Best Western Burn How Garden House

We’ve spent the last 15 years trying out nearly all the hotels in Bowness on Windermere, almost as a hobby, and this place is a hidden gem. Room 22 was cozy, lovely and absolutely spotless, with toiletries, an iron and board, and a hairdryer and fan. The price felt like a steal, too. It’s right in the heart of Bowness, just behind the Bellsfield hotel. Everyone on staff was courteous and friendly, and the elderly owner and his grandson run the accommodation to a very high standard. We’ll definitely come back. I don’t usually write reviews, but I wanted to recommend this place to others.

We would never stay here again or recommend it to anyone. Our room was filthy: it was never cleaned, the towels were never changed, and the bathroom was left dirty. I raised all my complaints with the manageress before we left on Monday, and I’ve also left a full review on Tripadvisor. I uploaded photos as evidence, showing dust on the furniture, black mould and dirt on the patio door frame, and a crack along the bath. When I pointed out the dust to housekeeping, he went out and came back with a dirty towel, then flicked it over the furniture. Absolutely disgraceful.

The rooms were cold, and not being able to shut the hallway door made that worse. On Valentine’s night, the room lock failed and we couldn’t get in. I borrowed tools from reception and had to remove the latch myself. I understand things can break, but at £178 per night I expected a better response. I spent an hour of our time away getting back into the room, with hardly an apology from the staff and not even a complimentary mint from management. The place itself was OK, but the attitude was awful, especially for someone working in hospitality.

Breakfast was amazing, and the service was first class. Danny was witty and his enthusiastic, welcoming manner will take him far. The place feels wonderfully quiet and far away from everything, even though town is only 4 mins away. Just got back from a weekend here, and it was a brilliant experience.