YHA Borrowdale

This place is like a loveletter to hostelling. It is community-focussed where you really feel like you're partaking in history. It's a super simple setup that feels homely, communal and comfortable. The current warden has written a comprehensive history of the site that was absolutely fascinating - we spent a fair chunk of time learning about the hostel and the people who have passed through. There is clearly so much love and pride poured into the day-to-day running. Staff were all great and happy to have a chin wag. Food was the exact thing you want when you've spent the day being active - hot and covered in gravy. Look, it's not going to win any food awards but that's not the point - it's filling and welcome and goes well with a pint. Location is fabulous as well - a small track leads away from the hostel and into the woods for a magical walk. Great place to take a smoke and a hip flask if you're so inclined. Great night sleep too - my bed at home is a piece of plywood with sofa cushions on it so I might be a bit biased but the beds are FAR comfier than I had expected. I'll be back to support this place every time I'm in the area. Keep the YHA alive!

In April this year me and my partner where visiting for my birthday doing a route up Glaramara. On our way down we visited the YHA and had some lovely beers for decent prices, the staff were friendly and the place was lovely. Unfortunately later on, there were issues with the buses and we got stranded in Borrowdale, with low battery on our phones. Having no way home, we decided to go back to the YHA and ask for a room. The first lady was very helpful and said although the internet wasn't working so they couldn't take payment by card right now and we didn't have any cash left, there were rooms and she's sure that the manager could work something out and we could pay in the morning. The manager returned, and lied to our faces saying there was no rooms left and we had to leave. Clearly, the management of this youth hostel has decided to prioritise money over supporting young people and social good, the very values the YHA is built on. We were sent into the dark, to find somewhere to stay, and this could've ended very badly for us. This YHA is a beautiful place, but it definitely should consider a serious change of management to uphold the values of a youth hostel.

Our recent stay at YHA Borrowdale was a bit of a mixed bag, with some real highlights and a few disappointing elements but overall, it made for a memorable and adventurous experience.|The atmosphere is definitely one of the hostel's strong points. There's a genuine sense of adventure about the place, helped by its beautiful location and quirky touches like backpacks on the wall and walking boots turned into plant pots, little things that add loads of character. The surrounding scenery is absolutely stunning, and the outdoor space is perfect for soaking it all in with a drink or a meal.|We found several members of the staff to be lovely, particularly Will, Sam, Rosie, and Theo. A special mention goes to Theo, who was especially kind and attentive with my children, really appreciated.|The food was another strong point. Although the menu was a bit limited (likely due to how busy the hostel was), everything we did order, both at breakfast and in the evening, was well-cooked and genuinely tasty. The addition of extra items to the menu was a nice touch, and the pricing overall was very reasonable.|We stayed in one of the landpods, which was clean and comfortable, and the outdoor toilets and showers were surprisingly good, clean and with reliably hot water, which isn’t always guaranteed in places like this.|That said, there were a few things that really let the experience down. Most notably, the self-catering kitchen was absolutely vile, by far the worst I’ve ever seen in a YHA. The fridges, in particular, were in a shocking state. It’s an area that clearly needs immediate attention.|Another real disappointment was the games room, which looked more like a forgotten storage space than somewhere children might enjoy. Dirty, messy and uninviting, a real shame given how family-friendly the rest of the site tries to be.|The food service system could also do with a rethink. Using numbered spoons rather than table numbers makes things chaotic and inefficient for the staff, who end up walking all over trying to locate the right person’s food, not ideal, especially when seating stretches indoors and out.|There was also no sponsored beer available during our stay, not a huge issue, but worth noting if that’s something you’d normally look forward to.|Finally, while the manager came across as friendly and pleasant to chat to, the overall management of the site felt a bit lacking. Either they're fairly new and still finding their feet, or they've been there too long and become complacent. Either way, a bit more attention to cleanliness and organisation would make a big difference.||Final thoughts- YHA Borrowdale has heaps of potential and, in many ways, delivers a great outdoorsy, family-friendly experience with good food, great scenery and some brilliant staff. But it’s let down by poor cleanliness in key areas and a few organisational niggles that really shouldn’t be overlooked. With a bit more care and attention, this could easily be one of the best hostels of the business.

What am amazing spot. We had a landpod for the night, had the river Derwent right outside the front of our landpod! As it is out of season we were the only occupied landpod so we had the whole area to ourselves!||The communal area/bar is amazing and feels like a mountain cabin with the awesome interior, had a bar, cooked meals from.5 til 8pm, WiFi, self catering kitchen and showers as usual. Surprisingly we had full 4g signal all over the buying and landpods too! Lovely staff, beautiful place and great value for money. I think its the best YHA I've stayed at so far.

Great venue! Exactly what is needed in this part of the world. Rooms are what you would expect, in a good way. We stayed in the four bed dorm, separate toilets and showers. Never had to queue and they were clean. Very friendly and helpful staff team. Loved it. Would definitely stay again.

I used to like popping in here for a pint after a day out on the hills, but now you have to pay for parking. It’s not expensive, but kinda takes the shine off this place a little bit. Should be refundable if you buy food/drinks.

Lovely service, lovely food, lovely location. My only issue is the beds. The mattresses are firm but comfy, but the suspension underneath is pretty much nonexistent (they cover the metal mesh suspension with a large wooden board). Plus they're quite short, if you're taller than 5'10 you won't fit comfortably.

A great hostel to explore the surroundings. It's clean and the beds are comfortable. Service is good although they were struggling with the large amount of guests. They have a full bar and serve decent hot food too.