“We have been booking cottages with Sykes for the past 18 months. The process is so easy and straight forward and have never been disappointed in the cottages we’ve stayed in. Highly recommend.”
“Visited Whiteadder Bank with my husband, mum, two kids and two dogs. This was our second trip here. We absolutely adore it. The house is so spacious and well equipped. Stunning views and feels very secluded. The bath is so luxurious. Felt like a real treat. A short car ride from town so easy to pop in if needing something. We can’t wait to go back. The owners are lovely and are very helpful too.”
“Excellent company supplying plenty of information before our visit. The cottage (we have visited before) was clean, welcoming and comfortable. Highly recommended.”
“Excellent stay in a beautiful house. We had everything we needed and house was beautifully appointed and perfect location. We will definitely plan to book again in the future. Hot tub, retro games and the lovely kitchen were our favourite parts. Distance to the beach and some lovely shops and restaurants as well. Thanks so much for having us and for the lovely welcome package.”
“This is a lovely house that has amazing decor. The beds were so comfortable as was our whole stay there. Would definitely recommend it. The whole area is delightful.”
“I receiveda discount code from Sykes but when I tried to use it I received an message that the code was invalid. I tried a few times and the code is valid for another 2 weeks.
Disappointing”
“Bridge End cottage was extremely comfortable, clean and well maintained. There’s a good local pub within walking distance and plenty to see and do in the area with easy access to Lake Windermere and Coniston Waters. Walking distance to Lakeside and Haverthwaite station were you can experience a steam train journey to Lakeside and then a boat ride up Lake Windermere, a lovely day out.”
“Lovely peaceful stay in our very luxurious cottage. The hosts went above and beyond with a great welcome pack and lending us a BBQ when the weather was lovely. We really valued all the space and bird song from the woods next to the house.”
“Very good accommodation in Very peaceful surroundings. Lovely gardens.
As an older person I found the roll top bath difficult to get in and out of. A higher platform is needed”
“⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5) – Lovely location, but property needs better upkeep.
We stayed at Swan View in Southrop in April 2026, booked via Sykes Holiday Cottages and it appears to be managed by Manor Cottages. The cottage is in a peaceful and attractive location, with good space inside and a nice enclosed garden, so it definitely has potential.
However, our stay was let down by a number of cleanliness and maintenance issues. On arrival, the property did not feel as clean as expected (greasy cooker hood, some unclean crockery, rubbish under furniture, and dog mess left in the garden).
There were also several maintenance points that need attention, including a loose kitchen tap, missing light bulb, bathroom fittings not working properly (with broken cupboard, broken bathroom sink plug, and a damaged shaver plug socket). There was a noisy boiler in the smaller bedroom, with heating inconsistencies (boiling hot one moment and then no heating at all the next). The conservatory, while a nice addition, had a damp smell and signs of a leak.
Some safety aspects could also be improved, such as the steep staircase with worn carpet at the top, with no railing post at the top which is needed to steady yourself. There is also a step down between the dining area and the living room, which isn’t clearly marked and caused me to lose my footing.
To be fair, the management team were responsive when we contacted them about the heating, and they told us how to override the system which we appreciated. Though, it may have been better if somebody had come to fix it for us though. Unfortunately there was also dog muck on the garden lawn which did not get cleared up once reported, until the day before we left.
Positives:
- Spacious layout with good living areas
- Comfortable main bedroom with blackout curtains.
- Excellent shower.
- Large enclosed garden
- Good WiFi and useful driveway for parking
- Quiet village setting with lovely walks nearby
Overall:
This is a nice cottage in a great location, but it would benefit from more consistent cleaning, maintenance, and attention to detail. Addressing these areas would make a big difference to the overall guest experienc”
“Great cottage ideally located in quiet area but close to major links . Owners live next door and very approachable for any need you have . Highly recommended.”
“stayed at The Waves Amble, lovely location with great views from the upper lounge window. House was well equipped . shame there was no seating/benches on the front lawn for looking out at the view . Caddys on the shower walls for holding shampoo bottles etc would have been very useful .”
“Communication was diabolical! Customer service dreadful! Left on phone for 40 mins with no one picking up. Left message which was ignored for over a week. Ended up having to take a high chair as no one from Sykes got back to confirm.
Strangely when we rang the number to become a new property, Sykes answered immediately. Very clear where your priorities lie, not with good customer service! Won't be using Sykes again!”
