Herons Lake Retreat

Absolutely gutted by our stay here. Our Welsh friend recommended this place for what was meant to be a relaxing weekend away and some proper quality time together. We often stay in lodges, but this was by far the worst experience we’ve had. There was no hot water at all. They have claimed we were offered communal showers, but we absolutely were not. We were not told properly about the issue before arrival either. We tried calling the “24-hour” number and no one answered. We were only told the gas was off around 20 minutes before we arrived, by which point we had already bought food for the weekend. They said they would provide an electric hob, but this never appeared. There were also no facilities to make tea or coffee, despite this being stated on the website. There were no towels or robes when we arrived. After complaining, we were reluctantly given a few small towels and very poor-quality robes. The lodge had two bathrooms, yet there was no soap in either of them. The whole stay was uncomfortable and unpleasant. We were freezing, and the tiny radiators provided made no difference at all. On top of that, the staff were rude and unhelpful. For £365, you expect so much better. They claimed they had told us the day before, but that is not true. We were only informed when we were almost at the accommodation. They are now refusing to give us a refund, which is incredibly disappointing. Our Welsh friend wanted us to have a lovely experience of her homeland, but instead we all wished we had stayed at home. Honestly, a hostel would have been better. Avoid this place.

· via Google

My partner and I recently stayed in Cabin 25 for our anniversary, paying £300 for what we expected to be a premium, relaxing getaway. While the seclusion of the cabin was nice and the front desk staff were friendly, the actual condition, cleanliness, and noise levels were completely unacceptable for the price. On top of the cabin issues, there was loud music blaring nearby from what sounded like a hen do, which completely ruined the peaceful retreat we were promised. The cabin itself was in a shocking state. The kitchen window was entirely missing its blind. Because of the layout, anyone outside could see straight from the kitchen to our bed, completely stripping us of our privacy. It also meant bright light flooded the room at dawn, ruining our plans for a rare, relaxing lay-in away from the kids. Furthermore, the main curtains were incredibly worn out and kept falling entirely off their hooks, forcing us to try and fix them ourselves. To make matters worse, the cabin hadn't been cleaned properly—we found long brown hairs left behind, which definitely didn't belong to either of us. When I complained, management admitted to these faults but only offered a 20% discount on a future booking. Frankly, a 20% discount is an insult—it feels more like a promotional offer to get us to spend more money than actual compensation for a ruined trip. I replied asking for a fair, partial refund instead, and the company has now completely ignored my emails for days. Absolutely shocking customer service and a total lack of respect for paying guests. Avoid this place if you are booking for a special occasion.My partner and I recently stayed in Cabin 25 for our anniversary, paying £300 for what we expected to be a premium, relaxing getaway. While the seclusion of the cabin was nice and the front desk staff were friendly, the actual condition, cleanliness, and noise levels were completely unacceptable for the price. On top of the cabin issues, there was loud music blaring nearby from what sounded like a hen do, which completely ruined the peaceful retreat we were promised. The cabin itself was in a shocking state. The kitchen window was entirely missing its blind. Because of the layout, anyone outside could see straight from the kitchen to our bed, completely stripping us of our privacy. It also meant bright light flooded the room at dawn, ruining our plans for a rare, relaxing lay-in away from the kids. Furthermore, the main curtains were incredibly worn out and kept falling entirely off their hooks, forcing us to try and fix them ourselves. To make matters worse, the cabin hadn't been cleaned properly—we found long brown hairs left behind, which definitely didn't belong to either of us. When I complained, management admitted to these faults but only offered a 20% discount on a future booking. Frankly, a 20% discount is an insult—it feels more like a promotional offer to get us to spend more money than actual compensation for a ruined trip. I replied asking for a fair, partial refund instead, and the company has now completely ignored my emails for days. Absolutely shocking customer service and a total lack of respect for paying guests. Avoid this place if you are booking for a special occasion.

· via Google

**Review for Herons Lake Retreat – 1/5 stars** I recently stayed at Herons Lake Retreat and spent £200 for what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had. From the moment we arrived, the lodge smelt strongly like a brewery – a stale, unpleasant odour that lingered throughout our stay and never improved. The cleanliness was shocking for the price; it clearly hadn’t been properly cleaned before our arrival. The paintwork looked terrible, scuffed and uneven, and the wallpaper was peeling in multiple places. It felt run-down and neglected rather than the charming retreat it’s advertised as. We had paid extra for a prosecco welcome in the room on arrival, but there was nothing waiting for us. After ringing reception, we were told it would be sorted, but nothing happened. We had to go down to the lodge ourselves and then call again before it was finally delivered. The whole process was frustrating and completely ruined the first impression. Overall, I was very disappointed with our stay. For £200, I expected far better standards of cleanliness, maintenance, and basic service. It felt like a huge waste of money. I wouldn’t recommend Herons Lake Retreat to anyone and won’t be returning.

· via Google

Took my partner here for his birthday, this place is stunning, we had a beautiful lodge on top of the hill, totally surrounded by nature. You must like birds and bugs up here, we had a pair ducks that would come to the cabin every day and hang out with us. The hot tub was clean, the lodge was spotless, all the staff were friendly, its a nice peaceful place to escape to. We will definitely be coming back and highly recommend it.

· via Google