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3.5
#19 of 19 hotels in Windermere
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Windermere has been called the ‘Gateway to the Lakes.’ With mountains, moors, lakes and tarns it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the splendour of the English countryside, right in the heart of the Lake District. The Windermere Hotel occupies an excellent location at the head of the village of Windermere itself. Built from traditional Lakeland slate, our hotel is listed by English Heritage, and is one of the oldest hotels in Windermere having opened back in 1847 to coincide with the construction of the local railway. The hotel’s location is ideal for exploring the local villages of Bowness and Windermere, as well as the beautiful Lake District scenery.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Historic Hotel
Languages Spoken
English, Polish
Location
Kendal Road, Windermere LA23 1AL England
The Windermere Hotel
1,584 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Windermere Hotel boasts a prime location favored by numerous travelers, with easy access to local attractions and transport links. However, guests have called out the need for a revamp, pointing to an atmosphere and rooms that appear outdated and sometimes neglected.
While the cleanliness receives commendation, particularly for the fresh towels and bedding, the amenities and service show inconsistency, ranging from satisfactory to areas needing attention, such as breakfast variety and staff responsiveness. Reviewers warn that the value proposition is diminished by high parking costs and less-than-impressive room conditions.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Outdated
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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The hotel was set back from the main road with a pay for parking system in place, as the hotel was set high above the road, you did not get much noise from the passing traffic, the front rooms of the hotel gave you part views over lake Windermere. The room we had while small (2 single beds) was big enough for the nights stay we had, the beds were also comfortable and you did not feel cramped in them. The tea & coffee in the room was nice as you could avoid other guests (Covid 19) and relax. The meals we had in the restaurant both evening and breakfast were of a wide choice, nicely cooked and fresh.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:2nd floor at the front of the hotel and the view of the lake was a partial view, traffic noise...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Miguel Sanchez, General Manager at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Oct 7, 2020
Dear Ian Thanks for your nice review. I will pass your comments to the team. Hopefully see you again soon, Best Regards Miguel Sanchez General Manager
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We are still here staying Monday to Friday with shearings.
The hotel has a great location with a good view. House keeping needs a bit of attention but nothing serious. Staff are all mainly from Eastern Europe and I feel reading past reviews this appears to be taken as ,some staff being rude! I disagree I think it’s a language and cultural issue and all the staff have been pleasant and helpful. Treat others how you want to be treated Both breakfast ( full English, cereals, fresh fruit, kippers etc has been very nice and I cannot fault the 3 course evening meals the quality and choices have been good. The entertainment has been the same each evening, a pianist , although he was good was to samey got boring .
We only went on one tour which was free with shearings and time wise could have been cropped a bit. Drivers ( Jeff) friendly and helpful We enjoyed walking in the fells the rest of time. So you get what you pay for , it’s good value. If you are really bothered about a few knocks and bumps in the paint work go and pay a lot more somewhere else. But a good value for money break with good food
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear Tracy L Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay at the Windermere Hotel. Thanks for your nice comments about the staff and they will certainly be passed on. Kind Regards
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The hotel's location is ideal to access the wainwright's and town centre. The hotel staff were friendly and entertainment in the bar was lively and provided a great atmosphere for the festive time of year. However, the room was clean but very small, the towel rail didn't work and the bed was very uncomfortable which led to little sleep. We thought the hotel was overly priced for a simple room then expected to pay for parking and breakfast on top (didn't realise until after booking). Suppose its the price you pay for a prime location and high season. Not sure I would stay hear again for the price and lack of comfort.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear maddyjane76 Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay at the Windermere Hotel and sorry that we didn't meet all your expectations. We are happy that you found our staff friendly and that you liked the entertainment. Please if you could email us with the room number you stayed to gm.win@shearings.com so we can have a look to the mattress and the towel real. Kind Regards
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We stayed here on a Shearings holiday. The hotel location was great, just across the road from the railway and bus terminus, and our room had a view over the lake. Our thinking was if Shearings use this hotel it will be fine! Well we were in room 222, the access was ok for able bodied people but for anyone with mobility issues it would be a challenge actually getting from the 2 person lift to the corridor where room 222 is located due to the fact we had to go down several steps then climb back up to get to double swing doors, then up two more steps to get to the corridor our room was on. When we entered the room it was freezing cold because the radiator had been turned off and the wind was howling through the window even though it was closed. The room was very shabby, with damp patched on the walls, peeling wallpaper and a grubby carpet. OK onward to the bathroom which was quite small but had a heated towel rail which did work but the electrical connection had been broken and self adhesive tape used to hold the cover in place, not very safety conscious these lot, and certainly not something an electrician would condone. The bath tap supplied hot water only so the shower unit had to be used to bring the bath water to a comfortable and safe temparature. We always had clean towels and the bed appeared to be clean, but we had to ask for coffee and milk because there was only enough for one cup each per day. The breakfast was ok, but again had to ask for bacon, bread, eggs etc etc to be replenished as they kept running low. Evening meals were again ok but not great, and some evenings a pianist/vocalist would provide entertainment. Would I stay here again voluntarily? I've got to say no. The staff were helpful, but not all could speak English, unlike hotels across the rest of the world and I've stayed in quite a few. We thought maybe Basil Fawlty was making a comeback and we were part of the cast.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Book elsewhere
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear C1587mtkeiths Thank you for taking the time to write about your experiences whilst at The Windermere hotel and in the first instance I would offer our apologies that your expectations were not met as is always our intention. We sorry that the access to your rooms wasn't what you expected but we are a Grade2 listed building with 75 bedrooms build over 150 years ago so not all the rooms have the same access. We were not aware that you had mobility issues so as you said room 222 for an able bodied person is perfectly accessible and also have lovely views of the lake. We checked room 222 and we found no problems with towel rails, hot water and certainly no damp patches on the wall. Kind Regards
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As they say you get what you pay for. Firstly I cannot fault the staff for their hard work, however they are far from a friendly and warm and welcoming bunch. Our stay started at check in with a very rude receptionist that informed me we could only eat at 2030 that evening as they had 2 Shearings coaches in who took preference and had booked all the dining slots as a priority and this was the same all week. After a little debate we were granted a table at 1930 with a dining allowance of £50 (pre booked package deal)as a couple. Dining was another experience all together. Staff wearing masks pulled down under their nose, never using hand sanitizer, just cursory wipes of the tops of tables, no edges, no chairs with the same cloth and spray, Menus being repeatedly handled by guests without wiping. The evening menu was set and aimed at the softer palette shall we say the night we ate there and very obvious none of the staff have every worked in the hospitality industry. Our 3 course evening meal including drink was 27 minutes from end to end. The waiter stood at the end of our table and at the first sign you were finishing he was taking your plate and before you could blink the next course was there. I would say most if not all the staff are of a foreign nationality and their English far better than my foreign language there were times it was difficult to make yourself understood.
Breakfast was not too dissimilar when drinks, cereal, pastry, toast and cooked breakfast all arrived together. Although we did have to wait 20 minutes before actually getting a drink on the second morning.
First impressions were the hotel was tired. The main stairs in reception is where the carpet is frayed and falling out of the treads, some is taped down with hazard tape. We had a Premier room and whilst nice and seemingly recently remodelled was badly finished. Curtains hanging off the rail, paint slopped down the feature wall, woodwork repainted but wall paint slapped all over it around door frames, Nice bathroom and looks new but the grout is either mouldy already or dis coloured. Shower varies in temperature constantly, Four poster bed with a squishy mattress, very comfortable but once in bed you had to physically climb out of. Someone of limited mobility wouldn’t get out. It was almost like sleeping with baby bumpers up.
Cleaning seems to be a non starter, rooms are not entered while you are there and you have to request clean towels and bedding from reception. Cups and saucers have been removed from rooms and replaced with paper cups and pots of milk. When you do ask for replacements at reception you were met with an attitude of “how dare you ask”. Whilst other hotels have gone above and beyond hygiene wise I’m not so sure here and due not feel entirely safe.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Stay somewhere else
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Miguel Sanchez, General Manager at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Oct 18, 2020
Good afternoon jod369, Thank you for taking time to post your review and I am sorry that you had a disappointed stay with us. I agree that the hotel needs refreshing and we are currently undergoing a maintenance program to help bring our rooms and public areas up to date. I disagree with the place not being safe, we have all the COVID-19 restrictions in place which is needed and we make sure that everything is adhered to it during service. Cups and saucers have been removed from rooms and replaced with paper cups precisely because of the pandemic. Wishing you all the best for the future. Kind regards
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Needed a short break so came here for a 3 night stay after Christmas. We stayed from New Year’s Day till Saturday only booked on the Monday. We paid the £18 parking as we did not want to use the car during our stay as the hotel was very central. We upgraded to a superior room well worth the little extra cost. Lovely view of the lakes and town from our room at one end on the top floor. The radiator pumped out so much heat we had to turn it down as we could not sleep at night with it on full. The food was of a very high standard for a hotel of this price. We opted for half board and you can tell that the chiefs also prepare al a cart as the standard of food included in our price was excellent, very good value for an extra £20 a day buffet breakfast and 3 course evening meal. All the staff were very helpful and could not do enough for us. Windermere possibly is not suitable for disabled or very old as it very hilly but we had a great time going on lovely walks around Windermere and the surrounding countryside. The tourist information is handy and just across the road from the hotel. Our only little advice would be to hoover the staircase more as a piece of paper was there through our stay. Thank we will probably be back again soon.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear Nonamenon0 Thank you for taking the time to write about your at the Windermere Hotel and thank you for all your lovely comments about the hotel and the staff. We will pass all your comments to the relevant teams. Hopefully we will see you again soon. Kind Regards
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never stayed anywhere like it the place needs demolishing or will take millions to update to a good standard. From the outside it looks beautiful, traditional stone slate building, inside uninterested staff shabby decor, rooms which are freezing and in desperate need of update. Arrived with high hopes told parking £6 (fair enough) , we arrived early not wanting or expecting to check in as we were going for a walk , very rude unfriendly unhelpful reception staff on desk . Came back to hotel to check in a different unfriendly unsmiling receptionist gave us our room key 37 , opened the door to see our breaths in the air it was that cold , mould and stains on walls and around windows , bare wires in bathroom on corroded radiator ( which didn’t work ) . Went back to the unsmiling unfriendly receptionist and explained did seem that bothered said one room left on lower floor if I wanted that or a fan heater .Took key looked at other room which was just as bad and just as cold . Decided to stay put as there was no better option went to go in shower no hot water , told receptionist who said she get someone to look at if . Went to dinner without showering, people were wearing coats in dining room and Lounge it was that cold . Food was mediocre , dinning room staff smiling and friendly . Breakfast was nice good selection, still no hot water on morning , again told the unhelpful unfriendly receptionist.
Place smells of damp and needs condemning I wouldn’t house an animal there
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear Michelle Thank you for taking the time to write about your experiences whilst at The Windermere Hotel and sorry that we did not meet your expectations. We will pass all your comments to our management and maintenance team and rest assure will be investigated. Kind Regards
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We visited this hotel for a nice weekend break, the location of the hotel is great. Just a 2 minute walk away from the centre. Parking is £6 per day which is ok but you can park in the centre for cheaper and the parking spaces are wider. We where greeted by some friendly staff however when we entered our first room we asked to be changed as the room was of a poor quality, it was very dated with a crack in the window and the smell of damp. The second room (at the front of the hotel was a little better we would recommend rooms at the front of the building for a sea view). This room however was again dated, the fixtures and fitting where of a poor quality. The radiator in the bathroom had instillation tape wrapped around the earth wire and was badly fitted to the wall with screws sticking out of the fitting. The toilet when flushed made such a noise due to the fact the water was refilling we couldn’t use this on a night. The room was very cold with one heater at the far end of the wall. Sadly we found some sort of tablet on the floor which shows bad cleanliness. We reported this to the reception to avoid this happening again for other guests. Luckily we don’t have children and the thought of a child picking this up off the floor is alarming. Glad we only stayed for the one night and we won’t be returning again. I can imagine this hotel was once the place to stay but sadly is in great need of a refurbishment.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear ge33a Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay at the Windermere Hotel, and we are sorry that you didn't enjoyed your stay and that we didn't meet your expectations. Our parking price is in line with the rest of the parking in Windermere, we are glad that you found our reception staff friendly and that that they were helpful. Kind Regards
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Disheartened and disappointed experience to say the least. 15:00 check in due to the new covid cleaning standards hmmm. On entering the room looked very tired for £372 without breakfast for 3 nights was already off putting but when we inspected the room there was dust on the walls, what looked like damp spots on another, cobwebs, dirty carpets dirt on the bed and spiders in the bathroom. We requested a refund and was offered another room on another floor which was refused as the room we were in was opposite a cleaning cupboard so I did not see any benefit in accepting this. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Miguel Sanchez, General Manager at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Sep 15, 2020
Dear Clare, I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the standard of product and cleanliness of your room. The Windermere has benefitted from improvements to many of its rooms in recent times, however unfortunately it seems that you were placed in one of the rooms which remain to be refreshed. The staff were understandably keen to rectify this which is why you were offered another room. However, I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and can assure you improvements will be made. I am confident that we could ensure a better experience for you should you return and would be more than happy to make any arrangements on a future stay personally – please do contact me directly should you wish, I am keen to show you what we can do. Your feedback has been used by myself and my team to ensure improvements are made promptly. Assuring you of my best attention at all times Kind Regards, Miguel Sanchez Benalte General Manager
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Can’t beat the location especially if you don’t have a car as its literally across the train and bus stations. BUT. Room gets very cold in the morning & evening, even with the heating on. The bed has thick edges which again gets very cold and can cause a bit of a (cold) shock when you have to get up in the middle of the night to use the loo. Buffet breakfast also is a bit expensive @£10.95. I suggest just going to the cafe at booths when a full English breakfast only cost for half. A fresh orange juice in a takeaway bottle can also be bought from the cafe.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Reception Manager, Guest Services / Front Office at The Windermere Hotel
Responded Apr 9, 2020
Dear Fairyiney Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay at the Windermere hotel and sorry that we didn't meet your expectations. We will pass all your comments to our management. We think that an all you can eat hot and cold buffed including drinks represents and extremely good value for money. Kind Regards
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There are more places to choose from in the Windermere area.
PRICE RANGE
₱3,517 - ₱5,628 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the hotel windermere, windermere the hotel, windermere hotel windermere
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCumbriaLake DistrictWindermere
NUMBER OF ROOMS
69
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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