The Windermere Hotel

Two visits, and both ended in promises that went nowhere. My wife and I were there on 30/05 for a friend's work leaving do. We parked onsite, gave the barman our registration, and he confirmed it would be validated. We also spent a considerable amount at the bar that evening. Six weeks later a parking fine arrived. I went back to the hotel, and reception told me it would be “quashed.” Now, five months later, we're facing a £170 debt collection fee from Debt Recovery Plus, along with threatening correspondence. Two different employees said parking was covered, and neither followed through. This feels like a systemic failure and poor staff training, not a misunderstanding. Future guests should be wary: you may park as instructed and still end up paying for their mistakes. I'm expecting the usual copy-paste reply about the “validation system working fine,” but clearly it doesn't. Not good enough.

The view was lovely, but parking caused trouble. One night there wasn't a space, so I paid to park at the train station and still got charged when I left. The room was a double, though the bed felt smaller than a standard double, which made sharing with my husband difficult. The breakfast setup was odd, with a time slot to book the day before, so we never bothered. The place could do with a refresh.

The lake view from our room was stunning, and the location was great. That's about all the hotel has going for it. It was seriously dated and grubby, with 1970s bedroom furniture and a depressing feel throughout. Think Fawlty Towers decor. The bar wasn't open. A staff member said I could try to find someone to pour me a drink. I only stayed because it was just one night. 0 out of 10, do not recommend.

We slept well because the place was quiet, and the mattress and pillows were comfortable. The bedrooms were decent, a little tired in places, but spotless, with immaculate bedding. The lounge was smart and true to the building's age, a lovely spot to sit and unwind. The food was much better than we expected: hot, served quickly, and tasty. Staff were polite and friendly. It's a lovely old building with lots of history, in a perfect spot for Windermere and the other villages. Some reviews of this hotel aren't so good, but we found them unfair. We saw no faults, and neither did a lot of people we spoke to. For the price and location, we'd recommend a stay and would come again.