Pooley Howe

We expected a warm Christmas weekend stay, but it turned into a miserable experience with appalling customer service. We arrived around 4-5pm after a winter hike to find a cold room and an even colder toilet. We warmed the room a little, but the toilet heater didn’t work. Worse, the owners had switched off the heating centrally from around 10-11pm until 7-8am without warning. With so little heat, we couldn’t sleep well. I thought it might be a mistake or maintenance problem, but the owner confirmed by phone that they couldn’t afford to let us use the heating overnight and said, “nobody else in England uses heating at night anyway”. I hadn’t asked for his opinion. Since heating was advertised as part of what I paid for, I expected an apology and a way to meet our needs. I could be vulnerable, for all they knew, but profit seemed to come first. He simply refused to let us have heat overnight. We left first thing the next day and will seek a chargeback and make claims for not providing what we paid for. I take winter holidays expecting a warm room at any time. There was black mould in the wardrobe, the toilet heater in room number 8 was broken, and there were spider webs everywhere. The attitude to resolving customer problems was disgusting. They’d asked us to message their phone number for a smooth check-in but never answered.

We had a great stay. The staff were very friendly and created a lovely atmosphere, and the beds were comfortable. The area was quiet, with plenty of parking, and the showers had great pressure. They kindly upgraded our rooms and let us add an extra night at an affordable price, all arranged simply. Breakfast was delicious every day, especially the veggie breakfast. We’ll definitely stay again next time we’re in The Lakes.

We stayed one night before hiking Cat Bells on a cold, snowy day. Portinscale was an ideal location, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. Nice breakfast and good value.

The room was comfortable and clean, and the bathroom was second to none. Breakfast was generous, with plenty of choice and vegetarian options, just the thing before a day walking the Cumbria fells. The remote check-in felt a bit odd at first, and it’d be nice to have someone there to welcome guests, though I’ve come across this setup before and it’s no dealbreaker. The location is passable, but it’s quite a walk into town. There’s a local bus, and I might stay again if I’m in the area.