Returning to a hotel where one has previously enjoyed an excellent stay can sometimes prove to be a disappointment. However, for the Rothay Garden it is pleasing to report it was just as good as before.

This time we enjoyed a Grasmere room on the first floor. This was a large, traditionally furnished room with a four-poster bed and a lovely view over a stream and towards the fells. The bathroom was fine and had a large tub and a powerful shower.

Like last year the food was particularly good and is still worthy of the two AA rosettes awarded. This is not a hotel for customers looking for plain cooking but those wanting modern style English food then the weekend package we enjoyed offers good value for money. The wine list also contains an interesting and fairly extensive selection.

We noticed the presence of the proprietor on a number of occasions and the staff were friendly and helpful.

There is plenty of parking and the hotel is within easy walking of the village centre and many delightful walks around this part of the Lake District.

The hotel is due to close shortly for a major refurbishment which will include most of the bedrooms.

We booked a Langdale Room with Four Poster, when we arrived and were shown to our room we found a dirty carpet, pre war bathroom which did not smell very pleasant, the bed cover has been peach once and was now so faded it no longer matched the curtains and a sofa which was falling to bits, We complained and were moved to a room which had been renovated but our stay was 4 nights and we could only have the room for 3. Dinner was ok nothing special we felt the menu was fussy as another review states lots of jus and no plain english. Breakfast is a meagre offering and as my husband only had bacon and sausage i thought he may get extra bacon no 1 slice and 1 sausage (very poor) i am diabetic and booked ahead for extra carbohydrates which i did not get. We were not enjoying our stay at all and when we got back the next evening to no electricity as the builders, building the managers new house in the grounds had gone through a cable it was the last straw we checked out. The managers attitude was was like it or lump it. They are renovating the hotel i believe it needs it dated peeling wallpaper everywhere, but i feel the manager needs to renovate his attitude towards the guests if he wants anyone to return.

Having stayed at Rothay Garden previously and enjoyed the food very much, we looked forward to our second stay. However, on the same night as dining in the hotel, I developed a very unpleasant bout of sickness and diahorrea that I could only attribute to the food consumed earlier in the hotel (scallops with finnie haddie sausage). The next morning I explained that I had been unwell to a member of staff and as a result would be checking out early. The member of staff was more concerned about the possibility that our room would be sold that night!

At check out the manager did not even as much as ask how I was even though I had explained how I had been ill overnight to him. Not the best example of service I would expect from a small independent hotel!

The absence of a shower in the room is indicative of the dated style of this hotel. The other comments already posted relating to decor at the hotel are valid.

My advice is to be selective on both room and menu choice if you want to have an enjoyable stay!

On arrival we were greeted by a very friendly Hotel manager named Elliot. When we got to our rooms one of them just had a bath without a shower which was disapointing. As with most UK country hotels the rooms were rather small but did have hair dryers and coffee in the rooms. Our second night we returned from dinner for an drink in the lounge, it was a very warm evening and the fireplace was lit, we asked to have it turned off but were told by the night manager that it was not possible as it added ambience to the room. We were the only 4 guests in the lounge at the time and found it very rude of the manager not to respond to our request. At check out the next day the same manager was on the desk, his attitude was not suited for working in a Hospitality Industry.