Esthwaite

Location was perfect. Everything provided and comfortable. Just the one shower door had previously been broken and has not been repaired. When booking, I had not queried the stairs, which I found difficult to negotiate with my leg problem. But a very comfy stay.

The broken shower door, the steep stairs and no parking

Collecting the keys from the key safe was very easy.

Car parking is our main gripe about this property. The property is listed as having car parking and a parking permit for nearby streets. The parking place at the front of the property is tiny, you'd struggle in anything bigger than a small Smart Car parked at front. Also no parking permit was available, after contacting the agent (via the helpline and a call back) we were told it had been lost by a previous guest and the property owner hadn't been able to get a new one. Looking at other reviews this is a similar story to what they have been told. They did say they would reimburse us for car parking - have you ever tried long stay car parking around Windermere? Luckily we found a road some distance away on a housing estate that we could park on. Not great though. Access to the property is through a very narrow entrance between two house, if your taking a large vehicle your best parking on one of the side streets and walking through. Parking aside - the property is very nice and clean / tidy. We stayed there with friends, with us using the loft room. Not a lot of privacy when staying up there as it's accessed by an open plan staircase. The front bedroom was good size with two single beds, the rear bedroom has bunk beds. My 1st photo shows the ground floor interior - 2nd phot shows the narrow access to the courtyard where the property is located and the 3rd photo the tiny parking space at the the front.

Spacious for two, but I think would be crowded with six. Kitchen quite well equipped, beds (twin and bunk) comfortable.

The double bedroom on the top floor was very stuffy (warm weather) and we couldn't open one of the windows. The key safe needs lubricating at the very least - took several minutes to replace the keys. Rubbish disposal information is contradictory and confusing.

The house is situated in a small Square of similar sized houses that appear to be a mix of residential and holiday rentals. The house had all the basics that you would expect from a rental property. Just add food, your own toiletries, and you are set to go. The proximity to local shops, cafes, transport hub, and of course, the Lake (20 min walk), all make this an ideal spot for a family or, small group of friends to enjoy what the area has to offer.

Car parking was difficult given the space, or lack of, to manoeuvre. If I had a larger car, I would have been struggling. The initial instruction, from the agent, was to proceed down Beech Street, however, it should have read Birch Street, which is next one along. You can get into the Square from either street but in my case I found it easier to enter via Beech St. I did not receive a parking permit, as laid out in the email welcome package. Instead, upon contacting them on arrival, I was informed to just find a free parking area to avoid fines. Yeah right. Where in Windermere is there safe, free parking? As it turned out, (at this moment in time) I was not asked to move my vehicle from the Square. The person I spoke to about the parking permit was remote to the Lake District and was playing go-between with the local agent. Surely, a visit from the local agent would be preferable. The house was comfortable enoughand was very quiet despite being one house back from the main street. I didn't use the uppermost bedroom, it was a bit stuffy and the bed was too low for me. Also, a minor point, but it was elevated to more than minor by a couple of notices in the kitchen/dining area. Where were the 'red' rubbish bags and, which were the front and rear doors? If 'standard operational procedures' have been changed then please update posted notices.