YHA Ambleside Hostel

This is absolutely gorgeous 😍. I travelled solo for the first time. I have never been in a room with a view this beautiful for cheap price. Their service and location is exceptional. I have been to other yha's but this is my favorite Safe for solo travel. Great location for buses and piers.

Lovely youth hostel, easy to check in, helpful staff. Good easy breakfast, towels to hire. The lake is right outside, parking is difficult outside but there's plenty of other spots nearby. I'd definitely come here again.. lots of stairs though I'd try and get a lower floor although the view is amazing 😊

Large Yha. Located right on the shore of Windermere. Rooms are basic as you would expect. If in a dorm then your sleep is determined by the actions, good or bad of others. Not everyone now knows how to behave in a dorm. Prices are no longer dirt cheap but still the cheapest accommodation in the area. Self catering means you can keep costs down.

All simple requirements for an overnight stay met. Good food, well stocked bar and simple bunk bed style rooms. Beautiful views across the lake. Limited on site parking so get in early if you need to! Plenty of nearby parking if no space. Cables and kayaks available to hire and boat rides just around the corner. Eat/drink inside or lakeside and perhaps dip your toes into the lake ;) If you’re lucky you may see Spiderman showing off on a foiling board!

Stayed here a few times during a trip to the Lakes. Staff, food, rooms and drinks were all top-notch and exceeded expectations, no faults there. Unfortunately, despite following all parking rules, and submitting our reg number to reception upon check-in, I was extremely disappointed to hear that my girlfriend received a PCN in the post a few weeks later from ParkWithEase, YHA Ambleside’s contracted parking enforcement agency. After reading some reviews about ParkWithEase and the way they deal with appeals (bully tactics), and, given we are both full time Uni students, my partner decided she didn’t want to deal with the trouble of potentially going to court to dispute this and reluctantly paid the charge. Again, I cannot stress enough how lovely the stay was - staff were exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful regarding camping spots, walks, local eateries, but it’s a massive shame that the great experience was all overshadowed by random fines from bully contractors. Wouldn’t risk staying here again, would rather pay the room price plus extra money spent on parking on a nicer room in one of the local inns, and I’d recommend others do the same.

Amazing hostel. Everything you need is there. Lots of attractions and things to do around. I didn’t experience many of them as just brought my bike with me to ride all local mountain passes. I do recommend for bikers. Bar is amazing as well. View is so nice you don’t actually want be leaving… Food is good also. Exceptional staff and service. Always friendly and happy to help. 10/10 Please say thank you from me :)

Rooms we had a 6 bed, great size of room with sink, plenty hanging & cupboards/storage. Cold fan to help the heat. Emma, Rosy & Stuart were helpful when needed. If lights dont work ask & they will fix. 2nd shower on level 2 was very small but does the job. Kitchen very busy place but plenty fridges about & never short on cutlery etc. Drying room great & does what it says. Plenty games & books if you have forgotten anything/keep you amused. Food/dinner, was well prepared & cooked wonderfully. Views are a bonus & amazing. You'll be lucky to get parked at times but there is alternative options nearby. Staff definitely work hard here to keep place, clean, tidy & items replenished efficiently. Great Team work ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We had a lovely first time hostel stay experience at YHA Ambleside. |Our private family room had one double bed and three single bunks, en-suite toilet , bathroom and a cupboard. |The room was clean and offered a stunning lake view that made mornings feel like a postcard. |The staff were friendly and informative, always ready to help with local tips and recommendations.|POV : This hostel is the ideal launchpad for Lake District adventures, just steps from the pier, boat trips, restaurants, and Ambleside town centre. A short drive away to Keswick, Kendal and Coniston day trips. |Whether you're into hiking, sightseeing, or simply relaxing by the water, this location is a perfect Lakeside Escape.|Highly recommended!|🅿️ Free parking (limited spaces)

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!