“The property was warm and spacious and finished to a very high standard.”
Having two bathrooms also made getting ready to go out on an evening very efficient.
The car parking space was generously sized - once we located it - but more of that later....
This week marked the 15th anniversary of the first time we took our daughter on a cottage holiday when she was just 10 weeks old. We have averaged between 2 and 4 cottage holidays per year over that time, visiting a mixture of old favorites as well as exploring new ones. 2023 has been no exception and our week in ...
Having two bathrooms also made getting ready to go out on an evening very efficient.
The car parking space was generously sized - once we located it - but more of that later....
This week marked the 15th anniversary of the first time we took our daughter on a cottage holiday when she was just 10 weeks old. We have averaged between 2 and 4 cottage holidays per year over that time, visiting a mixture of old favorites as well as exploring new ones. 2023 has been no exception and our week in Ambleside was our 4th cottage holiday this year and the third at a new property.
My point is that as a family we are well used to locating and gaining access to properties in places that we have never been to before - although I do know Ambleside town very well having been a visitor for the last 30 years or more!
We had a relatively trouble free 3 hour drive over to Ambleside last Saturday afternoon and arrived in town quite relaxed and in good spirits at around 5.00pm. We were also able to drive pretty much straight to the lane end on Kirkstone road marked "Edinboro" which we turned down as instructed. We drove down a very narrow track and came to what looked like a dead end with cars parked everywhere and nowhere to turn around. I decided to reverse up and review the written instructions, but in doing so scraped my car along a low wall that I hadn't seen. At this point I was fit for driving back home and we were at the top of Hardknott pass by the time my wife persuaded me that we should go back and try again.
At this point we had to reverse along Edinboro twice more to allow delivery vehicles out as there is absolutely no room for vehicles to pass each other and no space to turn around.
Finally, I drove further down and we located the parking space for number 16 - but it was now beginning to get dark. I unloaded the car whilst my wife and daughter set about finding the apartment. There was a sign on a wall marked 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 - but not a number 16. We asked other people but nobody else knew where number 16 was. Eventually my daughter explored a little further and after about 20 minutes we finally found number 16. It was now after 6.00pm and darkness had fallen.
By now we had been in Ambelside for well over an hour, but we had yet to locate the secure box with the key in it. There was a secure box in a well lit area with what looked like a faded number 16 next to it on the wall near the fuse box for number 16, but our key code would not work. We phoned Sykes several times and eventually they sent a local assistant to help us. He wasn't going to arrive until after 7.00pm so he advised us to go for our evening meal and he would tell us how to get in once he had fixed the secure box.
So two hours after arrival - we set off down into Ambleside for our meal and just made it in time for our 7.30pm booking.
The assistant phoned me half an hour later to explain the our secure box was in the parking space next to our car. It did say that in the instructions but it was pitch dark under there and none of use had seen it and we were all a little frazzled by this point.
I don't care if "everyone else manages to find the property and the secure box OK" - we didn't. It wasn't the best start to our holiday and really spoiled the mood for a while what with scraping the car and all.
The site is compact, but quite complex with several apartments in different buildings over four levels. The instructions really need a plan (map) of the site clearly showing the location of the designated parking space and the apartment entrance.
Also the key code and location of the secure box should be on a separate line in block capitals - not buried in a paragraph of text which includes navigation instructions from Windermere town.
In summary, a great apartment in an amazing location. Summer nights on the balcony must be absolutely lovely. Just needs better instructions supplemented by a site plan or map to help locate everything that we struggled with for nigh on two hours.