Ross P
November 2015
I booked to stay in Helvellyn with my girlfriend for a long break over my birthday weekend. The thing that immediately drew us in was the cheap price which seemed fantastic given the quality of the living space shown in the pictures.
As with all images on the internet I approached Helvellyn's appearance with scepticism - it is all too easy to make an accommodation look far bigger and more modern than it actually is. I am happy to report that this is absolutely not the case here and if anything the apartment looks smaller than it actually is in real life.
The place is large, perfectly situated in a quiet corner of the town centre and rigged out with modern appliances and furniture. It was spotlessly clean and surrounded by beautiful fells which can easily be seen from the windows given its position on the top floor of a building. There is plenty of light so the place never feels dingy or claustrophobic.
Both bedrooms are wonderful, with one being slightly smaller to accommodate an en suite shower and toilet. The open plan kitchen and living room is a nice size and there is enough seating for you and visitors, unless you're having a conference in your holiday cottage. The bathrooms were modern, clean and well functioning - I tend to be picky about showers in particular but the main shower was fantastic (though I didn't use the en suite one).
The only downside is the owners' strange reluctance to provide a WiFi service. If, like me, you're with O2 your phone simply will not pick up any internet signal whatsoever in Keswick and organisational tasks thus forced me out into the town in search of free WiFi. The lack of WiFi has been mentioned countless times by users on Trip Advisor and in the guest book in the place itself over the course of a number of years, yet still has not been rectified. As a smaller inconvenience, there is no hairdryer provided in the apartment, which is something I consider to be fairly standard.
While I visited in October when it was fairly cool, we found that only one of the windows in the apartment would open to any sort of useful degree. This is presumably a health and safety feature but it is worth mentioning for people who may be planning a visit in the hotter months.
The final issue is that driving and parking around these roads is very tight and worth keeping mind of if you plan on driving to Helvellyn.
Luckily, I did not find myself needing the internet very much, the weather was cool and I did not drive and as such these issues did not hinder my enjoyment experienced at Helvellyn. I would absolutely go back in a flash... providing I didn't need parking, a hairdryer, cool air or the internet.