Beech Hill Hotel & Spa — Restaurant in Great Britain

I've stayed in many places over the years, and I've never come across a situation where hotel management's view of their establishment is so far removed from reality. Word of advice to anyone considering booking this hotel: do NOT believe the website and don't confuse marketing with delivery. Here is a bit of a reality check based on my recent stay:

Website: "We put a huge amount of effort to ensure [the breakfast] is the best meal of the day" and "it's difficult to describe what our fabulous breakfast offering is like".

Reality: Breakfast was a disaster from start to finish (Gordon Ramsey would have a field day here): • Staff wore dirty clothes and looked generally unkempt, as if they've all just resurfaced from an all-night bender • No staff as much as tried to help to set a table for 3 (they were ALL set for 2 people) - guests had to set the tables and try to find cutlery themselves • Plates were dirty • Most of the food ran out halfway through the sitting but no staff members did anything about it; in fact they seemed completely unaware of what was going on around them. • When staff eventually refilled the toast after several guests had complained, they carried it out with their bare (and likely dirty) hands • Banana slices had been spread out on a plate and had therefore gone brown, plus there were no tools to pick up the banana slices so people had to scrape up the banana mess with their nails (give people whole bananas so they can slice it themselves for heaven's sake!!) • When staff cleaned tables after a guest had left, they sprayed the cleaning chemicals all over the salt, pepper, and sugar cubes. Over and over again. • It is offensive to claim that breakfast is included in the price, when you have to pay separately for anything that is remotely breakfast-like (eggs for example). You're much better off driving to a cafe in Bowness or Windermere - the food will be much nicer and fresher, plus you'll pay less • They claim they offer "a variety of freshly made breads". In reality, they literally pull it out from a bag straight from the local supermarket • They claim they offer "delicious freshly made hot pancakes", when in reality the pancakes were the stale prepacked ones from the supermarket, that had been re-heated.

Website: they claim this is a "luxury" and "distinct 4 star hotel".

Reality: • Staff were generally inattentive • Lights in the bathroom had a sensor that was broken so we couldn't turn the light off, it was on all night • We asked to have the room serviced when we left in the morning, but no one had touched it when we came back 4 hours later. They clarified that they were focusing on servicing new guests, and not existing guests (even though it was 3 hours left until check in time). What a surprise. • Bed mattress is end-of-life, you could feel the springs poking you in the back • The balcony has clearly never been looked after, it was really scruffy with paint peeling off and looked like it was falling apart • Windows in the room were filthy • The "beautiful garden" was littered with old beer bottles and pint glasses

This hotel is just as much luxury as your local kebab joint is fine dining.

No one asked us how our stay was when we checked out, it seemed they just wanted us gone as soon as possible. I asked for contact details for management as I had complaints I wanted to put forward, but was told that staff are no longer allowed to give out emails or phone number to hotel management.

I feel sorry for the staff, they clearly have not been given any training and I suspect they are paid peanuts. They probably tried their best under rubbish conditions. The responsibility and criticism is entirely directed at management and owners - they have no idea how to run a hospitality establishment.

In summary, the nightly rate is extortionate for what you get. All you pay for is the lake view - if you can see beyond the rotten balcony and the dirty windows, that is.

Will never stay here again and I recommend you...

What a shame. We paid about £150 per night for a 2 night stay for our first time in the Lake district. We were not informed the hotel was under renovation prior to arriving and seeing workman everywhere, a muddy car parked filled with a skip with dirty matresses,a digger, rubble & mess everywhere. The hotel was run down & very dirty looking on the outside. We entered via the stairs from the car park up to reception, the carpet was falling off the stairs in parts. The reception had a few workman having a meeting & was half built. We checked into our room which had a very overpowering odour of a huge perfumed fragrance thing which we removed from the room straight away & opened the window all night & made me feel ill. |We went down to use the pool & sauna/hot tub, an extra fee of £10 per person for a 24 hr period. The pool & sauna were nice, cleaner than the rest of the hotel & the hot tubs outside were a fun touch overlooking the lake, despite a few floating 'bits' when the bubbles stopped. It would be helpful if reception tell you on arrival that you can go down to the pool in your robe, also slippers would be helpful to be provided.|We had dinner at the hotel bar which was poor. The fish was tiny & they put all the chips on a bed of tarter sauce so they were soggy & drenched in it. I didn't want tartar sauce on my chips, I only want it on the fish! Another guest was sat in there watching football on his tablet with the volume up, despite us and him being the only people in there it ruined our meal. It would be helpful if the bar staff could have requested for him to use headphones so as not to disrupt others. He then put his phone on loud speaker & had a whole conversation, destroyed the ambience...something the hotel staff should be aware of and to address. So we didn't stay for pudding due to this. |We went out for the whole of the next day, came back & our room stank of some kind of charcoal/burnt wood. We couldn't find where this was coming from but it was very overpowering & thought this is may be why they had such a huge fragrance thing in there to try & cover up the smell?|The view from the room was fantastic, that's the only reason we have given 2 stars for such a great view. The mattress was horrendous, every foot throughout you can feel the metal springs. I had to try & position my body between the springs to not get bruised, I don't know how this mattress can be put in a hotel. I did tell the reception & also asked for another duvet. Duvet inside of cover full of hairs & bits. The bathroom (which has just been newly decorated) was grim. Very dirty, brown stains on the floor around the base of the toilet which looked disgusting. I tried to wipe it up but was stained in, we put a towel over it. All along the edge of the bath was brown/orange dirt (where is hasn't been cleaned properly since builders were in). Very squeaking bath and floorboards throughout. Can easily hear guests next door. |Such a shame as the location & view are stunning. The grounds down to the lake are a mess, no care taken, everything broken. I understand the place is being refurbished however this isn't a reason for the bathroom to be so dirty, the mattress springs to be sticking out, the smell in the room. The lack of assistance from staff when other guests are being a nuisance etc etc. And guests should be informed when they book that it's under refurbishment...at the very least pool access should be free for the disruption. We...

If I could give zero stars, I would. Our stay at Beech Hill Hotel was one of the most disappointing travel experiences we've ever had.

From the moment we arrived, the experience at Beech Hill Hotel began spiralling downhill — quite literally. There is no lift, and we were made to haul our luggage down four full flights of stairs that is 62 steps (Yes I counted), snaking through dim corridors that feel like a descent into a rabbit hole. Just when you think you've reached the room, there's another flight. When asked about the lack of accessibility, the staff brushed it off with a rehearsed line: “That’s how the hotel was built.” As if that’s supposed to justify such poor infrastructure in a hotel charging £220 a night.

Currently, the entire lake-facing area is under renovation, with piles of mud scattered along the walking paths. It had rained when we arrived, turning the entire area into a slippery hazard. There were no warning signs, no alternate routes, and absolutely no consideration for guest safety. This was obviously due to ongoing construction work, with mounds of mud blocking the walking path to the lake also ruining the aesthetics.

The so-called pool facilities? Closed for maintenance, which seems to be a never-ending state based on previous reviews. And then comes the part that truly left us appalled — the hotel charges a £50 “security deposit” in case items go MISSING from the room. Used those EXACT SAME WORDS. Let that sink in. It’s not framed as a deposit for damages or extra services — it’s as if they’re pre-emptively accusing their guests of stealing. There’s nothing in the room worth stealing, by the way. No minibar, no luxury amenities, not even a proper bottle of water — just a tiny 200ml bottle offered with an exaggerated “with our compliments” smile, as though it’s some kind of gift.

To make matters worse, the heating is controlled by some invisible timer, only coming to life at 7 PM and then quietly vanishing in the dead of night — leaving us shivering under thin duvets while the temperature outside dipped to 7°C. When we asked about it, the response was a casual, dismissive, “It’s timed.” No apology, no concern. Just cold air and colder service.

The food is average, and while that would have been forgivable, what’s harder to stomach is the blatant discrimination we witnessed at breakfast. The staff made friendly rounds at other tables, checking in, making conversation — we were completely ignored. Not once did anyone ask if we were enjoying our meal or needed anything.

The room had no bathtub, only a basic shower. Wi-Fi barely works, and only in the reception area. To make things worse, the hotel is completely isolated, with no public transport or even a safe footpath to walk along the road. If you don’t drive, you’re stranded.

All in all, this was one of the worst hotel experiences we’ve ever had. At £220 per night, it felt less like a luxury escape and more like a trap. The atmosphere was unfriendly, the policies felt suspicious, and the entire setup was deeply inconvenient. We left feeling disrespected, frustrated, and exhausted.

Absolutely would...