Let's be straight with you. You can find our properties on Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO and Cottages.com. They're great platforms. But here's the thing — you'll pay more for the privilege.
Book direct at theterracewindermere.co.uk and you'll pay around 15% less than you would through Airbnb, Booking.com or VRBO. Compared to Cottages.com, you're looking at around 8% less — and that's before their booking fee lands on top.
On a group holiday, that's a serious chunk of money. Money better spent on a decent meal out, a few bottles of something good, or just keeping a bit more in your pocket.
No booking fees. Ever.
When you book direct, what you see is what you pay. No surprise fees at checkout. No platform add-ons. Just a straightforward price for a brilliant Lake District break.
You deal with us — not a messaging app.
This is where it gets personal. Book through a big platform and you're dealing with their customer service team. They don't know our properties. They've never been here. And if something needs sorting? They pass it straight back to us anyway.
Book direct and you deal with us. Andy and Barbara. We're the ones who've obsessed over every detail of these houses. We know which bedroom gets the best morning light. We can recommend exactly where to eat breakfast in the village (Homeground — you're welcome). Nothing is too much trouble. That's not a line. It's how we operate.
Our guests consistently rate our customer service at or near perfect — 5.0 out of 5 at Orrest Head House, and 4.9 across the board. One guest put it perfectly: "Renting from Andy and Barbara is a breath of fresh air."
261 reviews. 4.8 overall. 100% recommend across most of our properties.
We've had 261 reviews on Upfront Reviews alone — overall score 4.8 out of 5. Six of our seven properties sit at 100% recommend. A perfect 5.0 on Google.
Guests come back year after year. They tell their friends. They book the same weekend the following autumn before they've even gone home. That doesn't happen when guests feel like just another booking reference.
You get the best dates — first.
Direct bookers hear about availability, last-minute deals and returning guest discounts before anyone else.
The bottom line
The big platforms do a job. But they take a cut, charge fees, and put a wall between you and the people who actually own these houses.
Book direct. Pay less. Get more. Make the most amazing memories in the Lake District.
Book at theterracewindermere.co.uk or call us on 0330 088 4086.
Andy and Barbara (owners)
