YHA Windermere — Hotel in Great Britain

First all the positives - it is on an absolutely beautiful site, the views are amazing! The staff have all been so helpful and really go above and beyond. We had the breakfast on the first morning and it was good. Food came out promptly and was well cooked. The kitchen was busy though and we had to wait for coffee, clean cups and cutlery. If you wanted to cook your own there was a fully equipped kitchen in the main building and a smaller kitchen in the separate block for campers. ||We stayed in one of the bell tents and it was spacious and the beds were comfy. The stove was definitely needed due to the weather. ||The main building was mostly clean and any issues were caused by other guests walking grass into the showers.||Now the negatives - our tent was probably past its best or could do with taking down and professionally cleaned and repaired. The zip was held on with cable ties and there were patches of black mould/damp in numerous areas around the tent. One of the beds had marks on the pillow case and the sheet, we stripped this off and used the other beds. ||Parking can be an issue if the site is full.||We had two good nights sleep and then our last night was spoiled by new noisy neighbours. Despite the site having a quiet time after 10pm it was gone 1am before they settled down. We woke up this morning to rubbish having been left out by the new neighbours and had been dragged out by the wildlife. At about 12.30am someone on the site also started banging loudly every few seconds for about 15 minutes. It would be useful for guests to have a mobile number of staff on duty to text or call and let them know there are issues with noise, or on a busy night staff have a walk around and remind campers about the quiet times. ||Sinks in the outside block were slow to drain and the water in the showers was not very warm.||Would this put us off coming back? No, we’ll come back, hopefully next time we won’t have such rowdy...

This hostel lies between Windermere, Bowness, Troutbeck and Ambleside, so it's ideally located for all kinds of outdoor pursuits from walking to water sports, plus Brockhole activity centre and Windermere swimming pool are just down the road.

The hostel itself sits on the edge of a small woodland and is completely hidden from the country lane leading up to it from the main A591 road. Being on an open hillside with a panoramic view over lake Windermere towards the Coniston fells, the dining area, outdoor seating and many of the rooms look out over this fantastic vista. It's a fairly compact building with a really homely feel, and the location is great, it even has some attractive attached gardens and woodland to explore.

The hostel has basic amenities including a self-catering kitchen, dining areas, lounge seating, drying room, vending machine and bar serving breakfasts, evening meals and drinks in the afternoon/evening. It also offers camping and glamping options in an adjacent field. There are ample communal toilets and showers, plus many en suite private rooms.

All in all, I'd recommend YHA Windermere to anyone who fancies a short break in the South Lakes away from the busier honeypots place, yet still within easy reach of all the great places to see or...

I have been returning here for several years. I have always camped, though there are several other options to suit everyone from the large hostel building and rooms itself, teepees, pods, and caravans.||||The views of Windermere are stunning.||||The hostel provides breakfast and evening meals if required plus self-catering options.||||The camping residents can utilise this but also have their own building with a full kitchen, two cookers, and refrigerator and freezer. Plates, cups, pots, pans, and cutlery are available to use, and as they are shared, you will be expected to clean and replace them after use. The kitchen also provides a large table with chairs to eat at and bench tables outside.||||The same building also has shower and toilet facilities free to use. ||||The staff have always proven to be polite and helpful. One such person I have encountered on every visit is Stuart. He has been a particular help to me with information on local attractions, etc. and it is a joy to see how well he always helps others with a friendly smile and attentiveness.||||I will keep returning here for...