Holbeck Ghyll

An amazing and relaxing stay at the Holbeck Ghyll. The view from our lovely lake side spacious room is a treat every morning. The breakfasts included have a wide range of choice including your continental and cooked breakfast (including salmon). ||We dined in the restaurant on one of the evenings and the food was good, we at the same would recommend exploring the eateries in the Lakes as the produce for food is just so high standard and delicious! ||We would certainly stay again at the Holbeck and it will be on our list for next time we come to the lakes!

After a rather fierce walk in the beautiful Lake District we decided, spur of the moment, to stay overnight. We came across Holbeck Ghyll on our quick Internet search, called ahead and were told there was a room available. No fuss over the phone, simply turn up and everything was arranged when we arrived. I think the lovely lady at reception took pity on me and upgraded us to a magical room on the top floor with a separate 'snug' with window seat, overlooking Lake Windermere. No doubt something to do with my muddy bedraggled state, having taken a slide in the mud during our walk. Had a much needed bath in the room and went down for a drink in the bar. In the beautiful dining room we had the most amazing Chateaubriand we had in a long time, if ever. Chef cooked it to absolute perfection. Side dishes and sauce were top quality as well. At breakfast the next morning we had a lovely chat with Tom, the owner and fantastic host of the hotel. He knows a lot about the history and has a great vision of local produce and wider sustainability for the hotel. Oh and breakfast was very good as well. Go and see Tom and the team, you won't be disappointed.

Just attended a family wedding, the place was beautiful and the staff made it a memorable couple of days. Robert especially, made us laugh. All the staff were exceptional, friendly and helpful. The food was good and hot. Breakfast especially. Beautiful grounds and an easy walk to the lake.

We booked a 4 night stay at the Holbeck Ghyll and my high expectations of a luxurious stay were sadly not completely met. We have two Cockapoos who accompanied us on the trip and booked a dog friendly lake view suite named Mrs Tingywinkle. The views from the hotel and our room were spectacular and I was not disappointed by this at all. Unfortunately, the Spa had been closed down and was being refurbished to become a large party celebration room. The breakfasts were very good although the coffee we served on our first morning was so strong, you could have stood a spoon up in it!! |However, the overriding feeling I have about the hotel is that it was tired, lacked maintenance and a little bit of love! The decor was rather dated in the dining rooms as well as the suite we stayed in. The metal railings on the balcony to our room were filthy and covered in cobwebs. Our bathroom, whilst we'll equipped with soap, shower gel, shampoo etc, was the biggest disappointment. The cold tap on basin needed the washer replacing as it was almost impossible to turn off, a light bulb was not working above the basin, repairs had been carried out but not finished off properly, the WC was constantly letting water by but the biggest disappointment was the jacuzzi bath. We returned to the room after our first day of walking and my wife was looking forward to a spa bath to soothe her aching muscles but found that that bath was not working. We reported this to one of the staff along with the other items expecting that they would be attended to the next day. Unfortunately they weren't and were not repaired for the entirety of our stay. |Despite this, relaxing on the terrace with a drink after a day walking in the fabulous sunshine (the weather was fantastic for our whole stay) was very welcome and then sitting on the balcony enjoying the view and the warm sunshine despite the filthy handrails!! The superking size bed was very comfortable and the room was attended to by housekeeping staff everyday. |I'm sure that the management have a plan to bring rooms up to the standard expected of a 4 star hotel evidenced by the ongoing works and the refurbishment of rooms in the main hotel but my experience fell short of my expectations. |When we checked out, we were given a £100 discount as recompense for the issues we had with our room which was welcomed. |Please don't be put off by my experience. The location of this hotel is out of this world with the best views of Lake Windermere and the hills beyond we could have asked for. |

Feeling refreshed after a lovely week in the lake district - looking forward to returning to HG! The views (of the lake, mountains...) and sounds (of the running water in the Ghyll) made the setting of Holbeck Ghyll idyllic. Ian took care of us so well with plenty of suggestions of areas to explore. Breakfast and dinner were delicious. Best sleep in a long time too!

Having booked a three-day gourmet break at a cost of £344 per night, on our arrival we were immediately taken with the location, views from the hotel and the building itself and were encouraged that our stay would an enjoyable one. Sadly this was not the case and we left after only one night. Internally the building was rather dismal and tired with lack lustre furnishings. Whilst our room had a lake view, it was tired, uninspiring and unremarkable. It was only subsequently that we fully noticed the defects in the bathroom. The grout being badly stained, missing altogether in some places, the cold tap vibrated when turned on and the towels were thin and worn. The landings/ corridors to the rooms are very dark, and the timed lighting was set to remain on for such a short time that you were plunged into darkness before you could get your key in the door to your room.|It was not a good sign that o arrival we were informed that the Michelin starred Chef had left, and our concerns were justified my wife's Salmon was undercooked and had to be sent back and the leg meat accompanying my duck was course and inedible. We were not offered any bread or appetizers to start, and we declined a desert. The word gourmet could never be ascribed to the food and when asked how often the menu changed, we were told four times a year. As my wife is a pescatarian and there were only two main courses she could eat, a three-day stay presented a problem with regard to options. It may be significant that on this Saturday night, there were only two other diners! I informed the waitress, also the receptionist, that we would not be stopping for the remaining two nights of our holiday and at her request I recounted our concerns. Her response astounded me,'Would you like me to show you one of our refurbished rooms?' Needless to say we were aggrieved that we had not been offered one of these rooms in the first place, especially as there appeared to be only one other couple stopping in the hotel.||I have since written two letters to the owners of the hotel and have not been afforded the courtesy of a response!!

The best experience I've had in the Lakes to date, and I've been visiting for more than 10 years. We stayed in the newly renovated, beautiful Lord Lonsdale suite overlooking lake Windermere at a picturesque dip in the mountain-line. We came here to get engaged, and the entire House Staff made everything perfect: from the recommendations, to accepting our very, very late check-in, to keeping an eye out for my engagement ring in the Post, to a beautiful, fresh Michelin-quality dinner. You can sense the pride they take in what they do and where they work. Every couple we met inside Holbeck Ghyll was charming, curious and fun to talk with, and all of them were return visitors. This House is magical, and it is now a part of our family history. We cannot wait to return.

Very dissapointing. We booked Holbeck Ghyll as a bit of a treat to celebrate my Birthday due to the great reviews for Hotel and Restaurant. Little did we know when booking on a popular hotel booking site that the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the offered alternative of a lounge menu stretches to a Charcuterie board to share with 2 types of Ham and 1 cheese for a not to be laughed at £27.50. The Barkeeper told us he could not recommend an alternative as no local restaurants are as good as the one at Holbeck Ghyll. Nice to have it confirmed what we were missing! On the plus side the staff were welcoming and the views are great. Fingers crossed for a decent breakfast tomorrow.

Stopped in here for a night on the way to Scotland. Tom, on the front desk to great care of us checking in and getting us oriented. The lodge/cabin was clean, well layed out and inviting. We opted for the casual menu for dinner as we had two kids with us. We started with the charcuterie board which was excellent as was the beetroot started which is served with goat cheese. For the main course we has the salmon which was excellent, fish and chips, burger and mushroom pasta were very good. We returned for breakfast of traditional fare which again was excellent. We only had one night here due to our schedule but we would go back...

Holbeck Country House and Spa is a luxury hotel overlooking the beautiful Lake Windermere, the fells and mountains, which all looks spectacular especially at sunset. Nothing beats, watching the sunset over the lake, relaxing and sipping tea, after you have had your pampering! So make sure you have had a spa and massage treatment just before the sun sets. We were booked into the fabulous Lady Lonsdale room for our Spa Heaven break, with its high ceiling and a large comfy seating area with two sofas, and a fantastic view of the lake and fells. The hotel has Michelin starred dining. A three course dinner, starting off with canapes in the Lounge, which were really nice and tasty and ending with petit fours and coffee. The service was impeccable and friendly. However, the lighting in the restaurant was quite low, so you could not see the food very well, but it all looked delicious and well presented. It was nice that each course was introduced. My choc desserts were sublime though with a small souffle, and other choc delights. Overall the fine dining experience was, fine, I have had better. Since this was fine dining, one felt one should not take photos, so I had to surreptitiously do it, without flash, so not to spoil the ambience, but with the very dim lighting, it was a quite difficult task! The next morning, you can then enjoy the Michelin starred breakfast. I had the full English, although nicely presented, was not piping hot, the way I like it. The eggs were freshly fried so nice and hot, but the rest of the breakfast, the bacon, the black pudding, mushrooms and sausages were warm as obviously pre-cooked, and the tomatoes were only lightly grilled, so was cold. Unfortunately the toast was no better, it was cold by the time it reached us so was quite hard, almost like eating a biscuit. I like my butter to melt in the hot toast, and this did not. But all the food tasted country fresh. We took a short walk after breakfast to explore the lovely grounds, and the gardens. We followed the stream some way past the tennis court, but did not go all the way down to the Lake and Marina, as it was a few miles and we ran out of time ;-) Overall, the stay was very pleasant and relaxing. The staff was also friendly and helpful. An extremely nice treat for our special occasion. I was well spoilt! Windermere is so beautiful even in the mist! It finally cleared around lunch time, and the sun came out, so we took the hour and a half cruise round the lake from Bowness Pier, 7 minutes drive from the Holbeck Gyhll, and I learnt that it is the largest lake in England. The cruise only took in half of it, stopping at two piers which you can disembark and board again. The water was so, so clear and smooth, I was mesmerised, I could stare at it all day sitting on the boat, floating along the lake, soaking in the warm sun. Lovely!

We stayed at the hotel end of Sept, and beginning of Oct 2017 for three nights. We stayed in a standard room for the first two nights, and the Miss Potter Suite on the last night. The standard room: Positives: - Great view with a very large window. Negatives: - The 'double bed' in the room was two single beds pushed together, and the bed itself was very uncomfortable. - Very visible stains to lamp shades. - Stains to carpet. - Four broken lights. - WiFi not working to the extent that pictures could not be loaded. - The hotel gave chocolates, but when opened, these had visible fingerprints on them, and the milk chocolate had started to turn white in colour. - The alcohol container was sticky and not properly cleaned. - A radiator in the room was not working. - Highly visible soap scum and rust to shower gel containers, one of which was broken. The signature suite: Positives: - Underfloor heating and jacuzzi. - Great view. - Small lounge area. Negatives: - Not much different from the standard room. - Jacuzzi had dirt in it. - The alcohol container boasted about was empty, and again was sticky. - Only one set of slippers and dressing gown, despite there being two guests and a jacuzzi. - The jacuzzi is overlooked by the hotel, and you can see others seated in the hotel when you are in the jacuzzi. - Cleaners had not even finished cleaning the room when we arrived after we were given keys. - The outdoor area was not cleaned well, to the front and rear. - WiFi was not functional, as in the standard room. - The room is next to a car park, so you may be worken by noise. - At the time, we could hear wind against windows. - Uncomfortable sofa in lounge area. - Slow TV remote. The restaurant: When we arrived, we ordered the deer burger and afternoon tea, which was lovely. However, the breakfast was really poor and slow over the three days. Orders were often forgotten. On one occasion, we got eggs Benedict without anything visible but the sauce on the plate. Numerous guests were complaining to staff, whom did not seem to take the criticism on board, and some staff did not seem to understand guests. We ordered the 10 course dinner on one occasion. It felt as if we were promised so much given the price tag and rosette rating... A few of the dishes were nice, others average, but two were overly salty and failed to deliver. When we made this criticism, the waiter said 'alright I'll tell the chef to calm down a bit'. Waiters would just put down dishes without introducing the dish, and there was no real effort at conversation or making the experience pleasurable from wait staff. We had to serve ourselves drinks, because the restaurant had only 2-3 waiting staff, and were preoccupied with one particular couple for most of the night to the detriment of the rest of the dining room. Staff were generally unresponsive when we made complaints for the above, and there were no amendments to the hefty bill. We emailed the manager whom reported that the issues we raised would be resolved over the coming months, and offered us one free night's stay, but we were not happy with this offer, given our experience. We requested a partial refund on two separate occasions and received no response. The hotel continues to send us special offers by email despite us never signing up to this. See photos. Manager is highly defensive to criticism - see tripadvisor reviews!

I'm very sad to have to write this. I'm not one for reviews. I was married at Holbeck Ghyll, I've returned for stays since and It's always been a wonderful experience. My last stay was in January, my husband and I had just attended a family funeral. My mother had booked a stay sometime in the future with the family member that had just passed. My Mother asked me to cancel the booking while I was staying, which i did promptly upon checking in. The gentleman who checked us in said that the cancellation would be taken care of, I thought nothing of it until I was informed by Mother that she had been charged a cancellation fee. I called to hotel to let them know what had happen provided them the dates of our stay and the manner in which we communicated the cancellation. We recently were told the cancellation would stand, myself branded a liar, and no accountability taken on the hotels behalf. Before booking this hotel please be aware of their poor business practices and ethical standards. I've always tired to be fair and reasonable with respect to the hospitality industry,one of the reasons why I rarely post reviews. In this case I take exception, the hotel made a mistake and would rather hide behind a cancellation number that wasn't offered, than do the right thing.

Disgusting service. Laughably bad experience where service was awful and also during which a bottle of wine a relative paid for as a surprise simply wasn't bought to our table. Zero sympathy when I complained. Avoid at all costs.

I was on a trip of the North in the summer of 2016, replicating Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's "The Trip". All of the locations exceeded expectation, that is except Holbeck Ghyll. This is the one I was looking forward to most, and the only one I would hesitate to return to. The rooms were dated and in bad repair (chipped paint, frayed curtains, missing shower handles). The food was mediocre at best and it was clear that they are well past their Michelin Star days. The staff was actually great and accommodating except when we shared our feedback with the desk clerk (no managers were in), we were assured that we would be contacted by management. We are still waiting on that call. Do "The Trip" skip Holbeck Ghyll until they get serious about getting back to where they were.

Very nice Inn in the Lake District. Rooms are nice with killer view of the lake. Could use AC. Restaurant is fabulous. Every dish was great; service was excellent with a terrific wine list. Love ordering dinner from the sitting room while enjoying a cocktail. They call you in to the dinning room as your first course is ready. Great food, service and ambiance.

I booked this hotel for Christmas for our family. I had selected it from an internet search, it looked very appealing in photos but I really did not know what to expect. We travelled from Chicago and Bedford to arrive on December 23rd.Right from the moment we arrived we felt like we were royalty. The staff were superb, through the whole of Christmas and nothing was too much trouble for them.The food was astounding: marvelous English teas, divine dinners and wonderfull English breakfasts.I had booked late and was expecting the last (smallest ) rooms and was quite astounded when shown to our rooms.They were so spacious, had beautiful views and had ante rooms which was wonderful with our luggage and Christmas presents etc. It was really a marvelous place to spend Christmas and to have a complete break. It rained everyday but didn't matter as the hotel was so lovely: log fires, books, jigsaw's, games and lots of umbrellas! A special note of admiration for the manager who seemed to spend a large part of his Christmas at the hotel to ensure that all the guests were happy.