YHA Ambleside Hostel

Fantastic location the kitchen is huge and amazing better than a lot of kitchens I have worked in!!! Everything very clean. I felt very safe here as a solo female traveler and slept like a log every night. The room was amazing with a view over the lake, I cannot wait to stay again :)

The hostel was great and worth the stay for different reasons:1. Amazing location with big lake, near public transportation2. Friendly and helpful staff, you can borrow hair dryer at the reception. You can keep your bag in locker room also, bring £1 coin or ask lovely staff for tap to pay.3. Huge shared kitchen with lots of cooking essentials which can be used to cook nearly everything you can.4. Clean and well maintained room.Can’t ask for more with this price.

I first visited this hostel some forty years ago and decided to return. You could not wish for a more wonderful location right on the banks of Lake WIndermere. It is an incredibly peaceful location and the prices are very reasonable. I chose for a provate room for one person.||Whilst the building could use some interior redecorating, there is a pleasant atmosphere inside, not least that which comes from the enthusiasm of the residents. The staff was welcoming and pleasant. There is currently some external refurbishments taking place and this should have a very positive impact on the building. The workmen were not intrusive. There is a small car park, but also plenty of "pay and display" parking in the immediate area.||The room was basic with a single bed and central heating that could be controlled. There was a small sink, but with a shared bathroom and toilet just outside my door.||My one criticism was that the tops of the duvet poked out of the cover and it was clear that the actual duvets were not very clean and didn't appear to have been washed for some time. You have to bear in mind that this is a budget hostel, with prices set accordingly. Manage yur expectations accordingly and you will have a nice time.||There is a bar and cafeteria on the premises and continental or cooked breakfast is available for puchase.

I stayed here with 3 friends, sharing 2 rooms. Booking in was easy, remember to bring photo ID. The room was basic. 2 beds, cupboards and a sink. The floor we were on had plenty of toilets and showers. No waiting around at any time. The location is perfect, overlooking the lake and a short distance out of town. I had a breakfast, cereal, eggs and bacon etc. It was hot and well cooked. Overall, excellent value for money.

They upgraded us to a larger room. Good kitchen facilities and location. We had a car, but very accessible by bus from Windermere.

Super friendly staff. Welcoming, kind faces is always appreciated after a mammoth 6 hr drive! Nice beers in the bar. Decent number of washrooms. Really affordable. Lovely views too!

We arrived at this hostel on 7th Nov. 2024, the view is really great. The rooms are very spacious and have good views. The kitchen is really nice, neat and big. You can make your own food, which almost all hostels provide this service here. Very beautiful hostel with good service, views, and other amenities. Would highly recommend.

Fabulous views from the hostel terrace over Windermere. |Well equipped self catering kitchen with plenty of fridges and a freezer. Not sure why the hostel is so hot, the weather was grey cloud during our stay, radiators were off but it was roasting. Recommend taking flip flops and T shirt. The plastic covered mattresses didn't help, waking up uncomfortably hot. |Car park space was limited, full often after 2pm so needed to pay to park in nearby public car parks. Recommend that the hostel re-evaluates the layout as the staff parking was under utilised during our four day stay.

Staff here is really unfriendly and unhelpful. We stayed here last night and woke up to the fire alarm in our room going off every 5 minutes. We also had to shower in the dark/with the door partly ajar because half the lights in the building were not working. Apparently all this was planned work and they should have told us ahead of time, but were "so busy" when we checked in that they didn't. When we complained they said there was nothing they could do. Though the location and views of the lake are great, the restaurant next door is nothing special. It was also pretty tough to fall asleep because there is no soundproofing and the room was very warm. Rooms are very tight quarters and we didn't know when we booked a triple that 2 of the spots were a double bed. I guess you get what you pay for, but the service here really is lacking.

It is literally right on the lake... if you want you could run out of the front door and go for a quick dip in the lake, but you don't have to take my word for it ;). Seriously, the location alone of this hostel is not only convenient (ok a small walk to the centre of town), but to be right on the lake, makes for spectacular views. Even the dock for the ferry is just outside of the hostel. If you are bringing a car, parking can be a bit tight; if you are bringing a group by coach, there is a car park where the coaches can pull in, drop off, and pick up. The staff have always been really easy to work with. I book our students twice a semester and they make booking and finalizing everything very easy. Packed lunches are available to order, they have maps of walks around the area available for purchase, and the staff are always willing to make recommendations about what to do and see. The hostel always seems to be busy, so it can get rather loud... the staff always manage to let me know when my students are being loud, but they never say anything about the children running around, screaming, jumping on furniture (all of this unattended) to the parents. Can make for a sleepless night. The rooms, however, are kept really well. I have never found cleanliness to be a problem. The only complaint I have are all the spiders and cobwebs all over the room. I have stayed in a couple different rooms, and depending on where you are in the hostel also has an effect on the noise you will hear. The rooms are all quite warm, which is nice after a day outside taking in the great outdoors. Toilets and showers are never far away from any room and I don't think I've ever had to wait for one. The lobby is nice and large. Great to sit and chat, play cards, have a pint from the hostel's bar, check email, etc. The breakfast is really good as well, important when you are headed out for a full day of activities. They also have a drying room, however, when it gets full, the room tends not to work as well. While it isn't the best night's sleep, it is a pretty good value and you can't beat the location.

Yha hostels in the British countryside are generally amazing. Converted buildings, incredible locations, huge grounds to explore and on site dining rooms combine to create a fab experience. Yha can be a little frustrating for non members, with additional costs for wifi and towels and things, but that shouldn't put you off checking this one out. Right on the lake, surrounded by incredible mountains that the area is famous for Yha Grasmere is a great alternative to the more expensive b&bs and hotels in the area. Evening food specials are a bargain too!

COULD..NOT..BE..BETTER!! Pros: Everything! My teen daughter and I stayed at YHA Ambleside for two nights in August 2015. Everything, and I mean everything, was spotlessly clean and well organized. She and I shared a two-bed private room and we had the most lovely view of the lake right out our window. This small room contained a twin bunk set and had it's own sink. Electrical outlets in all the handy places. Never a problem finding an open toilet or shower room nearby. (Both were very tiny -airplane sized- but clean and did the job.) The hostel is deceptively large and wonderfully modern. A nice restaurant/pub is attached. Located right at Waterhead Pier, so easy to catch a ferry to other destinations on the lake. Cute ice cream place within steps. Ambleside itself only a pretty 10-15 minute walk away. Hostel staff were always cheerfully pleasant and helpful. I pre-paid for breakfast when I booked and it was well worth the deal: buffet-style with lots of good hot food. Washer/dryers available, we didn't use them but I liked knowing they were there if needed. Cons: No elevator/lift, we had to drag our bags up two flights of stairs. Wi-fi only works in parts of the building: no problem in the common areas and, I was told, in many of the sleeping rooms but no service in our own room. Neither of these things are deal-breakers,however, and I would most definitely stay there again!