We were invited to a family wedding in Amble, Northumberland and knew straight away that we were going to book a cottage as the hotels were practically triple the price for the stay that we wanted. I know how busy the summer months get in Amble so wanted to book as soon as we found out the date for the wedding, that was late December and I booked the cottage in January.
We booked Wind Rose Cottage which was right in the middle of Amble. This holiday home has 2 bedrooms, a bathroom upstairs, a large living room, kitchen and a dining area.
Shortly before we arrived we were sent the code for the key box/lock thingy and the WiFi code which was really helpful. We had no issues getting in at all. We walked in and were amazed, it looked just like a home away from home. It is the host's only holiday home so they have gone to a lot of effort. It is decorated with a lot of antique and period pieces, many of which have been in their family for generations.
There was a little welcome pack with instructions with everything that we needed to know about the cottage including how to use the TV, how to adjust the heating, to use the shower and even how to make sure the doors are locked. In the fridge was milk and cheese and there were eggs, bread, biscuits, tea, coffee and sugar too which was a thoughtful touch and very helpful. There was a drawer full of tourist guides, takeaway menus which would be perfect for those who don't really know the area.
The living room was huge, a lot bigger than I thought it would be and it was light and airy. The sofas were very comfy and there was a huge flat screen TV with streaming services. There were plenty of coasters for cups to protect the beautiful coffee table and sideboards. We had a peek in the big sideboard below where the welcome pack was and it was full of board games, there must have been about 30 different one's at least which I thought would have been fantastic, especially if we were staying for longer and the weather wasn't great.
We were more than happy with the internet provided. It was WiFi and had a good speed of about 20mbps which seems to be average for standard broadband. That's what we used to get from Sky when we lived in Northumberland.
I am so gutted we were eating out when we were staying as the kitchen was so well equipped. There was everything you would need and more. Juicers, coffee machines, different sized baking trays, pans, plenty of cups, plates and cutlery.
We were a little worried that the cottage would be too cold during our stay but shortly after we arrived the heating kicked in and it felt cosy and warm by the time we'd been out for something to eat and a bit of a wander. It was just the right temperature, not too warm but not too cold.
There was such a cute little snug area at the back of the house. I would love to have taken that part home with me. I could just imagine having blogging from that little armchair in front of the fire during the winter. There was a bookcase full of books and in the information pack it said if you started reading a book you were free to take it home with you if you hadn't finished it which I thought was so sweet. We didn't use the dining area at all but it looked nice.
Up the stairs to the left there was the bathroom which was actually bigger than Ellie's bedroom at home. lol It had everything you would expect from a bathroom along with plenty of loo rolls, a fantastic powerful shower and an amazing light over the sink and mirror. There were plenty of towels, all of different sizes, more than enough for the 4 of us and if we had have been here for longer we could have washed them in the washing machine in the kitchen.
There were two bedrooms. The main bedroom was massive and had a beautiful four poster bed. It was so comfortable too. I did worry about us being cold on the night as the duvet felt quite thin but we were actually too warm. There were extra duvets if they were needed. There was plenty of storage and I liked that there were bedside lights. It's the little things like that which make a stay somewhere less hassle.
Along the corridor was the smaller bedroom and the room where the girls stayed. They were in bunk beds which they loved and of course fought over the top one. We were there for 2 nights so took it in turns to be on the top bunk. They were a little wobbly but they were still safe, Stu tried them out first.
The only thing that I wasn't keen on in the cottage was the outside area at the back. It is no fault of the owner of the cottage, it was covered in bird poo and feathers. They weren't even from seagulls which you expect near the coast they were from the pigeons which seem to have set up home.
We paid £330 for 3 nights, it works out £110 per night. Check in was anytime after 3pm but I am sure the host would let you in a little earlier to drop off luggage as she is such a nice lady. Check out is 10am, we did leave a little later than that as we had booked the extra night that we couldn't make use of.
The cottage has 4 beds and is suitable for four people, children are more than welcome but there isn't a cot provided. The only thing I would be wary of is there are quite a few ornaments around the cottage which little one's could get their hands on. One thing I would say is that all the ornaments and knick-nacks around I didn't notice any dust.
We have already said we would be happy to go back next year but for longer than just a couple of nights.
Have you ever been to Amble before?