite bathroom could use a refresh, but the upstairs bedrooms are lovely and very spacious. The location is fabulous, being a short walk into Ambleside and you can hear the river water flowing close by. Good size parking places too. We would definitely return, there’s nothing that’s a deal breaker and overall a very nice cottage

Fantastic few days over the Christmas period despite the weather.

Cottage was well set out with ample space for us all. The only issue for us was space for drying things with the bad weather. Would definitely stay again!

It was our second time at Holly cottage and we will be back.

Perfect location and great place to stay in Ambleside.

We enjoyed our stay in Holly Cottage.

It was warm and comfortable and suited our group of 5 people. There was ample parking for both cars. Just a few things that would be helpful: - please state towels are provided (it only states bed linen in the listing); - some more mugs would be useful (though there are 6); - some more hangers in the wardrobes would be handy; - instructions for the wi-fi need updating; - no instructions for the hob or new heating system; - the washing machine isn't working - it clicks through the programs and doesn't wash.

Holly Cottage is in a location that is far enough away from busy roads to be quiet and peaceful whilst only being a short stroll from Ambleside centre.

The cottage is fairly comfortable and well equipped for self catering. The two upstairs bedrooms are spacious although we found the downstairs bedroom rather cramped. The lounge/kitchen area would feel cramped with more than four adults. The property could do with some investment in decor in all rooms and the two lounge windows rotting on the outside could do with replacement. The rental price on a week that was not a school holiday was high and given how we found the property, did not represent good value for money.

Usually do not leave a review but on this occasion feel there were a few small issues.

Do feel in this time of Covid that hand wash should have been present in all bathrooms. First cottage we have stayed in where this was not the case. Also feel the cleaning pack for kitchen was inadequate especially if was supposed to be for 6 people. Fortunately there were only two of us. The cottage was advertised as having an electric fire unfortunately it was not connected as the plug had been cut off!! This meant there was no heating at the far end of the lounge. Cottage was cold on arrival and we had to resort to putting oven on the boost the central heating .Fortunately we only had to do this once. Appeared not have been dusted behind for quite some time either. Cottage in need of some TLC. Above issues not withstanding we had an enjoyable stay despite the rain. The beds were very comfortable and the shower was great. Great position with only short walk into town. Directions were spot on .

The downstairs bedroom was unusable because of the strong smell of damp.

Luckily there was just two of us so we used an upstairs bedroom. The sofas were really uncomfortable. I have a lower back problem and had to use the armchair. Apart from those problems the rest of the cottage was warm and comfortable, clean and very convenient for the local amenities. However, it is on a hill so you do need to be fit to walk up and down which we did every day. The setting in the small complex is lovely. We would stay on the complex again but maybe not this cottage unless the damp issue was fixed.

Great location, spacious bedrooms and nicely shaded in our super hot week of stay, Reasonably priced in the current context of sky high UK self catering holiday price increases following on from Covid lockdowns easing.

One small improvement would be for some bigger mugs, but that’s a personal preference thing.

Very Happy Indeed.

Property is very private and fact of 3 bathrooms amazing. Previous reviews at time I feel were unfair - this is a VERY comfortable cottage indeed - 23 years spent annual holiday in Ambleside and feel this cottage very adequate and location perfect,

This is a lovely cottage with lots of room, especially upstairs.

It has good taste decor and felt some of the previous comments were unfair as it’s a lovely place. Of course there’s some very minor wear and tear, it’s a rental cottage. Quite difficult to find initially as a bit of a labyrinth of roads so would benefit to have a whatthreewords address included too. The patio area isn’t secure which wasn’t clear so quite difficult when you’ve got a dog but at least isn’t a busy road. We actually had a deer walk straight past the house at one point. i have rented many cottages and my main criticism is that compared to all others, very little provided. No hand wash or any other products or cleaning items and not enough toilet roll to last a week and no kitchen towel or anything. Every other cottage I’ve been to always leave a welcome ‘gift’ of cakes and wine and bits and bobs and this just had a small cleaning kit… something else would be a nice touch. Bed in king size room lumpy and uncomfortable but other than that there was no issues with any of the rest of furniture. Wi-Fi doesn’t work in main upstairs bedroom either and the alternative code given didn’t come up as an option. These were all minor issues though and the overall cottage and layout was lovely and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again if staying in Ambleside.

Had a wonderful stay in the very delightful Holly Cottage.

The place was clean and tidy on arrival with towels, bedding and soap already present. All rooms are comfortably furnished and clutter free and decorated simply yet tastefully. Ambleside is a short walk away downhill and is easily reached, there are pubs within walking distance and the local butcher is very close too. With the windows open you can hear the waterfalls opposite the cottage which adds the to feel of the place. I would book this cottage again and would recommend it without hesitation. Only one minor criticism is there are some noisy floorboards upstairs but other than that I can't fault Holly Cottage.

The reasons for the low marks for Accuracy, Cleanliness & Comfort are: - There was some clever photography that made the rooms look bigger and brighter than they were.

- As is often the case, the easy surfaces were clean, but if you picked anything up there was lots of dust, animal hairs, etc. underneath. Most noticeably the sofa cushions and the rug. We tried to use the hoover provided and it gave out a nasty smell. - For comfort, the sofa cushion covers were not fit for purpose, covered over with a throw to hide the issue. (The sofas were not the ones shown in the pictures.) The wardrobe doors in the downstairs bedroom had a mind of there own. The property was in a good location for easy access to the town, but away from the throng.

Lovely cottage, easy parking and great location and comfy beds.

Think some of the reviews are unfair as all property in the lakes is prone to a little bit of damp in bathrooms. Only thing missing was a hairdryer!

Very nice cottage with easy access down to shops in Ambleside - bit of a climb getting back up until we found several shortcuts so may be worth putting these in the guide for new people arriving at the cottage.

We were concerned about the reviews prior to come and yet there was a few damp spots in places that are still being resolved, but the cottage was lovely and clean, settees were clean and beds were lovely.

Lovely comfortable stay, would definitely come here again.

This was our 4th holiday booking with Heart of the Lakes.

All our previous holidays have been great. This one was not. The paintwork and walls were heavily scuffed and marked, the sofas were worn out, cushions sagging and the zip was broken and the lining showing on one of the cushions. The sofas cushions were very flattened and misshapen. The sofas were not the ones shown on the website. The cushions on the dinning chairs were stained, stitching coming undone and falling to bits. Place mats were stained and marked. The wall in one bathroom was mouldy. The property looked as if it had been very heavily used and no maintenence done for several seasons. Previous occupants had all listed the same complaints on your web site but nothing has been done about it. Why ask for comments if you just ignore them? Clearly feedback is not important to you and just routine. We shan't be booking with Hearts again, very poor value for money.

In my opinion, this is not a 4 ticks property as it is.

The whole place needs a good clean up with cob webs in many places and dampness/mould in the downstairs shower and bedroom. The beds had mattresses which are well past their sell by date. The downstairs felt small for a property accommodating 6 people. The main positive is the location. Having read previous reviews, I did contact Sykes to confirm this is a 4 ticks property which they did - I do not agree!! For what you pay, I do not believe this property is worth staying in.Look for some other property.

We have been to lots of holiday cottages and have never had such uncomfortable settees, the photos make the accommodation look really nice, in fact the furniture is actually different so I’m guessing the photos are fairly old.

The whole house could do with a thorough clean, and some new pillows would be a great improvement. The property states that it’s an enclosed garden which is not accurate, luckily our dog is fairly well behaved but anyone with one that likes to wander would have a problem. It’s not all bad, the cottage is fairly well equipped kitchen wise and is in a great location. Two of the bedroom are really big which makes a nice change from some we have stayed in, although the cottage sleeps six, the downstairs I feel would be a bit small for six people, there were only four of us which was fine.

We have stayed at Holly Cottage for the past 6 years, last year we were fortunate to still have our holiday between lockdowns however had to complain as bins weren't emptied prior to our arrival.

Particularly during a pandemic we expected more attention to cleanliness and this year standards have slipped further. The cottage was dirty, old food from 2020 was found in the kitchen, leaking radiator, mould in bathrooms, trims falling off, furniture not cared for, carpet grips loose, toilet seats broken. My main concerns are we couldn't turn the temperature of the showers down and we're unable to lock the windows in the twin room and with 2 young children this is far from ideal. We have sent a complaint into Sykes regarding our stay and it is unlikely we will stay here again, particularly when taking into consideration the fact that the standards have slipped further yet prices are increasing by approx 65% for next year! Reading some of the more recent feedbacks on Heart of the Lakes we aren't the only ones!

Overall the cottage is very tired needs a lot of work to bring up to scratch internally outside space I would give a zero.

The main bathroom toilet seat was loose no nuts to hold it on unable to use.The sink plug once pushed down wouldn’t come back up.In the living room space the settees were in a very poor condition really not fit to sit on one cushion with a zip broken.Most of the wardrobe doors close with difficulty and the downstairs bedroom en-suite shower had black mould in the corner of the walls loose paint on the ceiling.Curtains in the sitting room hooks missing causing them to not close properly same in main bedroom.We did report the toilet on arrival but no one came out.Considering all of these complaints it didn’t spoil our enjoyment of Ambleside.

Not everything was bad, beds, bedding and towels were spot on.

Toilet looked clean but there was some spot mould in shower. Showers were powerful though downstairs one needs new shower head. Settee was so dirty and one of cushions had broken zip with inner cushion hanging out (glad we took throws). Rug was very dirty. Anytime We tried to connect to WiFi it failed, tho for us it wasn’t really a problem. Outside area did not meet expectations, cover on supply box outside was off when we arrived and had been held on with sticky tape, looked shabby. The promised view of Wansfell was a bit of a let down, maybe if some of the greenery was cut back? Holly Cottage is just in need of some refurbishment (though some areas like the bedrooms are fine). As it is at the moment I would not recommend it to anyone and we wouldn’t book it again.

It was very disappointing to see how the property has been sadly neglected.

When you consider the lockdown periods over the past 15 months there is no excuse for the property to be presented in this state. I am not sure if Sykes have inspected the property but if not then this is essential. We felt cheated paying £827.00 but imagine if it was 2022 and we had paid £1450.00? I am writing and enclosing photographs to illustrate and back up our criticism. We have used HOL at least 25-30 Times and are rarely disappointed. As pensioners we have to save for our holiday and hope we are not in the same situation next year. Colin and Christine Whitehead

Conveniently situated for shops and local walks.

The cottage was comfortable and well-appointed. My only slightly negative comment would be that I would have liked to see more recycling facilities, perhaps tins, paper and plastic. Overall, a lovely holiday.

Lovely central location, cottage clean but could do with some minor repairs.

Can sleep 6 and bedrooms well proportioned, didn’t feel down stairs space would accommodate 6 adults, but plenty of space for 4. Was planning on rebooking for next year but price had gone up too much, had expected an increase especially due to current situation but felt rise to high

There is mold in two of the bathrooms which should be dealt as it was unpleasant.

Some areas needed painting as there were lots of scuff marks.