Merewood Lodge

16 Customer Reviews

• "We stayed here last year and thought it was a great property but were very disappointed this year."

  The house was cold on arrival. The boiler has obviously been replaced and, in our opinion, the heating is poor. We couldn't work out how to operate it initially and there were no instructions (we only found the purple folder on Wednesday stuffed into a cupboard). Both ovens need cleaning, the trays and shelves are covered in grease and sticky. The pots and pans weren't particularly clean either. This may be up to the renters but should be checked - we shouldn't have to clean up after other people. There were numerous cobwebs, the carpets hadn't been properly vacuumed (apart from dust and cobwebs there were quite a few dead woodlice and other bugs), the border tiles in the en-suite were grubby, we also think that there has been a slug problem as there are silver trails in the bay window. There was no Xmas tree up as there was last year, a small thing but a welcoming gesture. If we'd known we would have brought our own. We noticed that the property was put up for sale and in our opinion there is now a lack of care in the presentation. We don't think anyone came in to clean or prepare the property properly prior to our arrival, somebody may have had a cursory look around but that's all. All in all a disappointing stay.

  Reviewed by Susan2.5★Dec 2023

• "We were a bit apprehensive after reading some of the reviews for the property, but we had stayed in some of the other units previously with no problems."

  The house was in good order, well maintained and of a high standard, I have no problem recommending this property.

  Thank you for your feedback. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay. The Lakelovers Owner Relations Team Property Owner

  Reviewed by Andrew3.8★Oct 2023

• "Gorgeous cottage, handy location for bus route."

  Definitely be returning

  Reviewed by Gillian5.0★Jul 2023

• "Having read a recent review I was very worried about turning up to a dirty property."

  So I called ahead a day or so before our scheduled arrival and had a chat with Lake Lovers. The property was thankfully therefore, clean and tidy on arrival. However, it is in much need of an update and was incredibly damp, not very well hidden by the scent of several plugin air fresheners. We had to air the property a lot during the week. This, combined with very soft and uncomfortable beds meant we finally left a day early. There were a few other issues such as: very noisy boiler pump and bathroom extractor fans (the boiler had been raised in other reviews); a washer drying that didn't dry at all; a slimline dishwasher for a property sleeping 6 people?; dirty towels left in the laundry basket; not particularly well stocked kitchen in terms of cookware and utensils; paint peeling from the ceiling in the en suite shower; only a shower attachment and not a proper shower in the main bathroom. We'd have been more inclined to rate our stay more highly if the property hadn't been sold as premium, advertising its 2018 Visit England Gold Award and being described as luxurious, and with a price tag to match. Considering this, we were expecting more. The layout of the property is great and the lounge and kitchen being upstairs with the views was a welcome arrangement. Its also very conveniently situated between Windermere and Ambleside.

  We have taken on board your comments and have obtained quote to get the boiler fixed very soon. We have been to the property ourselves in September 2022 and 19 November and have not noticed any damp issues or bad smell. We are also getting quotes to resolve the damp issue on the ground floor. The noise form extractor fan occurs when people use the bathroom or the shower and there is a switch outside which can be turned off from outside. We have not had any complaints prior with reference to lack of facilities, provided what is possible for a holiday let and had bought a new king size bed in the main bedroom recently. We will endeavour to fix issues mentioned through Lake Lovers maintenance, with whom we liaise regularly to address issues raised by visitors. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Elliot2.8★Oct 2022

• "We arrived at the property after a 4 hour drive, to find that there was rubbish left on the side table in the twin bedroom, dirty towels left in the 2nd double bedroom."

  No clean towels but when I complained, towels were brought over from house keeping and a bottle of Prosecco as an apology. Clean towels had stains on them. Property had not been cleaned properly and there was dirt and hair all over the carpets and bathrooms. Shower in en suite was full of mould. Main bathroom was advertised as having a shower but all there was, was a had shower attachment which leaked. There was racks and bits left in the dishwasher and oven was dirty, with dust in between the glass. The bedrooms were damp and which made the bedding and clothing feel damp. Boiler was noise and if someone was running a bath, then we couldn't have shower, which isn't good when there are 6 adults trying to get ready. It was such a shame because the property looked really lovely in the pictures but really didn't add up in reality. The whole property is in need of a complete update especially in the bathrooms as these were a real disappointment. I booked a holiday cottage last year from Sykes in Wales, paid a lot less than what I paid for Merewood yet it was 100 times better. It was such a shame as I was so looking forward to my holiday but the accommodation spoilt it for me. I have pictures to back up my complaints. I really so think you need to rethink the rating of this property.

  Reviewed by Joanne1.6★Oct 2022

• "We enjoyed our stay very much Our only comment is the boiler is very noisy ( particularly in the twin bedroom) and you can only have a bath in the bathroom as if you shower water goes everywhere."

  Otherwise we were very happy with the facilities and location

  Thank you for your comments, we will get the noisy boiler investigated. It may have been the extractor fan not been switched off after use. Kind Regards. Merewood Lodge ownet Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stephen5.0★Apr 2022

• "Beautifully presented, very spacious for a family."

  Kitchen was great. We had everything that we needed. Great location! Treetop Trek and the lake is just across the road.

  Reviewed by Nitin4.7★Apr 2022

• "A genuine 4 star rating for this lovely, authentic property with excellent facilities, which we found clean and tidy on arrival."

  We enjoyed a lovely (if not wet) week at Merewood Lodge and were not at all disappointed with the property, despite some of the negative reviews we had read. We understand where some of the negative views may have come from as there was evidence of condensation in the property, but this is entirely to do with A: The age and construction of the property and B: How the property is used and ventilated whilst occupied. We found that by having the windows open in the vent position, ensuring the bathroom extractors were always used and having the heating at a reasonable temperature eliminated any condensation during our stay and didn't compromise our comfort during the stay at all. The furniture, fixtures, fittings, accessories and equipment were all of good quality and it made the cottage somewhere we wanted to spend time at in the evenings. The location is ideal for exploring the lake district, though we found that the adjacent hotels that we had hoped to walk to for food and drink were booked out for exclusive wedding use, but we did make use of the cafe over the road at the visitor centre at Brockhole, which served lovely food. Having spent time there in very wet weather, the only thing we found ourselves wanting for was a drying room for wet gear (but we appreciate that any moisture brought into the property would only create and issue on how to extract it - maybe an outside unit/store where coats can drip dry, better still with an infrared heater on a timer might be an option the owner might consider to improve what is already a lovely holiday let. A note from the gentleman of our party was that the hoover (the branded red and black type) wasn't great at removing the inevitable bits from the light coloured carpet and made hard work of cleaning up after ourselves on the morning of departure.

  Reviewed by Rebecca4.4★Oct 2021

• "The smell downstairs is musty and there is mould on the curtains and window frames beyond what a cleaner could do about it, it needs maintenance ."

  Several light bulbs were blown although it didn’t affect the light too drastically.If the downstairs matched the upstairs except for marked carpets( again beyond a cleaners remit) the stay would have been much nearer the 5 star rating.Arriving at the premises the downstairs bedrooms smell immediately makes everyone down.Toilet seats -5 star?? Great shame.

  Reviewed by Terence2.8★Sep 2021

• "The property is in need of maintenance and first impressions were very disappointing when compared with the property details/photos."

  The main bedroom and shower room suffered from damp and mould and smelt unpleasant. This did improve a little after putting the radiator on low. Carpets and upholstery need cleaning. Creaking floorboards upstairs, noisy bathroom extractors and boiler noise disturbed people trying to sleep. Window fitments need immediate attention. Kitchen dustbin very small for the number of people staying.

  Reviewed by Betty3.4★Sep 2021

• "Very disappointed with this property."

  .. Advertised as four star with gold standard award and priced as such.. does not meet that standard.. pics and description very misleading... damp, musty smell throughout.. dirty carpets.. cobwebs.. mould on windows and on blinds in en-suite bedroom..rubbish bag left at front door on our arrival.. opened food packets left in cupboards.. obviously from previous visitors.. lack of general cleanliness.. no evidence of the property being cleaned before we arrived...lack of kerbside appeal.. on opening front door the damp smell is overpowering.. got worse on stairs, and in bedrooms. Bedrooms were freezing and boiler wasn’t heating radiators.. no heat all week. Our clothes felt damp. Mould on windows and black stains on blinds in en-suite bedroom. Property is advertised as having a garden and patio and garden furniture . there is a tiny balcony with 2 plastic faded garden chairs.. at the front entrance there was 4 metal chairs which were rusty and discoloured.. and covered in cobwebs.. the summer house is pictured 3 times in the advert photos.. yet this is for owner use only..so you are unable to use this.. very misleading , and pics should not be included in the advert..shared garden area didn’t even have a bench.. there is no patio or garden furniture.. as advertised. I would definitely not recommend this property.. we have stayed with lakelovers many times and this is the first time we have been disappointed. We understand that Covid has meant this place could’ve been unused for quite some time.. but surely that makes it even more important and the responsibility of Lakelovers/owners to ensure this property has been thoroughly cleaned.. and any necessary work completed prior to renting it out .. and charging for a four star property . Standards have not been met .. property is completely over priced. we certainly would not recommend this property.

  Reviewed by Susan1.6★Sep 2021

• "The property had not been adequately cleaned prior to our arrival."

  Kitchen benches were covered in crumbs and obviously hadnt been cleaned. Carpets hadnt been hoovered either. Dissappoinying - definitely not a 4 star gold property.

  Reviewed by Denise1.6★Aug 2021

• "On our arrival, opening the front door we were met with a damp, musty smell."

  The whole place felt damp and cold but we realise that due to Lockdown it had been empty for a long time and would probably take time to get back to normal. The en-suite bedroom was probably the dampest due to the fact that there were no windows in the shower-room, just an Expelair. The vertical blinds had black mould up to about 6 to 8 inches and the windows, when we pulled the blinds back, were also black. The first night we woke up in the early hours to that awful damp smell! Over the week we left the Expelair on for extra time after showering and we left the windows open in the bedroom whenever we were in and on the catch when we were out. It might be an idea to provide a window cleaner blade and ask occupants to wipe the shower down after use. We had one in the car, which we brought in and used daily. It all helped because by the time we departed we had just about got rid of the damp smell in that bedroom. In the twin room the beds felt damp and the boys said they were also not very comfortable. They then found numerous chrysalis' at the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling. After looking around the rest of the property we found loads more downstairs in the bedrooms and hallway. We managed to knock down all that we found and disposed of them. However we also began to see small brown moths flying around the rooms and wardrobes - we suspect they were clothes moths! We went to the Lakeland store and ended up buying moth repellents. The other negative thing we felt should have been addressed was the lack of cleanliness. The carpets, particularly on the stairs, looked as though they hadn't been properly hoovered and they could really do with some good stain-removal attention. One evening, when we were searching for a lost pen, we found old sweet papers and all sorts of fluff and dirt down the settee. We did clean up with the Henry hoover but when it first came out of the cupboard the brush head was so covered in hair and carpet fluff etc. that we had to pull all that off and give it a thoroughly good clean before we could use it as a hoover. As per a previous persons comment, the boiler is very noisy and is above the twin room, so again the boys got the brunt of it! Despite all that, we did have a lovely holiday and the property is in a very good position for exploring the Lake District. It just needs some attention to bring it up to what we would expect for the cost of hiring it. The current state of things isn't reflected by the publicity photos, which gave us high expectations! We don't usually give comments like this but there were just so many niggles that we feel we have to say something!

  Reviewed by Stuart3.4★Aug 2021

• "Beautiful cottage in a lovely location."

  Clean, comfortable, warm & well equipped home, had everything we needed. Can't wait to come back.

  Reviewed by Lynn4.7★Jun 2021

• "No outdoor space."

  The photos showed a garden but that was misleading and there was no where to sit outdoors.

  Thank you very much for your comments and for taking the time to let us know your thoughts. Customer feedback is very important to help us continually improve our standards. As per the images and description the garden is shared which guests are welcome to use. The owner has taken onboard your comments regarding the outdoor seating area, this has now been resolved. Thank you once again for bringing this to our attention and we hope to see you again soon. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Neale3.8★Jun 2021

• "Good location, easy to use public transport."

  Very comfortable and clean property, quiet and secluded in well-kept grounds. Convenient parking close to the lodge

  Mr WoodcockJun 2019

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