The Blue Bell

We are just back from our recent bank holiday break at The Blue Bell which we, and our guests can only describe as an amazing venue to let our hair down and celebrate my wife’s 40th Birthday.

Rooms wise there was lots of choice, with most rooms being double or twin rooms depending how you want things set up and all having En Suites. Majority of these are accessed from inside the property however 4No rooms are accessed from outside, as well as 3No Annex sleeping 4 and a 8 bed bunk room. With a bit of planning, and 2 of the double rooms able to sleep 3 we easy accommodated all our guests requirements including a pet. The rooms are clean enough and come with bedding and towels and worked well for our needs. I would not say this was Hotel standard, but with this size of property I would not be expecting it to either. One or 2 guests also could not get hot water, but not sure if this was the property or user error however they just used next doors or the bunk room and worked well. Inside the actual building there are multiple rooms including bar area, pool room, TV room and the large courtyard entertainment room which is where we hosted most of our evening entertainment. Various fridges and freezers were enough for our guest however we did bring some extra cool boxes etc just in case, and kept cooking simple given the volume of people. The furniture could easily be moved to accommodate what ever we planned that evening and put back the next day. Everything worked well. We held a quiz and karaoke in the bar area and various other entertainment nights in the main courtyard as well as football and cricket on the grass pitch outside while others enjoyed the hot tub. The ice cream van even swung by on the Saturday, which was our main day, with the sun shining. All in all this was an amazing weekend, and exactly what we had hoped it would be. The build up and correspondence was clear, with clear instruction on how to enter the property, how things worked and how to work the hot tub, and fire alarm if needed. Again, please don't expect hotel level rooms, which is fine for what we needed and we were left to get on with things without anyone disturbing our fun which was far more important.

A group of ten of us stayed for a week for a work offsite meeting.

We used the bedrooms accessible from inside the main house, which were comfortable, and no problems with heating or hot water. The space worked well. We particularly appreciated the different areas for socialising - the (wobbly) pool table and shuffle board were well used. The property would comfortably accommodate many more people. Good contact from the owners - Natalie was also in contact to make sure there were no problems.

I would definitely NOT recommend this property to anyone else.

Firstly the positives. 20 bedrooms with en-suites. This is not that easy to find. The Games Room was huge and worked really well as a hub for our family weekend (33 of us). The outside area was good in that it was safe and big. However the downsides. The property had not been prepared properly. It was not clean with dust in all the bedrooms, cobwebs galore and it felt like no one had been in it for a long time and it hadn’t been aired or prepared properly. The towels were minimal and thin. So one single towel for each person rather than a hand towel and bath sheet. They were pretty small too. There were 25 sinks in total and 3 soaps. We didn’t expect shampoo etc but basic hand washing should be provided (anyone learnt from Covid?). One of the doors to the outside bedrooms didn’t fit properly and that was a concern. The major problem we had was that there was NO hot water for 30+ hours. I contacted the Housekeeper number and she did respond but it was pretty poor “It was okay last night” as a comment was not helpful. We contacted the owner who was more helpful but ultimately it didn’t get sorted until Sat night so only 3 rooms had hot water up until then. None in the kitchen (is this hygienic and safe?). There were dishwashers but not really good enough is it? We sought compensation after our visit and we did get 30% of our booking back. I felt 50% was a minimum and argued as such. Sykes were not much use as they just lined up behind the owner who I felt twisted the narrative. We were told because there was some hot water (3 bedrooms) then everyone had access to it. REALLY - so 33 people are supposed to share 3 showers? The heating was working for only 4-5 radiators out of 40 or so - luckily it was not a cold weekend (March). Sykes - you should have done better. Owner - you are cutting costs to make more profit - you need to prepare your place better and the Housekeeper needs some training. (She could have just popped in to say hi and that would have gone a long way to calm us). Yes we got a discount. I don’t feel though that the lesson was learnt as the owner and Sykes are still in denial that there was a big issue. As a result - we won’t be using Sykes again.

A perfect venue for our large family get together.

There were enough spaces to cater for everyone's needs, quiet areas for readers, games areas for socialising, and plenty of outdoor space to enjoy the sunshine. Contact with the owners was a bit problematic initially, but with some perseverance this was sorted.

We are just back from a 7 night stay at The Bluebell.

44 of us stayed from ages 3 to 70. Firstly communication was great, we spoke to the owner before we arrived and they were happy to answer any questions, we also spoke with the housekeeper for some other questions. I completely messed up and ordered my shopping to arrive on the morning we were arriving instead of the following day, i realised at 8am and we are a 3 hour drive away. Natalia (housekeeper) was fantastic, luckily no one else was staying in the house and the maintenance guy agreed to take in our £300 worth of shopping and put away our fridge and freezer items. I am immensely grateful as I had no idea what we would do! We all had a fantastic time, the Bluebell has ample space for everyone and great communal spaces. All bedrooms in the house were nicely decorated and all have ensuites. Rooms 5 and 16 can be set up with a small extra bed. Room 8 has a couple of steps up to en suite and room 13 (14 on the floorplan) has a couple of steps down to the ensuite. Rooms 1-4 outside were nicely decorated, room 4 had no hot water however they only stayed for the weekend and didnt let me know until they were leaving so we didnt get chance to let the hosts know or give them a chance to fix this (i did let them before we left). The managers flat and two duplexs were functionally but would benefit from some new flooring. The managers flat has its own little kitchenette, it is basic but was great for one of our guests who has dietary requirements and wanted to keep her food separate. One of the duplexs would benefit from a side table downstairs to put things on. The bunkbed room was better than expected, it has its own ensuite and the best shower in the whole house, ensuite is up a couple of stairs. Only problem with bunkbed room is there is no where to sit or store items. It would really benefit from this and again some new flooring. I was abit concerned about how clean the property would be after reading reviews but we didnt really have a problem, its a large property with mainly stone, tile or lino flooring, this will always create dust etc. The property would benefit from some new cleaning equipment though, a couple of new vacuums and mops would really help with guests being able to clean up whilst there. Also a broom! We didnt find one throughout our whole stay. Wifi was good throughout. There was an iron and ironing board. Plenty of serving bowls, plates, cutlery etc. Impressed with amount of fridge and freezer space in kitchen. The conservatory was great for the kids, but it was so hot, would of been great to be able to turn the underfloor heating off for abit. All in all we had a briliant time, yes the property could do with a bit of TLC in places but actually we felt so relaxed that it wasnt all brand new and like a show home. We would definitely return and hope to soon!

The Blue Bell is a fantastic place to stay for a large family or group.

My family (all 40 of us) had the most fantastic weekend. The facilities made our stay one of the best we've had. We ranged from 5 years old to myself 70 (it was my 70th we went for). The weekend was organised perfectly by my daughters and The Blue Bell contributed to this in a big way. The only downside was I think the floors could have been a little cleaner and the soft furnishing needed an update. This is all understandable considering the amount of people that visit on weekly basis. Thank you for a lovely weekend Christine xxx

We hired the Blue Bell for 38 all female family and friends for a surprise weekend for my daughter’s 40th birthday.

It was absolutely perfect! We decorated the large function room and hired a DJ and Supreme Photo Booths - both excellent. There is a brilliant bar area where all our guests stored the drinks they’d bought with them. The kitchen facilities were great with loads of fridge and freezer storage space and 2 double ovens where we prepared and served a cooked breakfast on Saturday morning and chicken and chips in the afternoon after enjoying a televised dog racing game in the afternoon in the snug area next to the dining area. On Friday evening we ordered fish and chips from Nafferton Fisheries in Driffield - they gave us a fabulous service - great communication before the event and delivering their hot and tasty food on time. For our party on Saturday evening we’d ordered a load of platters from Morrisons which is only a short drive away. The Blue Bell is in a lovely small village and many of the ladies enjoyed a long walk on Saturday morning including the grounds of Burton Agnes Hall. Communication with the owners and housekeeper prior to arrival and during our stay was excellent - they couldn’t have been more helpful. Several guests enjoyed using the hot tub in the lovely grounds at the rear of the property. There were no complaints from any guests who all said they had had a fabulous weekend. The property was warm and comfortable and had everything we needed for a marvelous celebratory time. It was excellent value for money and our guests said they could not believe how we had managed to put the weekend on for the price that they had paid. I would have no hesitation in recommending this venue. Do not expect luxury but if you want a large, clean, comfortable and functional large space to hold your event and sleep your guests at the right price - this is for you.

I’m writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration with my recent stay at The Bluebell for my 60th birthday celebration.

I had carefully selected your venue as it seemed perfect for hosting my 33 guests. From the moment I booked, everything appeared to be well-organized, and I even paid extra for the privilege of an early arrival and late check-out. Unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected, and it caused significant stress during an event that should have been a joyous occasion. Upon arrival, we found the property cold, with no way to turn on the heaters. Despite making numerous calls and sending several texts, it took far too long to resolve this basic issue. Additionally, the entire place was in desperate need of a deep clean. We were shocked to find that cleaning supplies were unavailable, forcing us to go out and purchase our own mops and products to clean the property ourselves. Some of the rooms were in unacceptable condition: Toilets had been used and not flushed. Floors were dirty, and cobwebs were all over the walls. The outside bin area was littered with black bags, which I refused to clean up. Several rooms had stained bedding, including one with a blood stain that we had to change ourselves. Worse, from rooms 1 to 4, none of the electrical sockets worked, and despite numerous attempts to contact you, this was never resolved. Room 12 had stained bedding with some sort of black ink. It’s unbelievable that your housekeeper admitted to knowing about the stained sheets but put them on the beds regardless. The condition of the property was unacceptable and created a significant amount of stress. I did not receive the value I expected for the money I spent. My guests, while understanding, were understandably disturbed by the poor conditions, and this situation nearly ruined an event I had spent a year planning. Your housekeeper excused her inaction by saying she was on holiday, and your lack of response was equally frustrating. We have videos and photos documenting all the issues mentioned, and I am appalled that such basic standards of cleanliness and hospitality were not met.

We enjoyed our stay- lots of things to do in the area within a drive away.

We had 23 adults and 6 children under 10 so the space outside to run around in was great. Having paid over £11k for a week, I would expect more towels in rooms, kitchen spray to clean up and soap in communal areas. Facilities to keep the place clean were limited and we had to buy additional tea towels and oven gloves. Could do with a bit of TLC but everyone was generally happy.

Great place.

Definitely looking forward to coming again!

Hi, the property was lovely.

Just a few points as mentioned below: The weather was hot and the AC in the conservatory wasn't working, and the conservatory windows wouldn't open (the buttons provided did nothing). This was the only indoor space where we could all gather for some late night music and dance, and so was an inconvenience. There were a lot of flies in the kitchen from the very first day and throughout. The floor plans showed the bunk room was connected to the adjacent double room, but it wasn't. This meant the younger kids who were meant to be in there had to be moved, resulting in some last minute rearrangement of the room allocation. Apart from the above, we were all quite happy with the house. Thanks, Shyama

One dishwasher leaked so wasn't usable so we had to do a lot of hand washing A few of the en suite toilets didn't flush properly pool table cloth was ripped in patches so couldn't use it as we had wished The property could do with a deep clean, and a bit of a makeover - looked very dated!

Would have been nice (and relatively inexpensive for the owner) to have handwash / soap and hand towels in the en suites

Overall we had a great holiday.

The property had the facilities to keep 26 people ranging in age from 76 to under 1 well entertained despite a week of mixed weather. The kitchen was generously equipped and the beds were comfortable. The bar was a great place to congregate for pre-dinner drinks. A real upside was that, unlike many houses we have visited, the layout here ensured that those playing pool, shuffle board and music until 3am did not disturb those who had retired to bed. In Olympic year the outside space was ideal for our own version of the Olympic Games and in the evening a few well placed accessories transformed the central atrium into a great space for a Greek themed banquet. The only downside was the night of a cloudburst when the atrium roof leaked in places and the ground outside flooded and we had to deal with a certain amount of water ingress under doors. Apart from some soggy towels, by morning you would never have known.

The property was amazing, just what you want for a stag do.

Everyone had a great time and would definitely go back again

It was brilliant for the amount of people we had in our party, only one thing wrong it wasn’t very clean down stairs needs a spring clean but apart from that would book again

Great property with lots of space and good choice of rooms.

Lots of space to socialise. Garden is a great size. Nice places to walk from the house and the sea is a short drive away. Cleanliness could also be improved apon. I'd say it's to a venue standard of cleanliness but for a holiday home could be cleaned a bit more. Floors could do with a wash. This won't stop me from booking again though.