The Izaak Walton Country House Hotel

What a lovely hotel- the staff, the rooms , the food , the location, the cleanliness, the secure bike storage, the views ……. Couldn’t fault it . Only suggestion would be to add some fresh fruit and pastries to the breakfast buffet (& mushrooms for the full English!)….. but that’s being very picky.

This hotel is in a very very pleasant part of Derbyshire and situated near to Dove Dale. I found the staff extremely helpful and supportive, the room was very well appointed and warm. The Bar meals were delicious and no waiting time either. I have seen on the tripadviser that other visitors have given poor reviews, as the hotel is a period property there is bound to be mild niggles at times. I found the whole experience very restful and relaxing in a beautiful part of Great Britain. Thank you to all staff for making Izaak Walton Hotel a wonderful place to stay.

The hotel is in a lovely location with several walks available straight from the door. We dined in the bar area rather than the restaurant each evening of our four night stay, and the food and choice were excellent. We would definitely stay there again if we were to revisit the area. Having said that, we have only given it four stars for the following reasons. When I booked on the hotel website I opted to pay more for a room that promised either a view of Thorpe Cloud or a view of the ‘beautiful’ garden. We were actually given a room with a view of sheep on a nearby fellside, which was ok but not what we were led to expect. The room was a decent size with a nice bathroom. Sadly there was no hot water on the first day due we were told to a boiler malfunction. Over the following three days the water never got warmer than lukewarm. No further explanation or apology were offered, even when we paid the bill. Perhaps they could have offered a slight reduction on the bill, or a free drink with our meal, just some small gesture to acknowledge the inconvenience.

We have stayed here several times before and were disappointed to find how much has changed. We booked 4 nights and checked out after 3. Hotel is in a great location but is looking very tired and dated. We were ok with that but had the following issues: There was no hot water in the hotel for 3 days. Noone apologised and when we complained we were told it was an 'ongoing problem.' Breakfast was dreadful. Self service, barely warm food, not enough food prepared for the number of guests, no fresh fruit. We stayed in a courtyard room which was drafty because the door glass is covered by a tatty roller blind and net curtain. a heavy curtain is needed across the whole doorway for both warmth and privacy. No ales were available on tap in the bar on Friday evening. The housekeeper was rude when we asked her to wait ten minutes before servicing our room. People (i think staff) arrived back to the room above us at 2 am on Sunday morning and spent 30 minutes walking noisily around and talking. Not a good overall experience and we will not be returning any time soon.

We had a fabulous, relaxing time here celebrating our Wedding Anniversary. The staff were very helpful, the rooms delightful, the views beautiful and the food lovely. Nineteen of us sat down for a three course meal which was delicious and nicely presented. Amongst our company were five children who were well catered for; they loved their stay. Our party was there for two nights in comfortable, well equipped rooms. The picnic tables in the garden where we enjoyed G & Ts were an added bonus! Thank you to all the staff who made our stay so delightful.

Disappointing stay in a hotel that should and could live up to its wonderful location. Service was unfriendly not to say rude at times. Dinner menu is unimaginative and dated and the wine list is overpriced. Breakfast service was slow and inedible on first occasion. The supplements charged for any choice other than the cooked breakfast is bizarre and reflects the overall impression of tired, jaded and uncaring service. Needs an overhaul in all senses - decor, facilities, staff training and attitude. Had been looking forward to this stay but would not recommend as it stands on this price point.

We’ve stayed at the hotel before and this stay felt like things have changed, not for the better. It’s a 3 star hotel and it’s not cheap to stay there so one expects a relaxed, positive atmosphere and experience. The breakfast on our first morning was very poor. Stewed coffee in a thermos on a table to help yourself to. The food was self service with limited food options which were only luke warm. Our second morning breakfast was slightly better with table service and a menu for us to order from but the option for hot food was just a full English breakfast included in your price (we booked a B&B stay), but if you wanted anything else (eg eggs benedict or porridge) you pay a supplement. What? We had a disappointing experience on our departure day. We couldn’t get hot water out of the shower so decided against having a shower. Loud banging on our door frightened the life out of us. Not a knock and wait but incessant banging. Opened the door and in barged the housekeeper and receptionist. ‘You running the shower or bath?’ Barked the housekeeper as she barged into the bathroom. We explained that we’d been trying to take a shower but couldn’t get hot water. The two of them then proceeded to have a conversation between them, referring to us as ‘they’, suggesting that we’d done something to the shower switches to make them stuck as they couldn’t move them. Apparently water was overflowing down the wall outside and they assumed it was from our bathroom. We explained (to be ignored in a very impolite way) that the switches hadn’t moved for us either but as the water had been the right temperature yesterday we’d had no reason to fiddle with them. The whole experience was a rude and unprofessional one and there was no apology for it. We thought that the service was appalling and really coloured our view of our stay as we were leaving that day. Service seems to have deteriorated at the hotel. A couple of other times we were left standing at reception or the bar whilst the person servicing said reception/bar ignored us. A simple smile and acknowledgement that we’d been seen and they’d be with us in a moment would suffice. Won’t be back, sadly. The hotel is in a beautiful location but sadly can’t live up to its potential.