Macdonald Leeming House

What a really wonderful majestic hotel with views over the lake to envy. I would have given five stars but unfortunately it is a bit worn at the edges but this does not detract from the building’s beauty. The breakfast was very good lots of choice and fresh. All the staff were excellent especially Mat in the bar and Basil at reception who were really respectful and helpful. Obviously a dog friendly hotel but that did not raise any problems with my stay.

I’ve just returned from my second stay at Leeming House and, honestly, I was delighted to be back! The location is absolutely stunning. Sitting right on the shores of Ullswater, the views are incredible, the grounds are beautiful to wander around, and the terrace is the perfect place to sit and take it all in. My room was gorgeous too – full of old-world charm and character, with beautiful views to wake up to. A huge thank you to Monica, Bassel and all the team. Every single member of staff is so welcoming, friendly and attentive. Nothing ever feels like too much trouble, and they genuinely make you feel looked after from the moment you arrive. The food was delicious throughout my stay, and the choice on the menu made it difficult to decide each lunchtime! Coffee and cakes were also stunning…must have put on 1/2 stone!! My stay was due to attending training with Florence Madden, and I honestly can’t imagine a better venue. It’s such a peaceful, inspiring place to learn, while also being somewhere you can completely switch off afterwards. Thank you to everyone at Leeming House for another wonderful stay. It’s a truly special place, and I already can’t wait to come back.

I’ll preface this review by saying I’ve read replies by the manager Darren, to some clientele remarks. I found them unprofessional. Surely any manager should be able to take ANY review onboard, acknowledge, and assess if improvement is required. Engage and not confront. So, here goes. The Leeming House hotel building is beautiful if somewhat neglected and the views are stunning. The extensive grounds could be incredible with the use of a regular gardener - again, they are neglected. We found out during our stay that the McDonald group have been in financial trouble and sadly this was borne out during our visit. The issues we had go beyond star ratings and fall into the category of a lack of good customer service. The bed making was random and haphazard with pillows often appearing to have been thrown from the bottom of the bed and on one day not made at all. The huge sash picture window was rotting and unable to open adequately (there was no way to prop it open) and there was no catch to close it securely. The balcony railings were missing in places and clearly in need of repair. The balcony was shared with other rooms, so security for room 5 scores a low rating given anyone with access could simply lift the window open. That’s only overshadowed by an en-suite basin that had two scoldingly hot taps, a toilet that regularly flushed hot water and a shower that never got beyond mildly tepid and was mostly cold. Once the staff realised the room was single occupancy, all second person items were removed - hand and bath towels, bottled water etc. A delux double was paid for, so this shouldn’t have been necessary. After two days trying to get the dredges out of the shower gel dispenser, I took myself off to speak with the receptionist (not a very welcoming person), who started to rummage in a small box under the desk looking at sample packets of random liquids. I explained again that I needed the dispenser filled to which she replied that she probably couldn’t find anyone and housekeeping was not in until 8am the following day. They did fill it that night. However, they spilt most of it in the bath! Why it was missed the two days prior I don’t know. I even took the pump dispenser out and left it in clear view but no joy. Luckily I spotted the spillage and cleared it up before getting in and slipping over (shower over bath). When I queried the missing bottle of water (that I needed to clean my teeth with as no cold water from the basin) the receptionist suggested I take myself off and ask at the bar! Not a very client-centric response. Housekeeping didn’t find it a priority to wipe surfaces or wash the tea cups in my room or exchange them for clean during my five days, so I did this myself too. Given the cost for the five nights stay, I find this level of service fell far short of a 4 star facility. The food was good, but the menu remained pretty much the same for the whole week. It was clear that the waiting staff had been pulled off from other duties around the hotel and were not silver-service trained or even waiters! They definitely appeared to be overly busy and possibly short staffed - we were told one evening if we wanted dessert we’d have to wait because they were busy in another dining room to ours. The whole hotel needs redecoration, windows need replacing, balconies need fixing, gardens need tending and staff definitely need retraining. The views compensated for all this, but it definitely can’t be said this hotel is value for money.