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Reviews of Lake District Holiday Home Overlooking Lake Windermere

Lake District Holiday Home Overlooking Lake Windermere
Bowness, Cumbria

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 18 out of 42 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 42 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 42 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 42 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 42 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Thomasine K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fab
Fantastic location, lake views , nice and clean
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Allan B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lake view
Good sized property, well equipped and ample parking within easy walking distance of Bowness
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 4 Sept 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review Allan. Best wishes John

10/10 Excellent

Leslie S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Location, location
This property was an excellent choice for location and size. We had all adults, family of three, and friends who come and go. Amenities were good, beds comfortable. Our host was approachable and quick to respond with answers to our questions. Our friends plan to go back for more hiking.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

margaret c.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
Great location with view of lake Windermere from lounge and main bedroom. Property had everything we needed. Toaster lost its buttons on the 2nd day but John offered to get one sent over by Amazon straight away, we refused as out all weekend but the offer was greatly appreciated. Very good communication with host. Would definitely stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 4 Sept 2023
Thank you for your review margaret. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future . John

10/10 Excellent

yvonne d.

Liked: Cleanliness
perfect
The property is immaculate. It would benefit from a lift. Other than that it was a totally enjoyable experience.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Jul 2023
Thank you for your review Yvonne . So pleased to hear you enjoyed the property. Look forward to welcoming you again Kind regards

4/10 Poor

Heather C.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Lake District
Location was perfect. Apartment was spacious and comfortable. Perfect for a family gathering. Cleanliness was most significant issue. Dog feces was found under one of the beds. Dirty towels were tossed into the upper shelf of closet. Dirty floors in bathroom. Reached out to host who apologized. Kettle was broken. Host promised to replace on Saturday and it never came. Host offered discount next time we stayed. I expected some sort of discount on this stay.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

6/10 Okay

Brenda W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location, spacious property. Could be better maintained.
Disappointed that the kettle was not working and only half a toilet roll between 3 bathrooms for 6 people. Owner was informed but did nothing to rectify either.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 31 May 2023
Hi Brenda , The kettle was only 4 weeks old and frustratingly stopped working . A replacement was ordered as soon as you advised me, Friday evening, sadly this arrived on the Monday when you left . I am pleased that you enjoyed the rest of the property and location during your weekend stay. Kind regards john

8/10 Good

Patricia G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantastic location
Fantastic location for everything. Beautiful view of Windermere. Really nice walks close by.
Stayed 10 nights in Apr 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 May 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review and so pleased you enjoyed the location . See you again soon . John

8/10 Good

Gill A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
The house is well located for all Bowness has to offer . Spacious enough and all the facilities you need .
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Elva G.

Excellent location
Excellent location a stones throw from Bowness Pier and all the amenities of Bowness. Large property well equipped
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Chloe M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family Holiday
Perfect location and good parking area for 2 cars, 3 at a push. Excellent facilities and very spacious. Our only recommendations for improvement would be some fans in the cupboards as the rooms upstairs (particularly the front bedroom) get very hot during the day in the summer. The double bed without the en-suite on the top floor was broken, the slats were damaged and could do with replacing. Overall a lovely stay and would definitely return.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Aug 2022
Thank you for taking the time out to review Chloe . We have now replaced the slats and the idea of fans is a good idea, we will pick up on, the lakes aren’t used to such high summer temperatures we have experienced this year . Look forward to welcoming you back in the future . Best wishes john

10/10 Excellent

Michael H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family get together
Great location! Plenty of room for 5 adults
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 20 Aug 2022
Thankyou for taking the time to review, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the lakes in the future . John

10/10 Excellent

Sally B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very comfortable property. Well equipped
Very good experience. Close to lake Windermere and all amenities in Bowness and Windermere
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

andrew b.

great location, large property
great location, large property
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stevie H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent location
Excellent location, five minutes or less walk into central Bowness. Wonderful views of the lake from the living room and master bedroom. Perfect for our family of six adults and a three year old, though we used two of the rooms as single occupancy so could have easily accommodated another two adults / older children. The property was clean and all facilities / amenities were as expected. Great communication from the host from booking up to arrival. Overall great value for money. Would definitely recommend and we will keep this property in mind for future visits to the Lake District. Thanks!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jeff C., Cefn-y-Bedd, Wales

Liked: Cleanliness
Superb Location
From the first enquiry with John to leaving after our holiday there was no hassle, the property was exactly as described and the location superb. Having parking for more than 1 car was really useful, the location to the town was great making it easy to walk to bars, restaurants and shops. Would recommend for a very enjoyable stay in the Lakes.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Nov 2021
Thank you for taking the time out to comment Jeff. So pleased you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Kind regards John

6/10 Okay

Christine A.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Tired property & not suitable for 8 people orchildren/ elderly people.
This property needs immediate attention to lower ground floor, which has a smelly bedroom & mouldy shower room, also toilet doesn’t flush properly. So really this house only accommodates 6 people. The other rooms on 2 floors are ok but in desperate need of a face lift. Require more suitable cooker, as one in is far too big. The fridges are not too great either, some of cooking appliance need upgrading, although there is plenty of storage space. Balcony looks onto back alley area which is not very pleasant Master bedroom is very big with plenty of storage space, so generally good. Sadly had a dodgy socket, which blew my husbands phone charger. Fan in bathroom not working, also noticed water very, very hot throughout the house, which is more dangerous for children and the elderly. Fortunately there was only 3 of us staying here, had there been 6 as intended. We would have had a problem, as we needed 3double bedrooms and the twin room, as would no way have been able to use the lower ground floor. In all this is a very big house with great potential in need of an enormous upgrade In an ideal location. And we mainly enjoyed our stay, just wish it was in better conditions. I was doubtful in giving this review, as it seems very harsh, but feel I’m doing you a favour John, as think you may not be fully aware of the state of your home! Giving time and obviously money on the property, I think this holiday accommodation could be a good earner for you! Hope to come back when been upgraded, and would even pay more for it too! Regards, Mr & Mrs Alexander.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Oct 2021
Thank you for your feedback. All feedback is greatly appreciated . we have acted on your points. internal decoration was and is scheduled for November, we have had the sockets checked, these are fine and the kitchen appliances have been upgraded. I look forward to welcoming you back at a future date.

2/10 Terrible

mark b.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Unclean property
We arrived to find a very disappointing property. The actual location was good but the apartment definitely had no curb appeal. I spent 3 hours cleaning the property on the Saturday evening when we arrived. It was dirty there were cobwebs everywhere, and behind each bed the spiders were having a field day! You could not see out of the windows they were filthy. The microwave was disgusting, I could go on!! It was just unkept and definitely not worth the money. The owner did offer to send the cleaners back in, but I explained it was far cleaner after I had finished! It’s a shame it could be a fantastic property,we certainly will not be returning!! It would have been nice if the owner had offered some form of compensation certainly for the 3 hours cleaning I did! It certainly is not what we are use to!!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Oct 2021
I sorry you found the property not up to your standard during your stay . We spoke a number of times and i was only to happy to send the caretaker and cleaners back to rectify. following your visit i arranged a 2 day deep clean of the property, and also replaced the microwave. we have been let down for a few months by our external window cleaners, due to covid issues, this has now also been rectified. Best wishes.

10/10 Excellent

Helen M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Exactly what we needed!
Great location, ideal for families and dogs. Had everything we needed.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2021

8/10 Good

Karen H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent location, just a couple of minutes walk to the lake. Plenty of restaurants close by.
We are a family of eight. Good sized property. Room for our car and canoe in the garage plus parking for two cars. This property was just right for our needs and we will probably stay there again.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Sept 2020
Thank you for taking the time to review Karen, and we are so pleased you have a fantastic stay at the property . Look forward to welcoming you back in the future .

8/10 Good

David Gordon K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Family get together
The property is in a great location and very clean and well equipped. The property décor could do with updating. I would suggest that the owner check the grill on the oven as it does not appear to be working very well. Overall we had a very comfortable and enjoyable stay and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to friends.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Rainy August stay
Plus points: Brilliant location for all local amenities and transport to all surrounding towns/villages Large house, six of us in property, plenty of room On site parking (we had a VW van, so couldn't fit in garage, but this wasnt a problem as there is an allocated space outside the property) Plenty of crockery, cutlery, pots and pans etc Issue with one shower was sorted within two hours of reporting to owner, which was great Minus points/little things that could be changed to make a difference: Some things had not been cleaned on arrival - fridges, bases of toilets Some of the curtains were hanging off the hooks and were very old-fashioned and dirty Mattresses could do with being replaced on some beds as they had springs that 'boinged' and dug into you everytime you turned over! Sheet on bed in master suite was very old and bleach stained Property is on a busy main road into Bowness -on-Windermere, so at front of property you get a lot of traffic noise, which can be heard despite double glazing Bathroom tiles were mouldy - just a quick bleach would make all the difference Overall, a good place to stay with the family, very convenient but with a few relatively minor improvements, would be perfect. Oh and some sun would have been nice, but that's out of anyone's control!!

10/10 Excellent

Steve F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfectly placed.
Perfectly placed for us. Comfortable, clean and had everything we could need. Would happily stay here again. The owner, John, very kindly phoned us, shortly after we left, to inform us that we had left our dog’s bed. It was a small gesture but gave us chance to call back and collect it before we left Bowness. Thanks for a pleasant stay John. 👍
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Great to hear you enjoyed the property and the area . Hope to see you again soon. Kind regards John

4/10 Poor

Daniela S.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Slightly disappointed
The property wasn't the cleanest when we arrived. The bathroom fans didn't work. The travel cot for babies was really dirty and the area the house is in is really loud. The mattresses were very uncomfortable to sleep in and we ended up sleeping on an air mattress instead.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thank you for feedback. We appreciate all feedback and take everything on board to enhance future visitors comfort . All the points raised have now been rectified . The location of the property being so close to the lake and centre bowness does have experience the busy periods the lovely location inevitably has. We do openly suggest any potential issues are advised when found and we will happily rectify within a day to ensure your stay is perfect . This a side we trust you had a lovely week in the lakes and bowness.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
family gathering in the Lakes
Well located and provided for with dishes etc. On the main living level it was either up or down for the toilets which was challenging for a couple of us. We felt we couldn't have had a better placed home for the ferries, restaurants etc.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2019

8/10 Good

Kirsty D.

Fabulous location and house for a family holiday
We had a great week at Bowness. There is so much to do on your doorstep! The house is in a fabulous location with great lake views and so much to do on the doorstep. The house is very spacious and ideal for extended family or friends to share ( and it was great to store bikes safely in large garage.) John was very helpful before and after booking - thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2019

8/10 Good

Pat D.

Waterside, Bowness, holiday home
We are a group of 5 and enjoyed our stay in Bowness, despite the rather cool and cloudy weather. The house was comfortable, although looking a little tired. It is in an excellent position overlooking Lake Windermere, with easy access to buses and ferry (although it was closed for servicing), shops and restaurants. Only one and a half miles from Windermere station.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Stuart Hardy

Great location
Great location and very spacious. Only 5 minutes from the centre of Bowness and free parking for 2 or 3 cars
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thank you for taking the time to review waterside . We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.

8/10 Good

Kate F., Sheffield

Good value accommodation excellent location
Three star
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2018

8/10 Good

Fiona T., Wilmslow

Very relaxing, great location.
Very clean, spacious and the property was well equipped.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer S.

Excellent value for money, great location.
We have just returned from a great long weekend at the property. The location is great and the property itself suited our needs perfectly. Plenty of space for us all and the kitchen/dining set up was very sociable. John was really helpful to any queries and was fantastic when we accidentally locked ourself out of the property! Hope to return soon!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Jane A.

Fantastic Location
Wonderful easy access to the Lake, just down the hill a short distance. A short walk to the shops and all the activities. The house was well equipped, spacious with large rooms and a lovely view. Just as described in the details for the house. I did have a couple of queries before I booked and the owner was very quick in coming back to me, thank you for your help.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

James D.

not fantastic but ok.
Excellent location but would benefit from a refurbish and some TLC
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
thank you for your review James. We do strive to keep the property well kept and fresh. As you can appreciate the size of property gives us a requirement for regular up keeping. We have recently completed refurbishment on the lower floor, and the other floor areas you mentioned are due for further reburbishment 18th - 20th June, followed by a scheduled update in September 17. We do look forward to welcoming you back in the future, should you visit the Bowness are again. Kind Regards john

8/10 Good

Monica G.

Windermere review
The property situation was excellent and the house was well equipped. There were a few things that could have been improved but nothing major. Out main problem was getting into the property when we arrived. A week before I had contacted the owner to ask about keys. He sent me an email with the key pad code. After a long journey we arrived in Windermere to find the key code he had given us did NOT work. The owner did not answer his mobile or home number (in Derby) and we had NO LOCAL CONTACT. We rang numerous times but with no result. We also contacted Owners Direct but they could not contact him either. After 3 hours we were desperate and worn out! The owner eventually called saying he had been on a plane returning from holiday. He gave us the correct key pad code and we accessed the property. In future the owner should give the phone number of the local cleaning lady or leave a key with a neighbour in case there are any problems. Our Australian friends were angry and our holiday got off to a very bad start!
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thank you for your positive review Monica in relation to the property and location. With regards to your disappointment, I am so sorry with the mix up of codes given to you on your arrival, and the stress this caused, Sadly your arrival coincided with myself being on an annual holiday flight, and unable to be contacted at arrival time. In the 12 years of ownership we have never had such an issue, and I am sorry that this did occur for your visit. We have now taken steps for the code to be changed by the local caretaker and advised to visitors a day before arrival. I noticed you had requested your code a few weeks before. The new procedure now will stop this from happening again. On a positive note, I hope the wine we sent as forms of apology were received well, and I am pleased to hear you had a great week in the lakes when you settled in. Hope to welcome you back at some-point in the future. Kind Regards john

10/10 Excellent

Ernest S., Eastleigh/Hampshire

Had a fabulous time
We found our accommodation perfect in every way. Well positioned opposite the lake and point to board the various boat trips. There are many places to eat nearby, should one not wish to do their own, though there is very well equipped kitchen with all the necessary items.
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
thank you for your review Ernest. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay, and look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Kind regards John

8/10 Good

Michael J., Near Southampton

Very convenient for shops, boats and buses, with wonderful views
The house was an ideal location for all 8 of us and we particularly enjoyed the easy access to the places we wanted to go, e.g. Ferry across the lake, buses to Ambleside, The Langdales, Keswick. Helped by the good weather throughout our stay, we enjoyed the week immensely.
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
thank you for your review Michael. We are very pleased that the location and property suited you well, and the weather was also good for you. look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Kind Regards john

8/10 Good

Rachael H.

Lovely Place in a great location
We were a group of four couples, one toddler and two babies. The house is located so close to the centre of Bowness, it is ideal if you don't want to travel far at all. The view from the living room and some bedrooms was lovely. There was enough space of our group we never felt on top of each other, the kitchen, dining and living room were ample for us. Bedrooms - the master is amazing, really big with ensuite. The other top two bedrooms share a main bathroom, which was adequate, there is also a bottom floor bedroom near the garage with a shower room. Three bathrooms is sufficient for four bedrooms. We had a lovely time, none of us had a problem with the place - we really enjoyed it. The place is clean, the owners are friendly, there is enough amenities. We have all said we'd come back and we will. Thank you John

8/10 Good

kathie C.

fantastic location
Joint holiday with 6 adults family members. Spacious and clean though the decor is dated the property has everything you need for a great holiday. Communications from the owner were timely and welcoming, we did not need anything whilst we were staying at the property there was a reassuring offer of help if we needed to call him. Thank you for a great holiday.