We unfortunately had already booked in another hotel, so only came upon the Rothay after our first day walk up a nearby Wainwright. After that first impression we returned for post walk drinks after that, until we sadly returned home 4 days later. The hotel is spotless, the ambience is of the highest order and the staff are friendly, attentive and polite. In particular, we both agreed that we had to say something about the member of staff who served us every day at the bar whilst we sat out in your beautiful gardens. We unfortunately didn’t get his name, but he was the tall North Eastern lad from Durham, who was always polite, funny, kind and with a permanent smile and happy aura about him. He was canny not just with us, but also with other proper guests and it was a pleasure witnessing his persona with these guests. He was ten times any member of staff we experienced in our own hotel, or any other cafe/bar or similar establishment during our stay. In summary, this looks, feels and behaves like a very high quality and super relaxed hotel with staff, in particularly one, who recognise what customer service is all about without coming across as subservient or robotic. On our return to the area in the nearby future, we will for sure try and accommodate ourselves here instead.

I took my mother here for Afternoon tea for her birthday. Despite the heavy rain and hail showers we had a lovely time. The setting is really nice with Afternoon tea served in the conservatory overlooking the gardens. The food was well presented and tasty. The lemon macarons were particularly enjoyable as were the turkey stuffing and relish sandwiches. They had a decent selection of different teas including plenty of alternative options such as fruit teas, mango and strawberry was very nice, and decaf options. Staff were very pleasant and attentive without hovering over you all of the time. Cost wise it wasn't cheap, coming in at around £70 for two. But overall it was worth it for a special occasion.

Great cosy hotel. Lovely rooms. Dinner was absolutely delicious. The cheese soufflé and chocolate mess were soo good. Great location for grasmere, hotel in lovely grounds with river running past. Spa small but good, one of the best steam and saunas I’ve been in. Shout out to restaurant staff who were friendly and attentive. Would recommend!

Over promising and sadly under delivering Dinner was delayed by an hour and the service was disappointing - the staff took a long time to take our order and forgot items (including our chips). The food was average at best, steak ordered medium rare came out medium, and the chips had no seasoning. It felt expensive for what we received. No women’s sanitary products (pads/tampons) were available, so we had to walk to a shop. At 9am we were woken by very loud cleaning staff nearby (we were in Lodge 1) - it sounded like they were in the room! In the room, a large bottle of lotion had been left behind, the hairdryer cord was too short to use comfortably at the vanity mirror in the bedroom, and the water at 10:30am was only lukewarm. Also in the spa, one of the sauna benches was broken and taped off. Positives: the bed was very comfortable, the hotel has a clean, modern feel, and booking through the website gave good benefits (breakfast, parking, £25 credit). The spa facilities overall were good. Overall I’d give it a 3/5. Strong first impression but it quickly fell below expectations…if we had paid full price without the added benefits, the rating would have been lower.

Review of food: We stayed at Rothay Hotel & Garden for a long weekend and decided to book dinner there on our final night (Sunday). The setting is genuinely beautiful — the dining area is bright, filled with natural light, and offers lovely views of the surrounding mountains. It’s a very picturesque and relaxing space to dine in. The restaurant was quite busy when we arrived around 8pm, so booking in advance is definitely recommended. We were seated in a great spot and looked forward to the Sunday roast menu. To start, I had the cheese soufflé, which was excellent — light, airy, well-risen, and nicely presented. For the main, I chose the chicken roast. The highlight here was the chicken itself — tender, succulent, with crispy skin and well-seasoned throughout. The Yorkshire pudding was also very good, with a crisp exterior and soft interior, and the greens and red cabbage were both well prepared (the cabbage had a subtle apple note which worked nicely). However, some elements fell short. The roast potatoes were underwhelming — not well seasoned and lacking the crispness you’d expect from a proper Sunday roast. The carrot had a slightly sour flavour that didn’t suit my preference. The portion size also felt modest, with just a single chicken breast, and the gravy was quite limited (with extra charged separately). Dessert was disappointing. I ordered a chocolate sundae but was served a berry dessert with custard and cream. When we queried it, the staff insisted it was correct, despite it clearly not matching the description. We also noticed a similar issue at nearby tables, which made the experience frustrating. Service in the evening was friendly but quite slow, likely due to the restaurant potentially being understaffed on a busy night. Breakfast Experience We also had breakfast at the hotel during our stay. The “Rothay Garden” breakfast (their signature option) was very enjoyable — featuring Cumbrian sausage, eggs, bacon, tomato, and baked beans. While the bacon portion was slightly small, it was still a satisfying and well-balanced start to the day. My wife opted for the vegetarian version, which included halloumi instead of sausage, and she enjoyed it enough to order it again the following day. On my second morning, I tried the eggs Benedict, which was more average. It was quite simple in presentation, and the hollandaise sauce lacked richness and depth. Compared to the full breakfast, it felt underwhelming. Service at breakfast, however, was noticeably better — efficient, attentive, and a pleasant way to start the day. Overall While the setting is stunning and there are clear highlights (particularly the chicken roast and full breakfast), the overall experience felt inconsistent, especially considering the price point of around £35 for dinner