Lake District Self Catering cottage, Biskey View, Bowness-on-Windermere, sleeps 4

Dump - owners not interested in improvement
Never been paid 200 before by the owner and told to leave with immediate effect, not so much as an apology! (We have photographs of all of the issues mentioned in this review) We should have street viewed Biskey View aka 30 Beechwood Close Bowness On Windermere. We chose this property for the view and reasonable reviews on this and other websites. It's been on many sites online going back to 2015. First off it is not an apartment it is a flat. When we got in the flat had very musty smell especially the main bathroom also in the kitchen and twin bedroom. After unpacking we had to wash every glass in the cupboard before we could have a beer/wine as they were filthy dirty and covered in sticky fingerprints. This place is definitely rough around the edges and dated. The sitting room is open plan and light and airy. There is some nice furniture in there, it was the nicest room of all, spoiled by the rest of this dismal excuse for a holiday let. The bedrooms are basic, but we were surprised that there were Orla Kiely towels supplied, sugar coating over the things we were to uncover! We were shocked to see that the shower strip in the bathroom was cracked, red and black with mildew and mould and the edges were covered in human grime, it didn't meet the bath and had not been cleaned or replaced in years. When we got into bed that evening the bed linen was far from fresh and smelled musty or maybe of stale cooking. Not a nice night's sleep. We kept ourselves busy all weekend. It all went wrong from Monday. Hard frost at night meant a lot of condensation on the bedroom windows. I pulled back the net curtains and saw what they were truly hiding. The windows were filthy as in every other room too. When I went to wipe them down the tea towel got covered in thick black mould (We had been leaving the windows open to air the rooms over the weekend due to the rank smells in the whole place). We then looked behind the curtains to see that the walls are also black with mould. Not just in the main bedroom but also in the twin room. There is black mould/ severe condensation all along the front elevation of this 70's prefab property, evident in the rest of the flats in the two blocks on the street. We then looked further and witnessed black mould all over the walls behind the twin beds! (I wouldn't want my children sleeping in there!) It's disgusting and detrimental to health. On looking behind the double bed there was black mould everywhere, covering the wall, skirting and a plug socket extension, yes mould all over the extension. My husband shortly after emptied the kitchen bin. There was rotting foodstuff in the plastic bucket when he removed the bin liner this had not been cleaned in God knows how long, the rotting food had dried it was that old...not been cleaned in how long? Once again, I could not get the bath mixer to work so had to have another shower with everyone else's grot keeping me company. It's so powerful that it throws water everywhere, the gap at the bottom does not help either. That is probably the reason why the bathroom smells so damp and foul. No fans work in the bathroom or en-suite, that's why we didn't use the en-suite, it would only add to the smell in the bedroom. My husband passed me the mop to dry the floor. It is rusty, the mop is filthy dirty, black and smells absolutely rank, it's not been replaced in years, the mop bucket had black water left in the bottom of it, so floors not cleaned properly either. At that stage I looked behind/underneath our bed, it was filthy and had not been cleaned in years, thick black dust on the headboard, the carpet underneath the bed was black and full of debris. Like behind the chair in the conservatory. The bedside lamps were thick with it too, human hair too. My husband would not let me clean it; he sent the photos straight over to Sykes. I got straight on the phone to Sykes cottages who were very understanding. I agreed to have the cleaner come back in, we were in two minds to go home that day. We went out to clear our heads, had a nice meal and a couple of drinks. When we got back the dirty mop was still outside so hard floors not been cleaned. The cleaner had cleaned the bin and just 'tickled' the lamps and mirrors. Behind the bed was still filthy as were the windows and the conservatory floor. We should've refused them in, another day off our holiday ruined. The conservatory has magnificent views granted, but the windows were filthy, someone had drawn a face in the grime! There was black mould all over the conservatory, and that added to the smell. I didn't sleep that night, somehow the level of disgust and discomfort took over. You can hear a pin drop in the flat upstairs and between 12:00 and 2.20am (Tues) there was a constant whirring noise, either a tumble dryer or a washing machine. I eventually went to bed exhausted; I was rudely awoken by the above tenants washing machine at 5.42am!!!! Why on Earth!? I was straight on the phone to Sykes to say I wanted the cleaner back in specially to clean the bedroom thoroughly, change the bedding etc, more photos were also sent. They understood that if we left our holiday it was ruined and if we stayed it had already been greatly ruined, by way of 36 hrs of disruption also adding to the loss of enjoyment! I was hardly surprised when the owner offered us 200 pounds refund BUT we had to leave that day and with immediate effect. Not so much as an apology! Obviously wanted to get in for whatever reasons before the next people got in so they don't lose any more money! The damp and severe condensation are structural not decorative, despite a deep clean the overall problem will still be there. It's not fit for residential purpose never mind a holiday let! So, our holiday got ruined after all by an owner who is NOT worthy of a Sykes Cottages endorsement. We couldn't thank Sykes enough for their support. So, anyone else looking for a good view please note that it is also surrounded with black mould too. Horrendous place, lazy owners who spend nothing on maintenance, the cleaning staff don't clean as they should do. We should have stayed at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ian I
2022-08-24

A wonderful place to stay
Biskey View was absolutely perfect for our requirements. The front of the property may not be inspiring but look beyond this - the views from the kitchen and conservatory are spectacular, the rooms are light and airy and the facilities are excellent. Bowness on Windermere is conveniently located for exploring the Lake District and the property has both a twin and double room, both with en-suite / private facilities and all on one level. My mother has limited mobility and although she could manage the outside steps (9) with care it was important that she could move around easily once inside. The property is in a beautifully quiet location with no passing traffic and exceeded our expectations in every way. It was very clean with super-comfy beds and wonderful hot showers, and the views towards the lake are stunning. All the cooking pots and utensils we needed were provided and many others besides - nothing seems to have been forgotten. And considerate touches - clean dish cloths, bin bags and dishwasher tablets were left out for us should we have needed them. Books, maps, a torch - all were there. We had a wonderful holiday and Biskey View was a comfortable and relaxing place to return to at the end of a busy day. We have already recommended this property to other people and should we ever come back to the Lake district ourselves we would certainly hope to stay here.
Stonepits
2018-09-06

A wonderful place to stay, with incredible views. Thank you for letting us stay.
Mr Sutton
2016-08-06

The quality of the accommodation was first class and the view from the apartment is impressive. Bowness is an ideal base with so much to see and do.
Mr Nolan
2016-05-29

The conservatory at Biskey View gives excellent views and we used it everyday, particularly when the weather was bad. It was lovely to just relax and take in the views. The cottage is excellently set out and equipped with everything you could want
Mrs Taylor
2016-02-15