"Bit of a mixed review. We stayed here last night, after walking the 25km Keswick to Langdale section of the Cumbria way. We are not pro-hikers and we were aiming to get to the Hotel at 7pm, as we thought the kitchen would probably shut at 8pm or 9pm. The hike took us longer than expected (walking with our kids), and even though we practically ran the last kilometre we arrived at 8:05pm. We asked if we could still get any food and the chef brusquely told us the kitchen shut at 8pm, but there were bar snacks (crisps). I honestly nearly cried!! We were all exhausted and starving. There are no shops nearby and we didn’t have a car. I know we were late but a bit of compassion would have gone a long way. I wasn’t expecting the whole menu, given that we were late but perhaps some chips or an offer of a sandwich? Genuinely I’m the kind of person who tends to leave 5 star reviews. But this ruined the stay for me. In its favour, the location is amazing, the rooms were fine, the breakfast was good and the staff were on the whole friendly and helpful. The bar man was really good to the kids, giving them flapjack on the house. But for me, the total lack of empathy was pretty unforgivable. Response to management reply: Just to say that we absolutely were trying to ring ahead, but we had zero reception on the hills. I agree and understand that the kitchen staff should only work until the end of their shift. However, I would respectfully suggest that some sort of back up cold food service (e.g. sandwiches) could be put in place by management for this type of situation. I’m sure the reception team or the barman could be trained to provide this. It really would have made the world of difference to us. If you are running a hotel in the middle of a city, there’s less need for this, but I think it’s pretty essential hospitality for a walkers hotel in the middle of the Lake District with no comms or shops nearby. I think it would have been less awkward for the chef too, if he had a decent alternative to be able to point us at. I understand he was tired and at the end of his shift, so I don’t blame him for being abrupt. It could so easily have been a great experience, with just a little bit of flexibility and I would have been so grateful for it. Please consider making a change."
