“Normally we have been very impressed with cottages booked through Sykes.”
Not this time, I'm afraid. I definitely wouldn't be in a rush to book Bluebells again although there were some positives about the property:
-Parking at this cottage was straightforward.
-The cottage is in a good location, only 5 minutes walk from the centre of Windermere and 20 minutes from Bowness.
-The housekeeper, Sharon, was friendly and made contact with us before and during our holiday which we appreciated.
-The master bedroom was bright and spacious with a comfortable bed and a good ensuite.
-The kitchen was modern and pleasant to work in, despite being small. It also had plenty of equipment.
However, the following points had a negative impact on our enjoyment of our holiday:
-On arrival, we felt that some areas of the property were quite dusty/in need of more thorough cleaning. It definitely didn't have the 'spotless' feel that helps you to immediately relax. We spent 2 hours cleaning on our first morning - dusting, washing windows, washing floors, sweeping up outdoors and hoovering - so that we could relax.
-The downstairs rooms, especially the dining room, are dingy and uninviting. We didn't feel inspired to eat in the dining room at all.
-The beds on the middle floor, particularly in the smaller twin bedroom, were lumpy and uncomfortable in comparison to the one upstairs.
-The photos of Bluebells on the website seem quite out of date: you can tell by the level of growth in the garden. The cushions etc for outdoor use have gone. The blind in the lounge is broken. The beds aren't as smart as they look in the shots.
-Connected to the above, our impression was that the whole place is in need of TLC and decorating. Lots of the walls had marks all over them (handprints, scuffs, splattered food), some of which we cleaned off on day one. There was a chest of drawers in the smallest bedroom with crayon all over it. The family bathroom could do with being replaced altogether. The house would also benefit from some new, better fitted carpets.
All in all, while we enjoyed the Lake District, and we were very lucky with the weather, staying at Bluebells added nothing to the experience. If we had our time again, we would simply stay elsewhere.
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