“We were moved to this cottage last minute the evening before our holiday by Sykes who suddenly cancelled our original booking.”
Only 3 alternative options were given, the other 2 being further from the lake district so not suitable. The owner was extremely friendly and helpful over the phone and the location in the centre of town was great, and we were grateful they accepted the last minute booking. It had a large kitchen, was clean and warm and a visitor permit for parking was provided. It worked well as a base for exploring the Lakes and isn't too far from Windermere and Ambleside.
Our main issue was that this was not an equivalent cottage to the one we had originally booked (this was entirely Sykes doing and not the owner's who had given accurate details when we checked their listing so please don't hesitate to book this cottage if it meets your requirements). We had booked a 2 bedroom pet friendly cottage that slept 4 adults, with large living room and views, and had made sure this had wifi which my partner needed to be able to work, and also had a washing machine and dishwasher. Unfortunately the cottage we were moved to had none of these and Sykes suggesting this was an equivalent alternative for the same price I feel was very dishonest. My partner ended up having to leave early due to the lack of wifi and phone signal and there was only one bedroom and one bed, which would have been a bit of a squeeze if 4 adults had been coming! We have still had no response/apology or partial refund from Sykes and I would be very hesitant to book with them again after this experience.