“The property is in a superb location and some areas have recently been redecorated and re-carpeted.”
The beds and duvets in the main bedrooms were very comfortable but the bunk bed mattresses were very hard and uncomfortable. The property is well heated.
There are several maintenance issues that need to be addressed before we would consider a return to the property;
1. In the ground floor room with the double bed, the shower head sprays water onto the ceiling from the connection to the pipe work. The ceiling over the shower has loose wall paper and plaster that is shedding debris into the shower.
2. The showers trays are slow to drain and quickly fill with water.
3. In the dining area the left most window (with frosted glass) was impossible to close because the wooden window frame has expanded beyond the size of the opening.
4. At times, the kitchen refrigerator was leaking water across the kitchen floor.
5. There is significant black mold near the external door and we found dirt and food debris under the fridge.
Thank you for the feedback following your stay. We encourage guests to report any maintenance issues to Lakelovers immediately they are noted so that they don't adversely impact the enjoyment of the property by our guests.
By way of background, Thorney How was completely refurbished when we acquired the former Youth Hostel in September 2021 so in addition to a full rewire there are new carpets and beds throughout. We have retained two sets of bunkbeds in one room as this adds to the flexibility of the layout since many of our guests have children in their party. Your comment about the mattresses on the bunk beds being hard is noted - this is the first time we have had this fed back to us.
In terms of the specific points on maintenance.
1. Shower. We have looked at the shower and at some point the shower head has popped out of it's socket allowing water to spray onto the ceiling resulting in paint being soaked and peeling off. This has now been addressed - this is an example of something that the Lakelovers maintenance team would prioritise addressing once made aware of the issue during our guests stay.
2. Shower trays. We have reminded our cleaners to routinely check the drainage pots on the showers.
3. Windows. In the notes that we have left in the property we ask guests not to open the windows in the dining room which, as you have found are difficult to close once open. As the property is listed we are waiting for planning approval to replace the original windows - replacing windows on historic buildings is a very sensitive issue in the Lake District so we are following the proper process.
4. Fridge. The fridge was new as part of the refurbishment. We believe the fridge leaks water when it overheats - normally when the door hasn't been firmly shut. It has been fine this week when we were in the property but we will monitor and if necessary, replace. We welcome feedback on this from future guests. The food debris under the fridge is not acceptable, we have raised this with our cleaning team.
5. The mould has been dealt with - it appears to be linked to the new doors that were installed during the refurbishment allowing some condensation around the frame. Now that we are aware we will continue to monitor and address as necessary.
Thank you again for the feedback.
The Thorney How Team
Property Owner
