Homestays in Cumbria, United Kingdom

Good bits: our suite was very nice and the breakfast food on offer was good even though you had to come down at a prearranged timeslot. The bad is that the overall management of this hotel, in our experience, was very poor. There were multiple occasions (in just 2 days) when what was arranged and agreed was just not acted upon. Here's some examples: On arrival a member of staff kindly reserved a breakfast table for 4 the following morning (as we were staying with another couple) but it was taken by somebody else when we came down so we had to assume this information wasn't passed to the breakfast team. We then arranged for seating for 5 people at breakfast the following morning - different staff member said that was fine and made a note of the room numbers - yet again this wasn't done and when we asked them to make up an unoccupied table set up for 4 to a 5 (plenty of room to add another chair ) this was refused. Weeks before arriving our friends had asked for their room to be set up as a twin rather than a double but of course that hadn't been done either. We asked for our room not to be serviced during our 2 night stay yet the first morning staff knocked to come in when my partner was on the toilet - again relevant details not passed on. We were told we had reserved parking spot at the rear of the property but parking was a free-for-all. The reception area seemed to be locked up and unmanned most of the time. Yes, there was a bell to ring, but you'd expect a member of staff to be visible especially in the mornings. Finally, whilst most staff were friendly and polite, one senior staff member was off-hand when dealing with a simple request (and we overheard her being brusque with another couple). Her attitude was unpleasant and gave the impression that customers were really a bit of a nuisance. Maybe we just picked a bad weekend so whilst it wasn't a totally awful stay by any means there was enough incidents over a short period to put us off staying there again or recommending it to anyone if it continues to be run in this slack and unprofessional way. I do worry for its future.

The landlady will greet you very warmly and explain to you how to open and close the door and the breakfast time. The room is also very quiet and not in the downtown area. It is a two-minute walk from the library station, and the 599 bus from the station to the hotel is just two stops away. The hotel room is also relatively large, and the bathroom water temperature is sufficient. Apart from the soft mattress, there are no other faults. like

The hotel has a beautiful environment. Although the place is not large, there is free parking for us to drive. It is very convenient. It only takes about 5 minutes to drive to The World of Beatrix Potter and Bowness Pie ~

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Lovely cosy hotel, our room was very comfortable, shower was good as was the bath. Bed was very comfortable and we slept well both nights. It was very quiet. Breakfast was brought to your door in the morning at a time convenient for you and was really nice, choice of cereal, hot roll, yoghurt, juice, tea or coffee. There is a kettle with tea, coffee and milk in the room too. Wifi was good. Our host Jenny was super and very helpful with walks in the area. All in all I would definitely recommend staying here. Don't let the signs of building work outside put you off..it was not an issue at all.

The hotel is situated 2 mins walk from the bus interchange, train station and the town centre with restaurants, bars etc, meaning we didn't have to use the car at all. Room 1 was fine apart from the toilet doing mini flushes every 7 mins, 2 lights out in the bathroom and the blind didn't block out the light from the street light outside the hotel (did mention these minor things to James) and this certainly wouldn't stop us from staying here again. The breakfast was fantastic and we enjoyed this every morning. The lady who served it (sorry didn't get her name, but she is an ex-nurse) was lovely, always had a smile and nothing was too much bother. We only had one evening meal here, but this too was really good.

We ere on a hiking trip and due to the weather had to make a diversion to Keswick for an overnight stop. We made the reservation via one of the many platforms available in this digital age. We arrived in our full wet weather gear and the first question was “you need to pay £6 to pay in my carpark”, we all looked at each other and then back at the receptionist and asked “does it look like we’ve arrived by car?”. We then got a lot of moaning about how bad the digital platforms are and some obscenities about them being fatherless. The rooms we were allocated were very dated and one was just inappropriate. When we asked to change that room it was a price increase immediately! But it was a portion a storm!

Hotel hot water is not very convenient, only the bathtub, washing the shower is more troublesome. Overall okay

The staff were very friendly, room & beds were clean but a little sp**** & needing some renovation. The breakfast was lovely, plentiful & made to order, choice of cereal, toast, cooked breakfast, tea & coffee. The only downside was the boom booming of the music from the bar going on to the early hours.

This house was built in 1850. This house can be checked in through a password. The bed is soft and comfortable, the room is very warm, and the hot water is sufficient. It is a little bit far from the railway station, but very close to the lake. A good trip experience!

Good bits: our suite was very nice and the breakfast food on offer was good even though you had to come down at a prearranged timeslot. The bad is that the overall management of this hotel, in our experience, was very poor. There were multiple occasions (in just 2 days) when what was arranged and agreed was just not acted upon. Here's some examples: On arrival a member of staff kindly reserved a breakfast table for 4 the following morning (as we were staying with another couple) but it was taken by somebody else when we came down so we had to assume this information wasn't passed to the breakfast team. We then arranged for seating for 5 people at breakfast the following morning - different staff member said that was fine and made a note of the room numbers - yet again this wasn't done and when we asked them to make up an unoccupied table set up for 4 to a 5 (plenty of room to add another chair ) this was refused. Weeks before arriving our friends had asked for their room to be set up as a twin rather than a double but of course that hadn't been done either. We asked for our room not to be serviced during our 2 night stay yet the first morning staff knocked to come in when my partner was on the toilet - again relevant details not passed on. We were told we had reserved parking spot at the rear of the property but parking was a free-for-all. The reception area seemed to be locked up and unmanned most of the time. Yes, there was a bell to ring, but you'd expect a member of staff to be visible especially in the mornings. Finally, whilst most staff were friendly and polite, one senior staff member was off-hand when dealing with a simple request (and we overheard her being brusque with another couple). Her attitude was unpleasant and gave the impression that customers were really a bit of a nuisance. Maybe we just picked a bad weekend so whilst it wasn't a totally awful stay by any means there was enough incidents over a short period to put us off staying there again or recommending it to anyone if it continues to be run in this slack and unprofessional way. I do worry for its future.

The hotel has a beautiful environment. Although the place is not large, there is free parking for us to drive. It is very convenient. It only takes about 5 minutes to drive to The World of Beatrix Potter and Bowness Pie ~

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Lovely cosy hotel, our room was very comfortable, shower was good as was the bath. Bed was very comfortable and we slept well both nights. It was very quiet. Breakfast was brought to your door in the morning at a time convenient for you and was really nice, choice of cereal, hot roll, yoghurt, juice, tea or coffee. There is a kettle with tea, coffee and milk in the room too. Wifi was good. Our host Jenny was super and very helpful with walks in the area. All in all I would definitely recommend staying here. Don't let the signs of building work outside put you off..it was not an issue at all.

The landlady will greet you very warmly and explain to you how to open and close the door and the breakfast time. The room is also very quiet and not in the downtown area. It is a two-minute walk from the library station, and the 599 bus from the station to the hotel is just two stops away. The hotel room is also relatively large, and the bathroom water temperature is sufficient. Apart from the soft mattress, there are no other faults. like

The hotel is situated 2 mins walk from the bus interchange, train station and the town centre with restaurants, bars etc, meaning we didn't have to use the car at all. Room 1 was fine apart from the toilet doing mini flushes every 7 mins, 2 lights out in the bathroom and the blind didn't block out the light from the street light outside the hotel (did mention these minor things to James) and this certainly wouldn't stop us from staying here again. The breakfast was fantastic and we enjoyed this every morning. The lady who served it (sorry didn't get her name, but she is an ex-nurse) was lovely, always had a smile and nothing was too much bother. We only had one evening meal here, but this too was really good.

Hotel hot water is not very convenient, only the bathtub, washing the shower is more troublesome. Overall okay

This house was built in 1850. This house can be checked in through a password. The bed is soft and comfortable, the room is very warm, and the hot water is sufficient. It is a little bit far from the railway station, but very close to the lake. A good trip experience!

Environment: A beautiful old English-style house, the interior is exquisite, compact, neat and clean, with many cute little ornaments. Facilities: Warm bedding, snow-white towels, free sparkling water, welcome milk. There is a hot water kettle and bedside USB socket. Meals: There are seven or eight set meals to choose from for breakfast. The full English style is very rich. You can even choose low-calorie coffee and low-calorie tea! Service: The landlord is very kind and gentleman, and can speak ”omelet” and ”poached egg” in Chinese.

This hotel is great. The location is very convenient, just a minute walk from the train station. The surrounding environment is very quiet, living on the second floor, the front of the large green lawn, the scenery is beautiful, surrounded by villas with good views. It is not far to the scenic spot. It takes 20 minutes to walk to the pier. You can go by boat and take a small train. I will bring friends to live in the future.

The staff were very friendly, room & beds were clean but a little sp**** & needing some renovation. The breakfast was lovely, plentiful & made to order, choice of cereal, toast, cooked breakfast, tea & coffee. The only downside was the boom booming of the music from the bar going on to the early hours.

I absolutely LOVED my stay at Cartref! I can't recommend it enough- it's a short walk from the train station and you can easily walk into the town centre. I was in Carlisle for a gig at The Old Fire Station, and found the guest house to be in a great location as it didn't take me too long to walk through town to the venue. Melanie (the owner of Cartref) is really friendly and welcoming; it is clear she pays great attention to detail with the rooms and needs of her guests. My room was beautiful; spotlessly clean, bright, and airy with a SUPER comfy bed and lovely quality bedding, which was brilliantly white. The en-suite bathroom was well equipped, incredibly clean, with a GREAT shower, plenty of towels, a lovely soft robe, slippers and excellent quality local toiletries. You get plenty of teabags, coffee and hot chocolate in the room by the kettle; there's even a mini fridge you can use, which had bottles of water and fresh milk for a cuppa on arrival. The breakfast menu has plenty of choice; it was really tasty, freshly prepared and served in the very pretty dining room. The reception area is pretty and nicely presented with plenty of useful info- there is also a really handy book in the bedroom containing all the information you need for your stay with great recommendations for things to do/places to eat in the local area. I highly recommend Cartref and will definitely be booking to stay there again next time I visit Carlisle.

We ere on a hiking trip and due to the weather had to make a diversion to Keswick for an overnight stop. We made the reservation via one of the many platforms available in this digital age. We arrived in our full wet weather gear and the first question was “you need to pay £6 to pay in my carpark”, we all looked at each other and then back at the receptionist and asked “does it look like we’ve arrived by car?”. We then got a lot of moaning about how bad the digital platforms are and some obscenities about them being fatherless. The rooms we were allocated were very dated and one was just inappropriate. When we asked to change that room it was a price increase immediately! But it was a portion a storm!

We used The Grange as a base for our week in The Lakes. What a super find. Sally and her team are excellent. I had had a small procedure on my knee the week before so they found us a room with easier access. All the rooms are lovely though nicely decorated, clean and fresh. The breakfast set us for the day and we skipped lunch most days because of that. It is quite a hill to walk up from town but well worth it. The views are wonderful.

We have just come back from a fabulous two night stay at Fellpack House. The rooms were beautiful with comfy beds, stylish decor and the friendly service made our visit perfect! Fellpack restaurant was a short walk away where we ate both nights. Again a perfect choice with the most fabulous and tasty food. We will definitely return!

From the minute we pulled up to the minute we left, couldn't fault a single thing. Lovely welcome on arrival, showed to a fantastic room and breakfast arrangements explained. Room was more than adequate with a really comfortable bed, good shower and tea/coffee facilities at hand,and breakfast was amazing, with really good selection and quality produce. Host couldnt do enough for you, even when he was flying solo on this particular weekend. Great location and close to town but just far enough out not to get any noise( 2- 3 mins walk). Managed to get a parking space in the street opposite, so car never moved all weekend. Wouldn't hesitate to stay again when next up there. Thanks for a great stay Noel & Lisa (Room 3)

The environment and facilities of the B&B itself are very good, and it is a very atmospheric accommodation. The biscuits in the room were delicious, and the meals provided by the B&B were also good, but not cost-effective (some dishes were a bit salty). The location is relatively remote, and I feel that people who stay here generally drive their own cars. We are a bit far away from Keswick and Derwentwater, and if the bus stops, we can only call to book a taxi. However, the overall accommodation experience is still very good!