The Izaak Walton Hotel

Absolutely beautiful location. Lovely walks from the door. Last stayed here back in May 2019 and couldn't wait to return. We booked for two nights. The bed was comfy and we had a nice view towards Thorpe Cloud. Nice selection of drinks from the bar, and prices reasonable. Bacon and sausage were nice quality at breakfast. There was a small selection of mini boxed cereals, pots of yoghurt, cooked breakfast items, bread, butter and a couple of preserves. Shower gel , body lotion, hand soap and shampoo in the bathroom. Towels nice and soft. Tea and coffee facilities in room. Very small digital TV, but worked fine. We couldn't think of any more positives. We would probably stay elsewhere in future should we come back to this area as, unfortunately, the hotel appears under different management now. There was zero customer service. No one seemed to bother, with guests appearing low on staffs agenda. Meals overpriced for sub standard food, and served in bar area. Staff did nothing despite food being inedible. 10 minutes of opening hot food ran out. No dairy free or gluten free options. Staff didn't know what porridge was when asked. Had to ask for plates and cutlery. Toaster didn't work. Room needed a good clean and looked part decorated and shabby. Dirty cutlery left on floor in restaurant, tables left uncleared whilst guests were looking for tables. Such a shame how down hill it has got. We had a lovely meal at a nearby location the following day.

A quirky little spot with bags of character — and just as many creaky floorboards. The staff were warm and welcoming, and our room was spotless, although any notion of soundproofing seems to have been more of a suggestion than a feature. Expect to become well-acquainted with your neighbours’ late-night coughs and early morning floorboard sprints. The hotel itself has a certain quaint charm, the kind that teeters between “authentically rustic” and “in need of a modest refurb”. A lick of paint and a few modern touches wouldn’t go amiss. The bar food was a mixed bag — the pie and mash was genuinely enjoyable, while the burger looked like it had done a short stint in prison before making its way to our table. Edible, just not… uplifting. Fortunately, we had a decent Hotels.com discount, which made the stay feel like fair value. Without it, the price tag — particularly for food and drink — would have been hard to justify for what is, in essence, a perfectly average experience with a side of charm.

The location of the hotel is lovely. Once there some interesting places are within walking distance - Dovedale and Ilam for example.

Comfortable room though squeaky doors and broken chair. Bar food pricey but ordinary, breakfast sufficient but below expectations. Friendly and helpful staff. Beautiful setting in magnificent surroundings.

The property was charming and fantastic location. The food, however was very basic, both dinner and breakfast.

Nice and comfortable location is perfect to stay in. Good view all around.

Well located hotel within beautiful countryside, room good size and clean, breakfast OK but dinner menu very restricted -- ordered steak & ale pie but received chicken pie, offered a complimentary dessert but actually charged for it.

The location is superb but the hotel does not match this. The staff are reasonable, the food is very expensive for not much quality or quantity and the place is tired. Coupled with problems in checking out it was nice but we will likely not return.

A must for anyone visiting Ashbourne and the manifold valley. Lovely hotel with amazing staff. Little dated but full of character. Comfy bed with an incredible view. Great breakfast too x

The hotel is in a fantastic location. If you’re expecting modern and contemporary then think again. It’s an old building but the staff are very nice and it has character.

A characterful property with a warm and comfortable atmosphere and excellent service. Location is perfect affording great and unspoilt views of dovedale, makes an ideal base for walkers. Would definitely recommend.

Comfortable hotel in fabulous location

Excellent breakfast, friendly staff, terrific location. Clean, tidy room that could do with a refurb. Very hard bed! Close to hill walks as well as Dovedale and The Tissington TrAil

Such a beautiful and relaxing setting. A quiet ambient indoor setting to and furnished well. The food was adequate at breakfast and the evening meal was good. An improvement would be better quality pillows as the ones provided where flat and uncomfortable.

Rooms very comfortable and clean.Lovely scenic area Excellent chef

Hotel, restaurant and bar meals all grossly overrated and overpriced. For example, £10 for soup and £12 for a piece of cheesecake on the bar menu. The breakfast selection was poor; full English and/or cereals. No continental options such as meats, fruits or pastries. The hotel is very tired looking, with damp areas showing throughout. The rooms are very basic, even though we paid for an executive room. Woken in the night by the noisy shower in the next door room. Altogether, not the experience we were hoping for. Very disappointed.

We didn't like the menu. And where you could eat sirtain menu items. Much improvement needed. E.g you couldn't have a gammon steak in the restaurant,bar only

Fabulous walking area - comfortable rooms

We both slept well in very comfortable beds. My average scores reflect the draughty and cool Derwent Bar which reduced the pleasure of a pre-Dinner drink. My wife’s diet is restricted and she was allowed to order the Haddock and Chips in the Restaurant - sadly - no Mushy Peas. My choice of the Lamb Rump proved to be mediocre and as such well over-priced at £30. We enjoyed sharing the Cheeseboard which was enough for two. The Waitress was helpful and very pleasant. Breakfast OK but limited choice of Cereal.

The only thing going for this hotel is its location. The rooms, staff service, are poor. AA 3* is very generous. Everything seems to be very basic.