Ribblesdale Lodges

This was my second time here for a week, and it was amazing again. The area is lovely and quiet, with nice walks to enjoy. The lodge we stayed in felt so homely, just wow. I definitely recommend it. People from work saw the video I took, said it looked nice, and are looking to book too :)

The lodge felt neglected from the moment we arrived. Inside, things looked tired, with black marks in the shower, a grimy bedroom deck, and green mats that looked as if they hadn’t been cleaned in ages. Leaves were scattered around too. The bed was so uncomfortable that I told a staff member. They said they would have moved us if they hadn’t been fully booked, and agreed the place looked rundown. They even said the owners should close a few units for a week to fix them up, but apparently the owners prefer taking bookings over maintaining the property. The bar was understaffed at night, with only two people working, and it felt as if locals got better service than paying guests. Only one staff member looked professionally dressed. The others seemed too casual and unprofessional for hospitality. This wasn’t the relaxing, welcoming stay we expected. The lodge needs serious cleaning, maintenance, and staff training before it’s worth the price.

I’ve stayed in the lodges here several times over the years and love this place. It’s peaceful, there are nice walks and plenty of wildlife to see, and the restaurant food is great.

The hot tub was a lovely way to unwind in the evenings after we'd been out exploring, and we enjoyed our week so much that we've already booked to come back next year. Lodge 71 was bright, spacious and very clean, with plenty of daylight and everything we needed. We would've preferred an electric kettle to the whistling one, but that was just personal preference and didn't affect our stay. We hadn't realised there was only one bin bag, so when we ran short, the woman at reception and the bar kindly gave us two more. Everyone working in the bar and restaurant was helpful. We also ate at Hindelinis, where the food was delicious and good value for its quality and generous portions. One small thing I'd change is the mirror in the main bedroom. It was above the bed, so you had to kneel on the mattress to use it.