Big Cottages & Group Accommodation in Portinscale

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• John - Verified booking

  We were extremely pleased that Sykes were able to work with the property manager/owner to address a few concerns we had, prior to our stay, based on the feedback from previous customers.

  These related to the seating (a beautiful new sofa was delivered just before our start date), cleanliness (which was addressed) and a fuel alarm issue (the reasons for which were investigated and explained to us as an isolated incident). So well done to all concerned for resolving these concerns prior to our holiday. The one thing I need to mention (not a complaint but it needs addressing soon) is that there were signs of some water ingression in one of the upstairs en-suites (the one with the glass roof). The ceiling above the door is black in parts and there's some flaking paint. It only rained properly once during our stay but some water came through the ceiling and puddled on the floor, so we put a bucket and towel underneath to catch the drips. The grout in the floor tiles looks like it has been previously washed away in the affected area, which means the water would have seeped under the floor tiles and (possibly) through to the downstairs en-suite if it had rained persistently (and if we hadn't been in the house at the time and spotted it). I can't see any previous published reports of this issue amongst the customer feedback, so I don't know whether the owner knows about it. But I would hope that the property management company has spotted it because the signs are so obvious (whether its raining at the time or not). Maybe the work has already been scheduled, but in that case customers should be forewarned and know what to do if it rains. We hope the property manager/owner will rectify this problem soon, before it turns into a much bigger issue. This didn't really impact our holiday though, other than during the 2 minutes it took us to find the bucket, so we've given the holiday full marks anyway because of the numerous positive aspects - the location, the stunning property itself and the breath-taking views which we were particularly sad to leave behind (the welcome pack was a very nice surprise too). Overall, many thanks for a great holiday that my family will never forget.

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• Allen - Verified booking

  We had a great week staying at Gillside as a base for exploring the Lake District.

  There was only a few issues that prevented it being excellent. It hadn’t been cleaned to a high enough standard for us. When we arrived the rubbish was piled around the full bin outside. It was never collected during our stay. When I enquired I was told this was because the council couldn’t access the property as the road was closed?! The washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher filters hadn’t been cleaned out before we used them. There were cupboards and floors that had residual crumbs/mess. When we arrived on the Saturday there was a note to tell us not to use one of the ensuite showers because it was leaking into the room below, which was visible. We had to leave the key in the key safe if we went out to allow a plumber access. He came on the Monday while we were out and it looked like he had resealed the shower tray. The note was still there with no update, so we had to ring to see whether we could use the shower next day or not. We could and there was no further issues. We also had an unexpected visit from another plumber who wanted to inspect the mould in a different bathroom as he had fitted the bathroom. He took photos and left. There was a lack of space in all the bedrooms but we managed. On the plus side, the view from the property was spectacular and the kitchen was well stocked with cutlery, crockery and equipment to make meals. The broken sofa that had been mentioned in previous reviews had been replaced, so we had plenty of seats to sit on. The beds were comfortable and the underfloor heating worked although we couldn’t figure out how to change the actual time on the individual controls. The gardens were in full bloom and obviously well looked after.

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• Deb - Verified booking

  Fantastic location with easy of access to nearby Keswick and walks straight from the front door.

  The panoramic view from the lounge is a winner and really makes Gillside a fantastic place to stay. The house is well laid out and well equipped and made for a really comfy 2 week stay for our family. The weather was great so we could really make use of the garden and soak up the sun in the late afternoon. The main sofa is a bit past it's best however and could do with replacing. The towel rails didn't work as the upstairs thermostat was switched off. We emailed HoTL a few times and had prompt responses that this would be looked into. However the thermostat seemed to automatically switch on, on September 1st and stayed on for a few hours to heat the towel rails and then switched itself off again. I notice this was highlighted in a previous review and It would be useful if they could be switched on in the summer months as its so difficult to dry the massive bath towels with no heat. It was also be good if you could consider starting collecting recycling at the property if kerbside collection is available. It felt awful putting all the recyclable waste into landfill bins.

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• Mary - Verified booking

  Having seen some feedback from previous people, I’m hoping that HotL and the Owner will look into some of the minor issues of this premium property.

  In general, the property was stunning in its views, location, accuracy of listing, kitchen equipment, bedding etc. We really enjoyed the one large space which was ideal for Christmas. Good facilities overall. Underfloor heating fabulous. What needs improving? Outside lighting especially when entering the property in the dark. The stairs needed extra lighting. Sofa already mentioned by someone else, does need sorting- re stuffing cushions. Table was good but would be a squeeze for 8 people. The whole place was clean, but in areas it needed more care. Dusty shelves in wardrobes, bookcase and lampshades. No instruction booklet for the log burner and electrical goods although it said it was on the shelf. With a few minor changes, this property could be an absolute gem.

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• Glen - Verified booking

  We will definitely be coming back to gillside really enjoyed our stay.

  I was disappointed that comments in the past in the reviews have not been dealt with. Dust on all the lamp shades have been there sometime. If it was a small amount you wouldn’t bother commenting but the bottom floor bedroom just made you feel dirty. On arriving to the property before we could hang our clothes we had to wipe all the cob webs away. Dust and cobwebs all over. One of the showers was out of action which we wasn’t told about and for some reason the electrics kept tripping out. Not sure why the downstairs bathroom smelt of damp. I have an Electric car. I wouldn’t advertise as a charging point it was a socket. I’m only making these comments as these issues are easy to sort. A fantastic property, fantastic location and will be back.

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