Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa

“Traditional English Hospitality in an Outstanding Lakeside Setting”

We spent four nights at the Old England Hotel. It is a hotel with genuine character, an exceptional lakeside location and many remarkably kind staff members. At the same time, we felt that the day-to-day operation of the hotel did not quite match the standard suggested by its setting and price. Th… more

We spent four nights at the Old England Hotel. It is a hotel with genuine character, an exceptional lakeside location and many remarkably kind staff members. At the same time, we felt that the day-to-day operation of the hotel did not quite match the standard suggested by its setting and price. The location is simply outstanding. Situated directly on the shores of Lake Windermere, the hotel enjoys magnificent views across the lake from many of the rooms as well as from its beautiful terrace. The public areas are among the hotel’s greatest strengths. The recently refurbished lounges successfully combine traditional elegance with a lighter, more contemporary feel and are wonderful places to relax after a day exploring the Lakes. The excellent indoor swimming pool is another real asset. Our suite was spacious, comfortable and well maintained. We appreciated the calm and timeless style of our room, and the carefully restored furniture reflected the care taken to preserve the character of the building. Several members of staff deserve particular praise. Throughout our stay, we encountered genuine kindness and a willingness to help that left a lasting impression. When our daughter unexpectedly became ill, several members of the team showed remarkable compassion and continued to ask after her over the following days. Their concern felt entirely genuine and exemplified the kind of hospitality that cannot simply be taught. The restaurant and breakfast room were the least convincing part of the hotel. The dining room itself felt rather dated and lacked the elegance and atmosphere found elsewhere in the hotel. Dinner reflected a traditional British style of cooking, with well-executed classic comfort-food dishes that suited the character of the hotel well. Breakfast was the weakest aspect of our stay. The cooked-to-order dishes were good, but the continental buffet was surprisingly limited for a hotel in this price range. Coffee quality was consistently poor throughout our stay and well below what we would expect from a hotel at this level. Given its price, we expected more consistency and attention to detail in the hotel’s day-to-day operation. There were a series of small moments that, taken together, created the impression that several well-known shortcomings had simply become accepted rather than addressed. What ultimately made the difference was the staff, whose warmth and commitment repeatedly turned potential frustrations into positive memories. The Old England Hotel stays true to what it sets out to be: a traditional English lakeside hotel with character, an outstanding setting and genuine hospitality. Overall, this is a hotel with character rather than polished perfection. Guests who value consistency and attention to detail will find its shortcomings frustrating. Those who are prepared to overlook them will find an outstanding location, a distinctive atmosphere and moments of genuine hospitality.

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“DEFINITELY NOT A LAKE VIEW!!.”

Staying here now and lovely room but the supposedly lake view balcony is not a lake view !!...it's just the white balcony wall!!.. can't see anything sat down ..you have to stand up to see the lake!!..and a lovely car park to our right !!...and at 800 quid for a 2 nights stay ..not worth it..false … more

Staying here now and lovely room but the supposedly lake view balcony is not a lake view !!...it's just the white balcony wall!!.. can't see anything sat down ..you have to stand up to see the lake!!..and a lovely car park to our right !!...and at 800 quid for a 2 nights stay ..not worth it..false advertising!!..shame because actual room is lovely...and a rude lady on reception!!... avoid balcony rooms !!..

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“Lovely Dinner, Tropical Bedroom, and The Great Breakfast Wait (”

I was treated to a night away at the Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa in Bowness as a special present for an occasion—and while there were definitely highlights, the overall stay was a bit of a mixed bag! We started at the spa, which was nice enough, though I was a bit baffled to find there is act… more

I was treated to a night away at the Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa in Bowness as a special present for an occasion—and while there were definitely highlights, the overall stay was a bit of a mixed bag! We started at the spa, which was nice enough, though I was a bit baffled to find there is actually no hot tub/hydrotherapy pool in the leisure facilities. When you book a spa break for a treat, soaking in a hot tub is pretty much top of the wishlist, so that was a bit of a letdown right out of the gate. Things picked up significantly in the evening. The dinner was lovely—delicious food. Unfortunately, sleep was a challenge. Our room felt like a sauna on full blast, and to make matters worse, the windows couldn’t be opened to let in any fresh Cumbrian air. We tossed and turned most of the night trying to cool down. The next morning, we headed down for breakfast. The food was fine once it arrived, but we ended up waiting nearly an hour and a half for it. To their credit, staff acknowledged the delay and kindly removed the charge from our bill, which we appreciated. However, the delay at breakfast threw our entire morning schedule off. By the time we got back upstairs to pack, it was 11:05 AM—a grand total of five minutes past the 11:00 AM checkout time. Apparently, those five minutes were a critical breach of hotel security, as we were promptly tracked down and harassed by the housekeeping team to clear out immediately. Nothing rounds off a "relaxing" spa treat quite like a high-stakes, 300-second eviction countdown! Overall: Beautiful location and a fantastic evening meal, but between the missing hot tub, the tropical room temperature, breakfast delays, and the eager checkout patrol, it fell short of what a special gift should be.

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