“Beautiful property and surrounds which is spotlessly clean and very well maintained. The hosts were very attentive and there is nothing we can fault about our week at The Shippon.”
“Great stay at Hillandale. Super place to stay and central for visiting different areas of the lakes. Accommodation was excellent. Super clean and had everything we wanted. Would definitely stay again. Highly recommend.”
“We have felt conflicted in writing this review, given how great the support has been from Sykes in trying to resolve this issue. Nevertheless, I feel it important to share our experience. We stayed in Pheasants Folly in July 2025. On our way down to Windermere we received a call advising that the en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom was out of commission, which we accepted with no fuss. We had a fantastic week in this beautiful accommodation, which strikes a balance between country cosy and little touches of luxury. We rebooked for October 10th for a week. The day before we travelled we had a call to say the landlord was cancelling the booking because of a “newly discovered” issue with the en-suite bathroom in the master bedroom. When we explained we were the same family who in July had been given the same explanation, there was some backtracking before the landlord agreed to honour the booking, refund 10% of our booking fee as a gesture of goodwill and lock the en-suite door for safety reasons. Given the short notice this was the best solution for us as a family. When we arrived at Pheasants Folly, we were shocked to find that the out of commission en-suite was only one of a number of significant issues. The stench of damp spilling into the bedroom from the en-suite meant that beyond the first night, we were unable to sleep in the master bedroom. There was a leak coming from the roof in another room for which a red bucket was being used to catch any drips. Horrifyingly, in the family bathroom there was excrement smeared all over the toilet pan, which had clearly lain there for a significant time. There were dead flies on the cills and skirting boards. I spent the first evening of our holiday cleaning the house to make it as comfortable as possible for my family. We made a decision not to complain during our holiday and to instead make the most of it. Our 3 sons had a fantastic time in the grounds of Pheasants Folly and once again made wonderful memories in the Lake District.
We returned home to Scotland to find that the landlord (London based) within a 4 hour window had assessed that the sofa required to be professionally cleaned, instructed a company to assess the “damage” obtain a quote, have work carried out, have a £200 invoice produced and take said money from our account under the guise of a Good Housekeeping bond. We have concerns about the legitimacy of this process. The photo evidence sent
Colleagues from Sykes and Lakelovers, a sister brand have been so genuine in trying to resolve this, showing kindness and understanding to our position, however reading between the lines, they seem be as powerless as we are in terms of trying to reason with the landlord who has allowed the issue in the en-suite bathroom to worsen to the point where it has become unmanageable.
As a family, I believe we have been treated unfairly and in a way which does not model integrity. Sykes would appear to be in the middle of this situation which I imagine cannot be any easier for them than it is for us.
To date, the issue remains unresolved although I remain positive that the landlord will reflect and do the right thing.”
“We had an amazing week
The cottage was comfy and warm and everything that we needed.
The welcome pack and fresh flowers were so lovely and very much appreciated.
The garden was great for dogs.
The cottage was a great base to go off exploring.
We had food at the miners arms which was amazing the Sunday Lunch was beautiful, we also visited the Knockerdown pub too and the food was lovely swell.
Definitely would recommend this cottage and thank you for a lovely week.😊”
“The sykes Cottage was a great base to stay, and a nice cottage, it was nice to have all the little extras like milk in the fridge and tea coffee etc the only thing that could have been better was the cleaning the bath was very scummy and hairy, the towel was really dirty and floor in bathroom was dirty and sticky. The hot water didn't run very well in the kitchen and Bathroom sinks.”
“Booking we have make with Sykes previously have been good unfortunately the last booking was not ! Previous reviews of the same property had flagged problems, but we thought we would make our own minds up, but none of previous remarks had been taken on board”
“We had a very nice stay in Achanlochan Farm for 4 nights in October 2025. Beautiful surroundings and in beautifully decorated and comfortable accommodation”
“This was our second time staying here, and was just as good as the last time.
Lovely, clean and cosy property with a very relaxing feel to it.
Well equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay.
Wonderful views of Morecambe bay.
We definitely plan to return.”
“Lottie's Cottage is perfect. It had everything in it that's needed. Lovely and warm, kitchen packed with lots of utensils and large fridge/freezer. Large bedroom with great en-suite. It's a nice walk into Whitby but the first 100 yards is on a narrow grass verge, without lights. Could be tricky with a pram or dog. There's a great outside area with seating and a table. We were aware of road noise from about 0500hrs but only in the bedroom. The cottage would benefit from a few hooks for coats and dressing gowns. The heating is permanently on so you just control it by using the thermostat. We had a great stay there and have booked it for next year.”
“Excellent choices and excellent communications, their cottages are always top quality. Our last cottage was superb and lacked nothing. We would not hesitate in using them again.”
“If you want peace and quiet, this is the place to be and if you add a very spacious and beautiful barn, with everything you need, including some wonderful owners, than you can expect a very nice stay for you and your dog.”
“I already did a review I thought …
Great cottage … everything clean and tidy . Beds great and everything thought of to make stay comfortable . A lovely young couple !
We’ll definitely return …”
“Lovely little cottage with everything needed for a relaxing holiday. Very clean and cosy and although on a farm not a lot of noise. Very nice owners and a lovely "welcome" pack. Would certainly recommend.”
