Top Notch

Our stay was great, the apartment was clean, comfortable and had great views.

It was very well located, close to local shops and restaurants. The only downside was the parking space was very confined and hard to park in with only a medium sized car. We were lucky that some apartments were not in use so we had spaces to turn in; without this it would not have been possible.

Nice location, beds are completely shit though, they are pretty much unable to be slept in.

No soap of any kind on the premises Wouldn't stay again, frankly unhappy I paid for this, my back is still killing. Not the cleanest place either

Un appartement trés confortable et très bien situé en plein coeur d’Ambleside.

Nous y avons passé un très agréable sejour avec nos enfants. Nous nous y sommes vraiment senti dans un nid douillet. A recommander.

The flat was fine and the balcony was nice to sit out on.

Everything else functional but smaller than we expected. Parking was really difficult and took about 15 mins everytime we had to leave or arrive of difficult manouvering but we accept that is just the way it is in Ambleside and they can’t do much about it. Again as per other reviews the crockery was dirty in cupboards and there was nothing provided like washing up liquid or even a sponge to clean the dishes and no dishwasher tablets. Again the dust down the back of the beds in the twin room was repulsive. What frustrates me most is that all these complaints have been made before and so easy to adddress and nothing resolved!!! I should not have booked it to be honest due to some of the negative reviews but having a property myself I know that if I am picked up on something it will be immediately resolved! In this case it has been ignored again! Come on top notch it really is not that difficult to resolve these niggles and raise the bar!

Great location.

Amazing views from lounge and kitchen. Lovely balcony with afternoon/evening sun. Double bed needs replacement mattress. Kitchenware requires thorough clean - dishwasher may need attention as had to hand wash after cycle. Parking space is small but with some care (reversing in), it took a standard car. If all other flats spaces were occupied you wouldn’t get in or back out without other flat owners agreeing to move their cars first (fortunately we got lucky as nobody in the one next to us, and a couple of others moved before we checked out). Handy sun room/boot room at entrance.

Lovely little flat with all mod cons very close to the town centre.

Great views. Will book again.

Very nice apartment and we really enjoyed our stay.

We had everything we needed but a couple of small tables for the sofa ends would be nice - somewhere to put a cup of tea! We managed the steep stairs down to the main road with no problem but others might struggle. Finally, no toiletries or tea/coffee supplied and I thought everybody did that these days. Nice place though.

Great location, 5 minutes walk into town or short cut down a number of stairs (not for going back) Appliance info, hood.

Beds comfy. Shower good, Towels Brill. Views Amazeball and Sunroom at door Very Good. Viukd sit on balcony ALL Day. Ambleside is a place everyone should visit. 12/10.

Great view, comfortable flat, the flat and the balcony get the sun all afternoon.

Overall worked well for us. Quick trot into town for shops and cafes as well as other walks doable from Ambleside. A few simple upgrades in the kitchen would be welcome (e.g. a better peeler). Car parking is tight but doable with hatchback.

Top Notch is in a great location.

It is laid out very well. The heating is very good and the views are great. The furniture is very comfortable and is a nice place to relax. There were a few issues that we had in the kitchen. The dishwasher was half full of crockery and glasses that hadn't been put away. Inside the cupboard there were mugs that had been put away dirty. The frying pan had a thick layer of rust on it, we tried to scrub it clean but gave up. One of the saucepans has a number of splits around the edge making cleanliness impossible. In the twin bedroom there was thick dust down the side of the bed. We have been stopping in cottages in Ambleside for the last 30 years and know what an acceptable level of cleanliness is, but this time Top Notch fell far below on this occasion.

A very quiet tucked away little place with some of the best views in Ambleside.

It seemed slightly damp on arrival but we opened the windows and aired it off which seemed to rectify the issue. My bed was comfortable but my friend’s single bed took a little adapting to and the light bulb needed replacing next to it. A small pedal bin in the kitchen would be very appreciated but otherwise the kitchen is well equipped and the bathroom shower very powerful. All in all a good stay and will stay there again.

Great location, love the views across Ambleside.

Heating worked great and had a handy porch. Everything worked fine and decent TV. Place needs updating a little but generally lovely house and will hopefully be back in the future.

A lovely apartments with fantastic views.

Lovely small apartment.

great views of the fells. Good position for the centre of Ambleside. Parking very tight especially when all spaces are occupied.

Great location, great view from the property.

Would stay there again.

Booked through Vrbo, then up pops sykes and tries to charge me more.

had to do a lot of digging to get a meaningful contact number and speak to a person who could sort it out! Apartment great , one of the single beds a bit lumpy, springs could be felt through the "topper " that had been put on top. Parking was a challenge and needed the co-operation of all of the occupiers of the appartments.

A lovely week long stay for two.

The beds are comfortable, kitchen fitted with everything you could possibly need, and the whole place was spotless. The provision of a few dishwasher tabs and bin bags was a big help, too. It's set just out of the way yet only a two minute walk from the main bus station of Ambleside and town centre. Plus, the views are amazing!

Great location Damp and dirty Not fit for letting out

This apartment is definitely not squeaky clean or well cared for, quite the opposite.

As soon as you enter there is a smell of damp that goes throughout the whole apartment. The entrance/“conservatory” leaks so if you happen to leave your shoes in it, they may well be wet the next day! The apartment itself is tatty and tired. There are stains on the furniture and there was even a blood spot on one of the pillows. There is dust and dirt in many places including next to where you sleep. It’s the worst place I’ve ever stayed in and struggle to understand the claims of previous reviews. The toilet seat doesn’t sit on the base correctly so slides each times it’s used. When we arrived, there was no soap or anything you could use to wash your hands, small things but when added together really made us question the justification of the price and advert! I took lots of photos and sent to Sykes. Lake lovers in the town offered to come and clean but it would take a lot more to bring the place up to standard, also why wasn’t it already clean? I have spoken to Sykes who said they would pass the photos on to housekeeping for future guests! We just stayed out as much as we could otherwise we would have lost our holiday in lovely Ambleside. Really disappointed with Sykes who are normally great.

Top Notch is a squeaky clean, comfortable apartment in a great central location in Ambleside.

It also has wonderful views. Would have given it five stars for everything had the shower been working. Seems it hasn't worked for a little while looking back at other reviews so owners must be aware. Other than that it was a lovely little place.

A lovely little apartment with great views, added extras to entertain the kids.

Great television choice. So close to the town with everything on your doorstep. The steps down to the town are very steep and so many. The car parking is very tight, we did struggle to get in. The shower wasn’t working, a plumber came out but it still didn’t work. Luckily it wasn’t an issue for us we had baths. We would definitely return to this apartment.

We enjoyed our stay in this very cosy cottage with picturesque views from the living and kitchen areas.

The cottage was well equipped and has been clearly cared for. The kitchen had everything needed for cooking, the bedrooms were comfortable and it was a quiet place. We would not hesitate to book here again if returning to Ambleside.

Great central location.

Very clean and tidy. Everything we needed, from leaving wet walking gear in the entrance conservatory, to relaxing on the balcony. Gorgeous views at the front. Small dark bedrooms at the back, but very quiet. Parking a tight squeeze with a Mini, but just about okay. Best to get the bus for day trips.

Parking is extremely tight and would be a problem for an inexperienced driver or a nervous driver.

Impossible to fill all parking spaces if all apartments occupied. Shower did work, apparently waiting for a part, we were disappointed with this. Location good if you grab a parking space first!

We enjoyed a lovely week at Top Notch with wonderful views over Ambleside and towards Loughrigg from the balcony A perfect position in Ambleside What can I say about the parking?

Even with a small car it was difficult to manoeuvre in and out of the allocated space even though the little park was never full There was a very large car parked along by the wall and we were barley able to drive past it on our last day We could not find the hairdryer but could have brought our own one if we’d known this so a minor problem I emailed and phoned the office on arrival day on Friday but by Tuesday I haven’t heard anything back so went to the office in Ambleside where the very pleasant Steve gave me a new one for the apartment The internet then went down for nearly 18 hours but miraculously reappeared at around 0400 hours! We would definitely like to stay here again Bridget

I really enjoyed my stay at Top Notch.

It's in a ideal location, is very accessible (either by road or steps straight down to Lake Road) and has everything you need for a short stay close to the town. The panoramic view over Ambleside from Loughrigg to the Red Screes is stunning. My only minor criticism is the bed was really uneven and uncomfortable and the headboard needs affixing properly but, apart from that, I'd highly recommend Top Notch to anyone.

We’ve stayed at Top Notch on 4 other occasions and it’s ideal due to its location.

My only frustration is the parking can be very difficult due to having many spaces at the bottom and down the side. Flat 3s space makes it hard to manoeuvre into the corner when there’s a car there.

Excellent location, parking is very narrow, not an issue for us but larger cars may struggle.

What a beautiful apartment, very clean and beautifully decorated, comfy sofa and soft towels and bedding and pillows were to a very high standard, I’ve stayed in plenty of Sykes cottages over the past 20 years, I can easily say this one has been the best, very sad to leave, will definitely return.

This is our second time this year we have stayed at Top Notch.

It was sad to see that 2 of the windows have been damaged but this wouldn’t stop us from coming back! The property is in a lovely location looking over the roof tops of Ambleside and is within easy access of Windermere, Thirlmere and Ullswater. We stayed as a family and would stay again.

The lack of household items was poor,could do with handles on the bath ,toilet seat not stable.

Tv not receiving a signal and parking space difficult to access also building work being done at the entrance to the property apart from that it has lovely views and is convenient for the town.

Great little apartment for a family of 4.

The balcony views are fantastic - better than the photos.

A lovely apartment with a balcony with fantastic views of fells around Ambleside.

The self check-in is nice and easy and the private parking is very handy. It was spotlessly clean and plenty of room for storage. The beds are comfy, kitchen well equipped (oven & hob worked well), good TV and a comfortable sofa. We really enjoyed our week in Top Notch.

Getting a little dated now.

The mattress on the double bed was uncomfortable and had seen better days.The skirting boards in the 2nd bedroom were thick with dust (not been cleaned for a while).To finish on a good note it’s position was ideal for our use.We try to be out and about all day most days and also use the local buses which can be caught minutes away.The living room and kitchen are always clean which we used a number of days.

Top Notch has everything you could want.

We loved the balcony and the views. We arrived by public transport and got a ‘Hello Fresh’ recipe box and a Waitrose wine delivery for provisions - highly recommend! When not cooking we ate at Sheila’s Cottage, the Tap Yard and Chester’s, which are all worth a Google. Thanks to HofTL and the owner(s) for a great week.

The parking spaces are too small, as is the room for turning the car around.

It would be impossible for a car like a landrover discovery to fit in the parking space.

Ideal location and the little balcony really made the difference to this little apartment.

Facilities were very basic, but all we needed. Had to go & buy bleach and cleaning products before we could use anything which is annoying. Could really do with an update and the bedrooms were grim to say the least, dark and dated ( think frosted glass and dark brown curtains). Wouldn't take much to really make this lovely. Take heed of the "small car" warning. We were lucky no-one else was there, but it's v tight. A basic stay with amazing views would sum it up.

Excellent apartment which had everything you needed for a comfortable stay.

Will book again. Perfect for us as a couple.

A small,conveniently located flat with good facilities.

Stunning view from the balcony. My only criticism would be the parking-if you drive anything other than a small car it’s very tricky! We really enjoyed our week here!

Disappointed that there was no DVD player - even though one was listed.

Looks like someone had damaged the connection so also unable to use your own DVD player. No light above bathroom sink. Various lightbulbs not working or missing. Water leaks in the conservatory.

Superb property in an excellent location close to all amenities.

The view from the balcony is superb. The beds are comfortable. Parking - which is normally hard to come by - is a breeze. Handy for wet days - the accommodation has Netflix ! For colder days, in addition to central heating, there is a gas fire. Would thoroughly recommend this property and would look to book again in the future. Shout out to Sykes and the property owner who were able to accommodate some flexibility to allow the booking to go ahead. Well done all round.

Dear Team, having spent a thoroughly enjoyable week in "Top Notch" the only niggle was that the cable from the Dvd player had been damaged and parted company with the T.

V. also an internittant problem with the ariel coax. Other than that everything was "Top Notch". A really great little property.

Great position 5 minutes from restaurants/pubs/shopping but still quiet

The accommodation was fine, our only comments would be to say that there was no WiFi available during our stay.

I hunted high and low for the Hub to reboot it, but couldn't find it anywhere. Also we thought the utensils were not up to 4 star rating, minor observation but worth noting as they should be updated. Finally, just as other tenants have mentioned the parking is a problem, especially for us as we have a large family saloon. Luckily the space next to ours was empty so we had room to reverse out.... Just. We've stayed in this area of Ambleside a few times before so we understand the difficulties with parking. All in all we had a lovely time.

The parking was the biggest flaw when staying at Top Notch.

You really need a compact car but then so do all the owners and guests of the other apartments! The apartment could do with a bit of an upgrade and there are areas that could be cleaned more thoroughly (towel rail in the bathroom, behind furniture, previous guests dishes...) Certainly not as good as any other 4* property we have stayed at.

This is an excelent appartment with great views from the Baclony and Kitchen.

The description given is accurate, however I would empashise the following. The parking is difficult to access and only suitable for a (very) small car. If larger cars are in adjacent spots parking could become almost impossible. Luckily the parking slot next to us was empty all week. The steps down to the town are steep and uneven - care is needed. To walk arround only adds about 5mins and then you are right into the shopd.

We booked this cottage as a last minute stay as we were in the Lake District already and had decided to extend our stay.

The description of the cottage mentioned :"Perfect for a small family", which is not appropriate, and here is why : - the carpet was filled with very long blond hair, that my son kept picking up from the floor to show us... is this family friendly ? - there is absolutely no baby facilities in this cottage (no high chair, or cot. We had, however, requested one at booking, which after being initially forgotten, had been brought to us) - the living room is very small - the bathroom as mould on the seal around the tub - the bed in the main bedroom is not a king bed, as written in the description. - the overall place was far from being clean. The price / night for this cottage was at 220£, which was equivalent to a night in 4* hotels in the same area. The only problem is that this was far from being a 4* stay, or from bringing the peace of mind of a 4* stay, despite the view, which is, indeed, incredible.