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Reviews of Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa 4 stars

23 Church St, Bowness-on-Windermere, LA23 3DF, United Kingdom

#16 of 16 hotels in Bowness-on-Windermere

Guests' Choice

Review score

Based on 2519 hotel reviews

7.7

Score breakdown

  • Cleanliness

    8.3

  • Comfort

    8.5

  • Location

    9.5

  • Facilities

    7.9

  • Staff

    8.4

  • Value for money

    6.7

  • Free WiFi

    7.5

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Showing 1 – 25

  • Reviewed: 3 June 2024

    9.0
    Perfect location with lovely staff
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    The staff were lovely. Very friendly and helpful: great location, comfy beds and nice breakfast

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 2 June 2024

    8.0
    Very good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Breakfast was terrible, cold, service poor

    View of lake, disabled parking

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 1 June 2024

    9.0
    Superb
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    More could be made of the hotel. Residents bar always in darkness and the library is just a room with empty bookshelves and furniture lying around. Also the car parking could be arranged better.

    Great location, comfy rooms. Cooked breakfast was very good quality. Friendly reception staff.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 29 May 2024

    7.0
    Great location and views but looking a bit tired.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Super Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 5 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Very shabby and tired bedroom furniture. Bits of the head board kept flaking off onto the pillows. Shower was very weak and took ages to get to temperature and the shower head holes were blocked with black gunk. Public areas were very cold with all the doors left open. Needed a coat to drink in the bar !

    Great location with super views over the lake and nice swimming pool, gym and spa facilities.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 28 May 2024

    9.0
    Staff friendly, comfy bed and great breakfast
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Ran out of breakfast tea at breakfast!

    Perfect location near to the lakeside walk and attractions

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 28 May 2024

    8.0
    Great hotel, just shame about room being so hot.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe Balcony Room
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Room was excellent, but being direct above the sauna and swimming pool, the room was un bearable hot, even with all the windows open and was difficult and uncomfortable to sleep on an evening.

    Staff, where great and very helpful

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 27 May 2024

    9.0
    Fantastic
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Nothing always great every time we come

    Very clean and staff very polite especially Mia when having breakfast

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 27 May 2024

    9.0
    Great, will definitely be back!
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Deluxe Family Room
    • Stayed 1 night

    Nothing, was all great

    The beds were really comfy The pool and spa was excellent The location couldn't be better

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 26 May 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Was very disappointed in the breakfast, I wanted eggs benedict but was not going to pay £5 extra for the sauce. That’s just ridiculous when you are paying just under £200 a night. I went for avocado on toast, there was 1/4 of avocado 1/2 cold tomato, poached egg. 😡

    The hotel was nice made good use of the bar in the evening was staying with family (17 of us in total) Only there for 1 night so did not get much chance to explore the hotel. Was only there 17 hours due to a bereavement.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 26 May 2024

    8.0
    Very enjoyable and relaxing time.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 4 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    The range of food in offer was really good.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 25 May 2024

    7.0
    Food excellent and staff helpful. Overall a very good stay.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe Double Room
    • Stayed 3 nights

    Room overall a bit "dated" Indicates a fridge but not one. This is a great pity as it would be a great attraction and benefit No Traditional Beers on tap. This is rather disappointing though decent bottled beers Lift on Spa end unpredictable at best. The other very slow

    Good bathroom

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 23 May 2024

    8.0
    Very pleasant as usual
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 3 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    Long way to room

    Suits us. Comfortable. Always delivers

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 22 May 2024

    7.0
    Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 1 night

    there were hairs in the bath from previous person and dirty tissue at side of bed window was broken

    breakfast food was great room a lovely size location fab

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 21 May 2024

    8.0
    Great place but vary the set menu each day, please!
    • Leisure trip
    • Group
    • Standard King Room
    • Stayed 2 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    There is evidently a problem recruiting and/or keeping some categories of staff. We were booked in for half board but the set dinner menu was the same each night, with only four dishes on offer for each course to cover the main categories of vegetarian, meat eater, etc. Fine if it changed each night, but it didn’t. The food was ok but not as good as on earlier visits. Still we had a good stay!

    Excellent location and very willing staff, who went out of their way to enable ageing parents to be accommodated kindly and sensitively.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 21 May 2024

    8.0
    Perfect for our half way trip to Scotland
    • Leisure trip
    • People with friends
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Parking was away but no big deal

    Nice view and the food was good at night

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 20 May 2024

    8.0
    Tom's 77 birthday
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe Balcony Room
    • Stayed 4 nights
    • Submitted via mobile

    We had a deluxe room with a balcony unfortunately when sat on the seats on the balcony all you could see was a brick wall to see the view of the boats coming and going was to stand up and lean on the wall.The brick wall wants replacing with a glass panel wall.No point paying £1465 for a room with a balcony when you have to stand up for the view when you should have that view relaxing sitting down.Reported balcony light not working not sorted out when we left.I chose the Old Endland for a treat for my wife who has dementia and i am recovering from heart failure.

    The location,friendly staff,room sorted daily

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 19 May 2024

    8.0
    It was ok but expensive for what it was and rather tired decor-wise.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 3 nights

    Room was ok on ground floor but one of the first to be passed by other guests. Also the view out across a bituminised rooftop was not great, although there was a partial view of lake and pierhead dock. Breakfast was fine, but changed from the weekend when it was self serve (preferred) to brought to table on the weekdays. A niggling point was that we had to ask for more butter for toast every day, rather than just having a serving each provided at the table. Parking arrangements were awkward and very expensive and the need for a fob to enter wasn't explained...we had to ask. It also meant that we would have had to park outside the hotel, obtain the fob and then drive back to the car park. Just give us the fob before we go out for the day and collect it when we return.

    Great location in Bowness centre with easy access to nearby pubs and restaurants. Great views from the restaurant and terrace.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 17 May 2024

    8.0
    Very good
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    charging kids for the half board when it was booked on a half board basis was disappointing

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 16 May 2024

    7.0
    Great location for a one night stop-over but wouldn’t stay for a longer period.
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Parking. Both parking location and cost. Hotel is “dated”. Which some might like but not my preference.

    Location. That’s what Macdonalds is all about.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 15 May 2024

    8.0
    Very Good
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Super Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 4 nights

    .

    Location excellent. Too much waiting in restaurant. Were told to take a seat in the bar but people who came after us were taken straight in by a different member of staff.

    Stayed in April 2024

  • Reviewed: 14 May 2024

    9.0
    Superb
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night

    I was not aware there would be a charge for the car park at £20

    fantastic location, glad I upgraded the room to a view over the lake.

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 14 May 2024

    8.0
    Excellent defenetly come back again
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Standard Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    No usb in sockets

    Ideal location

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 13 May 2024

    8.0
    Nice hotel
    • Leisure trip
    • Couple
    • Deluxe Double Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    A few issues with the lifts whilst we were there, plus a few items had run out at breakfast and not topped up straight away. The sauna was out of action too.

    Lovely hotel. Great location. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice breakfast. Handy car park

    Stayed in May 2024

  • Reviewed: 12 May 2024

    7.0
    Great location but a bit pricey
    • Leisure trip
    • Family with young children
    • Super Deluxe King Room
    • Stayed 1 night
    • Submitted via mobile

    Central position

    Convenience and parking right in the centre stayed here many times

    Stayed in May 2024

Showing 1 – 25

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