The hotel itself is very nice, warm and friendly. The location is excellent as you are away from the busy crowds and isolated. The staff are very happy to help and in the main, they are very friendly (save for a gumpy receptionist who may be the owner...).

The open fires and the bar are great to come back to after a day walking. The rooms could do with a bit of updating and I would get a superior room rather than a standard as the standards are very small and do not have a bath.

The bad points about the hotel has to be the food. The breakfast is fantastic but the same cannot be said for the evening meal. They try to be too fancy and often run out of dishes. Also, I had to 2 main courses which had to be returned as they were cold. That is such a shame as the rest of the hotel is excellent.

Having stayed regularly for the last twenty years I felt it is time we gave a review.

Quite simply out of all the places we have stayed UK, Europe,USA , and further afield, the Skelwith Bridge remains our favourite hotel.

If anyone can tell me a more friendly or better value place to stay, in a great location please email me details ASAP.

I used to stay regularly at this hotel in the 1990's but had not frequented its doors with a child in tow. My husband, daughter (9) and I went for a walking break in July 2007. The hotel had not changed much - same welcoming atmosphere as ever. The rooms had been updated and the dining room had been decorated,... We had a deluxe room with a sofa bed for my daughter and it was of an ample size (Room 15). The bathroom was appreciated with a separate bath and shower. The food was of good quality and selection, although rather 'saucy' at times. We like the Skelwith Bridge for its location - far enough away from the crowds of Ambleside and Bowness and close to Elterwater and the Langdales. You can park the car and never see it again, whilst walking from the hotel up into the fells - absolutely magical. Would definitely come back.

We booked the hotel having read the previous reviews and stayed for two nights. Overall it is a very pleasant hotel - friendly staff, clean rooms and a good location in the Lakes. The food was very good, plenty of choice and good sized portions. Maybe slightly lacking in flair, but looked to be popular with the guests.

The majority of guests are of an older generation; nothing wrong with that, though probably not the place for a honeymoon get-away or similar!

Overall I would highly recommend this hotel, especially if you are looking for a bit of old fashioned service and comfort...!