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Reviews of Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa

4 out of 5
Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa
23 Church Street, Windermere, England

Reviews

8.2

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 424 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 337 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 146 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 69 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 1000 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Fraser

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Really good, clean rooms, friendly staff, a view to die for, also really comfortable, it strikes the correct balance between being really homely and having everything you would need in a hotel room in this day and age without feeling outdated or tacky.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Apr 8, 2024
Dear Fraser, Thank you for your review. I am delighted to see that you enjoyed your stay with us. I do hope we will be able to welcome you again very soon.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Lee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Superb service from start to finish. Excellent facilities…well worth a stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Apr 5, 2024
Dear Lee, Thank you for your review. I am delighted to see that you enjoyed your stay with us and I look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

4/10 Poor

Himanshu

Traveled with family
Disliked: Amenities
Avoid . Although the location is good.the hotel is poorly maintained , especially the heating system. This is when you go for their best super deluxe room. We were awake till 2 am the first night, as the heating need some fixing and making huge noise all night, The website said free bottolled water, but didn't mention that its 2 complimentary bottle of 330 ml per person, per day. We booked for a coupled massage and it was the worst. The lady who did my wife's massage treatment , had no skill . So total waste of money . I also raised a complain in expedia platform, My holidays have been spoiled completely. Simply waste of money. I paid £1200 for 3 nights.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Apr 5, 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review. I am sorry to see that your stay was below our usual high standards and I do hope when visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Graeme

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Apr 4, 2024
Dear Graeme, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us. I am glad to see that you enjoyed your overall stay with us and I do hope I will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Linda

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disappointed in lack of fridge in the room and the charge of £20 per night for parking Apart from this stay was enjoyable
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Apr 1, 2024
Dear Linda, Thank you for your review. I am pleased to see that you enjoyed your overall stay. I appreciate the comment regarding the car parking. With regards to the fridge we do have some rooms that have fridges please give us a call when you book next time and we will be happy to allocate rooms for you that has a fridge. I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Dan

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Although clean and quiet, the hotel was very cold. People were putting their coats on during their evening meal. We also had to put towels on the bed over the blankets to get warm and to sleep. The sauna was out of use and the pool was so cold I only put my foot in and gave up so no use of spa facilities for the weekend either. The building itself is in a perfect location, was beautiful and has enormous potential. The food was nice but food service was dire. One guy was great, efficient and very professional despite having to work in faulty towers like conditions. Not only were they very understaffed, food took ages to come and was coming out wrong and to wrong tables. We also paid for 2 nights parking to be told after being out for the day that the car park was now full. This could have been a perfect weekend but the service and temperature really let it down.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Mar 28, 2024
Dear Dan, Thank you for taking the time to feedback following your recent stay with us. Please accept my apology for the shortfall during your stay with us. Guest feedback is extremely important for us to ensure we improve on the services we provide to our guests. I do hope when visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

ROBERT

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff are excellent from front desk to cleaning staff - friendly, polite, hard working and helpful. The location is fantastic. It appeared the restaurant was a little understaffed during breakfast and dinner. I did have a few issues during my stay which I feel were addressed by the manager when settling the bill. I have to say though, the pool isn't suitable for families with very young children due to the cool temperature which I think should be noted somewhere.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Mar 28, 2024
Dear Robert, Thank you for your feedback following your recent stay with us. I am delighted to see that you enjoyed your overall stay with us. Thank you for your comment regarding the pool area this will be passed to Leisure and Spa Manager for review to ensure pool is correct temperature for everyone to enjoy. Thank you again and I hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place to stay
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Mar 26, 2024
Dear Steven, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us 5 out of 5. We look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Jo

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
The car park was located in a difficult to find area and there was nowhere to park outside the hotel to pick up the car park fob. The cost of £20 was excessive considering that the car park was not on site. The drinks in the bar were very over priced and we had to wait quite a while to get served. The menu for the restaurant as advertised on the website was very different to the one on offer, which had a very limited choice of options. There were limited towels in the room and for the price paid, I would have expected a better service. Overall ridiculously overpriced.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Mar 16, 2024
Dear Jo, Thank you for taking the time for posting your review following your recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear that you did not fully enjoyed your stay with us and I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Yogesh

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
We booked a deluxe room and we were provided with a room that had a skylight and no window we changed the room. We changed the room into considerably smaller one one with a small window at no reduction in the cost. I also informed it was a special weekend as we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and they were not even aware of it. Will think twice before booking a McDonalds hotel in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 28, 2024
Dear Yogesh, Thank you for your review following your stay with us. I appriciate your comments regarding the size of the rooms. The team tried to offer you a room with a better window and a view, unfortunately these are smaller as you said, than the rooms with sky light window. We do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay. Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love the style of this hotel. Lots of character and charm . Fantastic lakeside position..recommend paying a bit extra for a lake view ..amazing. Breakfast lovely, nice and hot.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Lindsay, Thank you for your fantastic review following your stay with us. I am pleased to see that you enjoyed the stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon for another great stay.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

William

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear William, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon for another great stay.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Emma

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Emma, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us. I do hope when visiting the lakes again we will have the opportunity to welcome you to our hotel for your stay.Kind RegardsAgata

10/10 Excellent

Lewis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay
We had an amazing stay at the hotel, we were welcomed straight away and told everything available services wise & we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, they have a wide range of services, the pool sauna and steam room were very nice and relaxing & we will be staying again for definite!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Lewis, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. I am pleased to see that you had an 'amazing stay' with us and I look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

NIALL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely hotel, great staff, swimming pool could be a litle warmer .
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Niall, Thank you for your 5 out of 5 score following your recent stay. I am pleased to see that you enjoyed your stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Disappointing Suite
A disappointing experience considering the price of the room. We booked a suite, there was a nice view of the lake from one of the windows but not the best of views from the other. The suite had many large cracks in the walls, ceiling and around the window and door- won't let me add photographs. Bathroom was nice with TV over the bath but unfortunately had no signal.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your comments following your recent stay with us. I am sorry to see that there were parts of your stay that you did not enjoy but I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Phil

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel is in an idyllic location. Unfortunately being there at Christmas they were clearly running on a skeleton staff who were stretched too thin. The food offered was poor at best given the prices being charged.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Phil, I am sorry to see that you were disappointed with your recent stay with us. Please be assured that the guest feedback is very important to us. I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Laura

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Laura, Thank you for your 10 out of 10 scoring following your recent stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Sarah, Corona del mar

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Sarah, Thank you for taking the time to score your recent stay with us and I do hope when visiting the lakes again you will choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Hotel stay
We enjoyed out stay once again, we come a similar time each year. We have however, noticed that its becoming more and more tired and worn. I understand there is an "old" authentic feel to the building but thats different to being "tatty" with paint missing, black mould on windows and worn, frayed carpets. We overlook that tattyness as our boys love staying, going in the pool and sleeping in the bunkbeds in room 118. however, I would be dissappinted if we paid anymore than we did for the hotel and we only book when rates are low. The room was lovely again! its the common areas which need attention. The breakfast was great again, however a niggle is the removal of nutella from the condiments as our boys have always enjoyed that with their breakfast on previous visits. All staff are lovely and polite. Thank you for the stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your comments following your return stay to the hotel. Guest feedback is important to us to ensure we continue improving on the services we provide to our guests. I do hope when visiting the area again you will choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

4/10 Poor

Miss

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Miss, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us. I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

4/10 Poor

Kellea

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Kellea, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us. I am sorry to see that you scored the hotel 4 out of 10. I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

2/10 Terrible

Allan

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

chris

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Olive

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic location
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Ewan

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Booked as a mid-week break. Nice central location in Bowness. Clean hotel and good staff. Major Issue is no free Hotel Parking. £20 per night When paying around £150 a night for Bed & Breakfast this was an annoyance.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Huw

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Feb 6, 2024
Dear Huw, Thank you for scoring your recent stay with us. I am pleased to see 5 out of 5 score following your recent stay with us and we look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Lisa

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Hena

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Chris

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Phillip

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lake view
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gladys

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect stay
Fantastic in every way. Great friendly service at reception. We even got a free upgrade! Great dining both at dinner and breakfast. Try to bag a window table for breakfast as the view of the lake is spectacular. Stayed in Room 140. Warm, clean and spacious. Modern bathroom with separate walk in shower and bath. Had the best nights sleep. Quality all round. We parked in council longstay carpark. £19.80 for up to three days.
Outside view
Salmon and scrambled egg breakfast
Perfect steak
Cocktail hour
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Blain

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great experience. Food and the view were second to none
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nigel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear Nigel, Thank you for reviewing your recent stay with us. I am pleased to see that you enjoyed your recent stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

HELEN

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Bad customer service
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear Helen, I am sorry to see the comment following your recent stay with us. All guest feedback is important to us to ensure we continue improving on the service we provide to our guests.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Fergus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Give it a go
Have been going up to the lakes for as long as I can remember and first time at this hotel. It sits right on the lake with spectacular views. Don’t be fooled this is a great hotel it is a bit tired in places but offers excellent rooms and service and it’s position is second to none. I have stopped in many different establishments around Bowness and the Old English is a good choice and a reasonable price
Celebrating a birthday
View from the lake
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear Fergus, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent stay with us. I am pleased to see that you have enjoyed your stay with us and I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

James

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Slightly dated decor but comfortable hotel, in a great spot on the lake edge, great views across the lake, good breakfast but filter coffee not good. Great location for the town and wider area.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear James, Thank you for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear about the coffee. I do hope when visiting the area again will have the opportunity to welcome you back to the hotel.Kind Regards,Agata

2/10 Terrible

Susan

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear Susan, I am sorry to see a score of 2 out of 10 following your recent stay with us. I do hope should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

4/10 Poor

Audrey

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear Audrey, Thank you for taking the time to score your recent stay with us. I do hope we will have an opportunity to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Angie

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear Angie, Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us. I am pleased to see a score 10 out of 10. I do hope you are already planning another visit.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

Richard

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
We stayed for 1 night on the way back from 3 nights in Edinburgh in lovely hotels including 1 night on the Fingal ( refurbished boat ) which was fantastic. From the moment entering reception it was not what I was expecting from a Macdonald hotel. A very damp musty smell hits you , and whilst waiting and looking into the public room at the front the overarching feeling was how outdated, old and dirty the decor was. Reception was ok but £20 to park your car was not expected . We stayed in room 19 I think it was, very outdated decor but the bed was clean and comfy , bathroom fairly clean but it had moving floor tiles and missing grout on the floor. At night it rained and there must have been a leak in the gutter as I was awoken to the noise of water pouring onto the flat roof outside the window. Breakfast was ok, plenty of choice and we sat by the window overlooking the lawn and lake which was nice- but was let down by dirty window sills and my wife said there were snail trails on the floor. It is a lovely old building , but needs closing and totally refurbishing to sell itself as “luxury on Windermere “ - I would not recommend spending around £200 a night here, and it has put me off staying at macdonald hotels in the future
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Nov 6, 2023
Dear Richard, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear that your stay was below our usual high standards and please be assured all guest feedback is important to us. I do hope when visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Craig

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Brilliant location at edge of lake and central to town. Wonderful views from the lounge making it a great place to relax. Great pool, quite large.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear Craig, Thank you for sharing comments with us following your recent stay with us. I am pleased to see that you have enjoyed your overall stay with us and I look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

6/10 Okay

John

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Pool excellent, Room good view but tired furnishings. Shower in room poor pressure. No assistance given when no tv reception in room. Sorted it myself. Staff on desk pleasant and helpful. Breakfast disappointing. Coffee bad.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear John, Thank you for your review following your stay with us. I am sorry to hear that you had issues during your stay that were not dealt with by the team. Please be assured all guest feedback is important to us to ensure we continue improving on the service we provide to our guests. I do hope when visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

Linda

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Met our expectations.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear Linda, Thank you for your recent review. I do hope you had an enjoyable stay and hopefully we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Leanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Sunny one night stay
Beautiful location. Drinks on the terrace in the blazing sunshine. Bar manager Tim was lovely. Had a problem with our shower head that was sorted immediately. Breakfast good.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear Leanne, Thank you for your kind comments following your recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear you had a problem with the shower head but I am glad it was sorted straight away for you. I look forward welcoming you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 7, 2023
Dear Michael, Thank you for scoring your stay 8 out of 10. We are glad to see that you enjoyed your overall stay with us. I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Two day break at Boness
The hotel has a geat location, being on the waterfront. It has undoubtedly seen better days, and the decor is looking a bit tired, with wallpaper hanging off the ceiling in one room, and paint needing touching up/renewing. Staff were very friendly, but mostly disorganised, and not trained (or not following the training). For example our waitress took all our orders, then wandered off to another room and another job, so nobody followed up to see if the food actually arrived. It did not, and getting it to do so was quite troublesome for us. Plenty other waiters standing gosssiping in corners, but none interested in actually attending to customers. Likewise at the main reception - one very nice lady trying her best, with a man doing nothing except trying to look important, and officious. I had to actually tell him to stop swanning about like the lord of creation, and actually do some work. With two people doing their work, the ques reduced a bit faster (surprise) but it still was an amateur performance. At breakfast there is a sign saying to wait here for attention. We waited, and watched three staff staning looking at us, then talking amongst themselves for a considerable time - no effort to even acknowlege our presence. Eventually we entered and spoke to them directly. Next day, we completely ignored the sign - the service is just not up to scratch.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Oct 23, 2023
Dear John, I appreciate you taking the time to post your review following your recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear about the issues with service, please be assured this will be discussed internally and necessary training issued to the team. I do hope despite the issues you had should you be visiting the area again you will give us another chance and choose our hotel for your stay.Kind Regards,Agata

10/10 Excellent

julie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved everything about it!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Agata, General Manager on Sep 17, 2023
Dear Julie, Such kind comment following your stay with us. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us. I do hope we will be able to welcome you again soon.Kind Regards,Agata